In the market for some art, and feel like shopping local? The Twin Cities may no longer have a centralized gallery scene, but you can get a good browse at mnartists.org. More than 1,240 painters -- not counting hundreds of other visual artists -- have samples of their work posted or linked to the site. So you can preview in your pj's and then mark your calendar for an actual show featuring work of some hitherto unknown who piques your interest. Other art forms, including theater and literature, are also represented on the site, though less extensively. Features, forums, podcasts and the like range from obtuse to interesting (Michael Fallon's honest piece on the role that jealousy and competitiveness play in artists' relationships, under "Behind the Scenes."). This haphazardly organized site is primarily by artists, for artists, but there's plenty for the art appreciator/consumer to savor. You just have to pan for the gold amid the more artist-centric pebbles.
Kristin Tillotson
