Tokyo Type Designers Club

Since 1990, this Japan-based nonprofit has held an international design competition. This exhibition presents 300 selections from leading typographers and graphic designers around the world. (Oct. 11-Nov. 7. Free. Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Mpls. mcad.edu.)

Lisa Bergh

Bergh's art is constantly changing and shifting, and while it is rooted in works on paper, she is into more than just the two-dimensional. She plays with the seeming binary of abstraction and representation, challenging it altogether. Based in New London, Minn., she is also the co-founder of the Traveling Museum, which advocates for the rural arts movement. (Nov. 16-Feb. 11. $5-$10. Rochester Art Center. rochesterartcenter.org.)

Renewing What They Gave Us

American Indian artists Jessica Gokey, Pat Kruse, Denise Lajimodiere, Gwen Westerman and Holly Young present artworks, ranging from beadwork to birch bark and textile, made through the Minnesota Historical Society's Native American Artists-in-Residence program. The program reflects the society's desire to become a resource for Indians, while acknowledging the ways their cultural practices have been disrupted. (Sept. 23-April 22. $6-$12. Minnesota History Center, St. Paul. minnesotahistorycenter.org.)

Edgar Heap of Birds

The Oklahoma-based artist presents text-based works from the mid-1980s onward, works from his "Neuf" abstract paintings series and a commissioned public artwork on the gallery's exterior wall. His smart work asks viewers to reconcile with their oftentimes romanticized, stereotypical view of American Indian tribes, and deal with the historical reality of colonialism and forced assimilation. (Ends Oct. 14. Free. Bockley Gallery, Mpls. bockleygallery.com.)

Eyewitness Views

Long before the days of photojournalism, "view painters" documented historical events, whether the Venetian Carnival or a volcanic eruption. In this exhibition, catch 50 scenes of historic events in 18th-century Europe, from such painters as Canaletto, Belloto and Panini. (Ends Dec. 31, $16-$20. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Mpls. new.artsmia.org.)

Adiós Utopia

The first major show of modern Cuban art since 1944 presents more than 100 works by 50 artists — many of them little-known. Exploring works through the lens of utopia, as a social construct and an impossibility, the exhibition offers U.S. audiences a unique look at how the island's culture has evolved since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. (Nov. 11-March 18. $9-$14, free for 17 and younger, and for all Thursday evenings. Walker Art Center, Mpls. walkerart.org.)

Lisa Bergh

New Pictures: Omer Fast, Appendix

Two films by Berlin-based Israeli artist Fast are juxtaposed with 20 portraits from 20th-century German photographer August Sander in a thoughtful exhibit that questions the fine lines between fact and fiction, and collective history and personal memory. (Sept. 23- Feb. 18. Free. Minneapolis Institute of Art. new.artsmia.org.)

Tempered Beasts

Artists Alessandro Gallo, Crystal Morey, Lindsay Pichaske, Adriel Tong and Russell Wrankle use animal imagery as a way to explore the human condition. Of course, humans are also animals. Whether we are consuming animals or commodifying them, there is much to contemplate about the ways we have been culturally conditioned to think of other species. (Sept. 22-Nov. 5. Free. Northern Clay Center, Mpls. northernclaycenter.org.)

Jack Lenor Larsen at 90

Curator Stephanie Zollinger celebrates textile master Larsen by throwing a combination exhibition/birthday party. Through his long career, Larsen produced fabrics for interior environments, as well as carpet and furniture. The show includes 65 to 70 textiles, explicated through text, tours and lectures. (Sept. 22-Jan. 7. Free. Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, St. Paul. goldstein.design.umn.edu.)

Meme Town

Memes: They're what's on the internet! In this one-night-only event, artist Eric Larson curates a selection of memes (goofy, lo-fi images, often captioned with something catchy, that go viral) from Minnesota artists. Think of Michael Jordan crying, then google it! (5-9 p.m. Oct. 5. Free. Walker Art Center, Mpls.)

ALICIA ELER