Twin Cities 5 must-see art shows this weekend

Above: Nicolas Africano, "The Model as Garbo" (2017), cast glass. Courtesy of Weinstein Hammons Gallery.

OPENING

Nicolas Africano

Weinstein Hammons Gallery (908 W 46^th St., Mpls)

Opening reception: Fri., June 1, 6-8 p.m.

Gallery hours: Tues.- Sat., 12 - 5 p.m., or by appointment.

Artist Nicolas Africano is fascinated with the sculptural and the gestural. In his series "Themes and Variations: The Garbo Figures," which includes six new major figurative cast glass sculptures, Africano works with old photographs by Cecil Beaton of Greta Garbo dressed as Pierrot the Clown in 1939. Each piece has its own haunting, life-like presence.

Above: Work by Casey Gray. Image provided by Porch Gallery.

OPENING

Art Fair

Porch Gallery (3306 Park Ave. S, Mpls)

Gallery is open when the lights are on: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Tues.-Sat.

Opening reception: Sat., June 2, 8-11 p.m.

Exhibition ends July 14

In this tongue-in-cheek exhibition, Porch Gallery challenges the ways that art fairs have changed art production and installation, and driven the commodification of art. Artists from New York, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Boston, Greece, Chicago, Madison, Wis., Boston and Philadelphia, working in painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and installation, were each asked to create a presentation at 1:12 scale that would fit within the constraints of this tiny gallery visible only from the front porch of a Minneapolis home. Seeing all these installations together will make viewers realize the blandness of this box life. Art may never be free from the market, but the marketing of it changes its presence significantly, and not for the better.

ART CONVERSATION

Artists Julie Buffalohead and Erik Benson in conversation with critic Hrag Vartanian

Fri., June 1, 6:30-8 p.m.

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Pillsbury Auditorium (2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls)

Free, but ticketed. Reserve here: https://ticket.artsmia.org/products/McKnight-Visual-Artist-Series-Hrag-Vartanian

Winning a McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship is a big deal -- only eight Minnesota-artists receive them per year. Because this is a big deal, the Minneapolis Institute of Art organizes conversations between winning artists and a nationally-recognized art critic or curator. This time around it's Minnesota artists Julie Buffalohead and Erik Benson in conversation with the delightful Hrag Vartanian, Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of NYC-based art blogazine Hyperallergic [http://niemanreports.org/articles/hyperallergic/]. Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art Nicole Soukup will introduce the event. This series is co-presented with Mia.

Above: "Mona" by Bianca Pettis

ONGOING

Jerome Fellowship Printmakers Exhibition

Highpoint Center for Printmaking (912 W. Lake St., Mpls.)

Exhibition ends June 30

A nine-month residency and support from the Jerome Foundation gave emerging printmakers Bianca Pettis, Jonathan Herrera and Mike Marks plenty of time to make art. This exhibition features work they made during this residency. In Pettis' work, she plays with color and characters, approaching art through the lens of a performer background. Herrera delves into the violence inflicted upon migrants, working with a monochromatic color palette. Marks' vision is influenced by the world around him, both natural and constructed. The show was juried by Lamar Peterson, a University of Minnesota assistant professor, and Nicole Soukup, assistant curator of contemporary art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. highpointprintmaking.org

Above: A student works on a project at Lionsgate School, a charter school in Minnetonka for middle and high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Photo: Galen Fletcher, ©Walker Art Center.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT

Sensory-Friendly Sunday

Walker Art Center (725 Vineland Pl., Mpls)

Sunday, June 3, 8-11 a.m.

To get more info and reserve a space ahead of time, click here: https://walkerart.org/calendar/2018/sensory-friendly-sunday

How do you have an experience at an art museum of the sensorial nature of it is overwhelming? The Walker Art Center is addressing such a question, launching a new, monthly, free event for kids, teens and adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder or sensory sensitivities. Families can make art together, visit the galleries, watch a film, or lounge around. This new program is the result of work with community partners, and is the first of its kind. Galleries will not be open to the public at this time.