art

3 Legged Race

420 N 5th St, Suite 540, Ford Center, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-332-3200

Productions use movement and form to create innovative dance. Many of its performances contain social critique of the world around us.

Acadia Cabaret Theater

1931 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-874-8702

Plays host to local drama and comedy on its small stage. The space is a little cramped but offers local theater a stage on which to show their work to the public.

Ballet of the Dolls

820 18th Ave., Minneapolis MN 55418

Phone: 612-623-7660

Email: dolls@balletofthedolls.com

www.balletofthedolls.org

The most consistently challenging dance troupe in town, Ballet of the Dolls works to take ballet out of its traditionally elitist format and presents it to the people.

The Brave New Workshop

2605 Hennepin Ave S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-332-6620

Brave New Workshop's comedy flip-flops between social satire and simple silliness. It also offers improv workshops for comedians looking to get a foot in the door.

Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater

810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-825-8949

Email: info@bryantlakebowl.com

www.bryantlakebowl.com

Bryant-Lake Bowl doesn't house its own theater troupe, but hosts plenty of smaller shows. The space offers a much a needed stage for drama, experimental and comedic performances.

Ethnic Dance Theater

2337 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-870-8831

Email: info@ethnicdancetheatre.com

www.ethnicdancetheatre.com

Ethnic Dance Theater attempts to create understanding and awareness of other cultures through the production of traditional dance.

Eye of the Storm

3600 16th Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-728-5859

One of the few theaters in town still producing gritty, occasionally intense theater. Eye of the Storm bases a lot of its work in social critique.

Fifty Foot Penguin Theater

2224 Emerson Ave. #3, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-381-1110

Email: fiftyfootpenguin@yahoo.com

Fifty Foot Penguin Theater has produced some of the most dramatic Twin Cities theater in the last few years. They're also fans of absurd comedy as social critique.

Frank Theatre

3156 23rd Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-724-3760

Email: frank@bitstream.net

www.franktheatre.org

Frank Theatre may be one of the most socially conscious theaters in town. Recent seasons have included work by Brecht and Orwell.

Fringe Festival

Phone: 612-872-1212

Email: operations@fringefestival.org

www.fringefestival.org

Fringe Festival may not have much "fringe" left in it, but with a 120-production line-up, it offers an incredible opportunity for grassroots performance.

Illusion Theater

Hennepin Center for the Arts

528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-339-4944

Email: illusiontheaterl@juno.com

In a city filled with theaters and theater groups, Illusion Theater offers a chance for new playwrights to stage their work in addition to housing productions of established work.

In The Heart of The Beast Puppet and Mask Theater

1500 East Lake St., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-721-2535

www.hobt.org

Best known for its participation in the Powderhorn neighborhood's May Day parade, In the Heart of the Beast also works its puppet mastery into stage productions.

Mixed Blood Theater

1501 S. 4th St., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-338-0937

Email: info@mixedblood.com

www.mixedblood.com

Based on the idea that roles shouldn't be cast along traditional "white character, white actor" lines, Mixed Blood pushes audiences to consider issues of race, gender, and more.

Pangea World Theater

2509 Dupont Ave. #209, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-377-1728

Pangea's dance-inspired theater turns traditional theater on its head exploding the racial and societal issues from within the play itself.

Patrick's Cabaret

3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-721-3595

Email: pr_cabaret@yahoo.com

www.patrickscabaret.org

Even though Patrick has departed from the artistic director position at this cabaret theater, the space still plays host to some of the Twin Cities most experimental, dramatic and moving performances.

Penumbra Theater

270 N Kent St., St. Paul

Phone: 651-224-3180

Being the only professional African-American theater company in the Twin Cities puts a lot of pressure on Penumbra. Fortunately, it's up to the task, delivering poetic performance and masterful staging.

Pillsbury House Theatre

3501 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-825-0459

Shows at Pillsbury House Theatre are deeply rooted in issues of social justice and community. In addition to housing powerful productions, the theater works with the community to produce works by young, local playwrights.

The Playwright's Center

2301 Franklin Ave. E., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-332-7481

Email: info@pwcenter.org

www.pwcenter.org

Twin Cities would have maybe half the performance offerings if not for the artistic guidance of the Playwright's Center. They offer classes, workshops and occasionally stage productions.

Praxis Group

www.waste.org/praxis

Praxis Group explodes the traditions of classical theater. Their productions turn established plays inside out, exposing the unspoken societal programming that is at work within.

Red Eye Theater

15 W 14th St., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-870-0309

Email: contact@theredeye.org

Although the Red Eye only hosts a few shows a year these days, it hasn't dulled down its taste for experimental and challenging performance.

Southern Theater

1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-340-1725

The Southern is the premier location for local dance and theater, including Theater Mu. And for those who haven't experienced it, Leslie Ball's local cabaret, where local performers try out their work, is a must see.

Stepping Stone Theater for Youth Development

314 Landmark Center 75 W 5th St., St. Paul

Phone: 651-225-9265

www.steppingstonetheatre.org

Stepping Stone's mission centers around bringing kids into the fold of theater and teaching them how to use performance to express thought and emotion.

Teatro del Pueblo

209 W. Page St., St. Paul

Phone: 651-224-8806

Teatro del Pueblo draws its strength from the Latino community on the West Side of St Paul. The company produces shows based on issues of importance to both local and global Latino people.

Ten Thousand Things Theater

Phone: 612-724-4494

Ten Thousand Things tours most of its shows to non-traditional theater audiences, bringing performance to prisons, homeless shelters and more.

Theater Mu

711 W Lake St., Suite 212, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-824-4804

Theater Mu is the preeminent Asian-American theater troupe in town. Their work focuses on the combination of Western and Eastern stage direction and performance.

Theatre in the Round

245 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-333-2919

Theatre in the Round gets a lot of flak for its consistent decision to generally produce comedy of manners plays, but it still remains the best community theater in the Cities.

University Theatre

110 Rarig Center 330 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-625-4001

Email: theatre@umn.edu

http://cla.umn.edu/theatre/index.html

Rarig Center plays host to a few different student theater companies. The most visible of these is U Theater, which incorporates the University of Minnesota's base of emerging playwrights, performers and directors into professional productions.

Argyle Zebra (AZ) Gallery

Northern Warehouse, 308 Prince St., St. Paul

Phone: 651-255-6624

The AZ Gallery acts as the communal gallery for the artists' co-op of Lowertown, St. Paul. Art is produced on site and shown by artists - what's more community-oriented?

ArTrujillo Studio Gallery

International Bazaar 301 E. Lake St. Suite 01, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-821-9076

The shopping center housing this gallery turns some people off from visiting, but ArTrujillo Studio Gallery has some of the best artwork from the local Latino community.

Jim Brandenburg Gallery

Luverne, MN & Ely, MN

Phone: 877-493-8017

Email: ravenwoodstudios@aol.com

www.jimbrandenburg.com

Brandenburg may be Minnesota's preeminent nature photographer. His Boundary Waters images taken between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice revitalized interest in the park.

CreArte

Chicano and Latino Arts Center and Museum

4137 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-728-5723

The CreArte gallery encompasses both traditional and multi-media art within a space that focuses on the work of the Latino community.

Flatland Gallery

208 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-378-3890

Email: info@flatland-gallery.com

www.flatland-gallery.com

Flatland seeks out local emerging artists to show in the gallery. Flatland opened in response to the call for more space for artists to display their work "at affordable prices."

Franconia Sculpture Park

29815 Unity Ave., Shafer

Phone: 651-465-3701

Email: info@franconia.org

www.franconia.org

Sculptures of scrap iron, wood and other materials rise out of the fields at the Franconia Sculpture Park, urging people to get out of their cars and walk among the giant art.

Franklin Art Works

1021 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-872-7494

www.franklinartworks.org

Housed in the heart of Phillips, the Franklin Art Works hosts free exhibitions focusing on one artist. Each summer, their shows deal with issues relating to the Phillips community.

Homewood Studios

2400 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-587-0230

Email: homewood@homewoodstudios.com

www.homewoodstudios.com

Homewood studios is an artists' workspace and small community gallery/meeting space designed for local artists and community members.

Icebox Gallery

2401 Central Ave, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-788-1790

icebox@bitstream.net

www.iceboxminnesota.com

The thought provoking Icebox Gallery accurately represents the kinds of hoops artists jump through to show their work. The gallery shows work from local artists.

Intermedia Arts

2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-871-4444

Email: allstaff@intermediaarts.org

www.intermediaarts.org

Intermedia Arts is the perfect example of what a "green gallery" can be. They show and promote community art, educate the public and perform outstanding non-profit work.

MCAD/Calhoun Square Gallery

3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-874-3748

www.mcad.edu

Calhoun Square may not seem a very green space for art, but the MCAD/Calhoun Square gallery still helps to bring the work of student artists to the community.

Midway Contemporary Art

2500 University Ave. W., Suite C-2, St. Paul

Phone: 651-917-1851

Email: info@midwaycontemporaryart.org

www.midwaycontemporaryart.org

The Twin Cities are in dire need of more non-commercial art space such as this one. Midway Contemporary Art's space brings art to the industrial Midway neighborhood.

Katherine E. Nash Gallery

Willey Hall, 225 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-624-7530

www.artdept.umn.edu

Buried in the basement of Wiley Hall on the University of Minnesota's West Bank, the Nash Gallery gets ignored too often. Exhibits tend to focus on work from the University community and the Twin Cities.

No Name Exhibitions at the Soap Factory

110 5th Ave. SE, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-623-9176

Email: bethp@soapfactory.org

www.soapfactory.org

No Name Exhibitions gallery sits inside a beautifully renovated warehouse near the Mississippi. The space helps introduces emerging local artists to the public eye.

pARTS Gallery

711 W Lake St., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-824-5500

Email: parts@bitstream.net

www.partsphoto.org

The pARTS photographic gallery deals with social and political art as seen through the camera lens.

Resource Center of the Americas

3019 Minnehaha Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-276-0788

Email: sjanisch@americas.org

The Resource Center doesn't have a gallery space per se, but displays a mural outside and houses art focusing on community and the Americas inside the building.

Rogue Buddha Gallery

2402 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-331-3889

www.roguebuddha.com

Rogue Buddha attempts to mix all mediums of art within four walls. The ambitious gallery bursts with the color of local artists.

Soo Visual Arts Gallery

2640 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-871-2263

Email: information@soovac.org

www.soovac.org

The Soo Gallery attempts to make art more accessible to the community - even going so far as to distribute art through gumball machines (for a quarter or two).

Thomas Barry Fine Arts

530 North 3rd Street Minneapolis MN 55104

phone: 612-338-3656

fax: 612.436.0283

thom@thomasbarry.com

www.thomasbarry.com

Thomas Barry Fine Arts is a for-profit gallery showing primarily contemporary Midwestern Artists since 1984. Represented artists include Judy Onofrio, Lynn Geesaman, David Lefkowitz and Thomas Allen.

Two Rivers Art Gallery

1530 E Franklin Ave., Minneapolis

Phone: 612-879-1780

Email: jespinosa@maicnet.org

Minnesota American Indian Center: www.maicnet.org

Two Rivers Art Gallery: www.maicnet.org/Two%20Rivers%20Gallery/Default.html

Emerging Native American artists have a chance to display both traditional and contemporary art at Two Rivers Gallery.

The Waiting Room

1828 Marshall St. NE, Suite 5, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-781-8115

Email: info@waitingroomgallery.com

Perhaps the most cutting-edge gallery in the Twin Cities. The Waiting Room deals with the art of social critique and more. Few claim to understand it; many love it.

Walker Art Center

725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis

Phone: 612-375-7622

Email: information@walkerart.org

www.walkerart.org

The Walker may be "the name" for art in the cities, but they keep in touch with the community through programs such as "Walker on Wheels," which brings art to neighborhoods by automobile.

Art Centers in the Twin Cities:

Center for Independent Artists
4137 Bloomington Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55407

612-724-8392 Email: cia@c4ia.org

www.c4ia.org

Center for Independent Artists nurtures independent artistic vision and fosters diverse cultural perspectives by providing resources and services to independent artists.

Intermedia Arts

2822 Lyndale Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-871-4444 Email: info@intermediaarts.org

www.intermediaarts.org

Intermedia Arts is a community arts organization that aims to create cultural change through arts, and that works with communities who do not traditionally have access to the arts. They have $2 workshops, youth programs such as school art camps for children in the Whittier neighborhood, and teen programs that include arts activism.

Juxtaposition Arts

280 2nd Avenue North #201

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 612-374-1418 Email: cdivine@earthlink.net

www.juxtaposition.org

Juxtaposition Arts, a youth visual arts organization, works primarily with kids ages 8-18 in North Minneapolis, fostering creative development by providing a community place to do and share art. They teach free drawing, sculpting, painting and more. The levels range from basic skills to professional, and after each class they hold an art show for the community.

Media Artists Resource Center (The MARC)

2388 University Avenue

St Paul, MN 55114

Phone: 651-644-1912 Email: marc@mtn.org

The MARC aims to "promote the production of media works by independent artists from all communities, and to provide low-cost access to media equipment and facilities for these artists in a supportive and educational environment." They offer film and photography classes. Volunteers receive a 50% discount on classes and equipment and members have access to film, video, editing facilities and a photography darkroom.

Metal Heart Jewelry

4775 Banning Avenue

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.metalheartjewelry.com

Metal Heart Jewelry is a classroom studio dedicated to providing a friendly atmosphere for learning to make jewelry in metal. Students will gain skills and knowledge that will enable them to create rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, chains and other items.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts

B1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 100

Minneapolis,MN 55415

Phone: 612-215-2520 Email: mcba@mnbookarts.org

www.mnbookarts.org

Minnesota Center for Book Arts offers classes for professionals, youth and families in bookbinding/bookmaking, papermaking/decoration, typography/design, printing/printmaking and calligraphy. Their goal is to "advance the book as a vital contemporary art form, preserving the traditional crafts of bookmaking and engaging people in learning, production, interpretive and collaborative experiences."

Minneapolis Community Education

Lehmann Center

1006 West Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-668-1100 Email: community.education@mpls.k12.mn.us

http://commed.mpls.k12.mn.us

Two goals of community education are to promote lifelong learning, and to build community and make connections. There are many art classes among the wide variety of class offerings, including drawing, jewelry, knitting, pottery, candle making, origami and photography. Prices are reasonable, and adults over 62 qualify for a fee reduction.

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation

400 South 4th Street Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone: 612-661-4800

www.minneapolisparks.org

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation offers various classes, held at recreation centers throughout the metro area, such as children's classes in Art and Park Adventures, "Environ-Art" and Creative Art; teen classes in Arts and Crafts; and Family Craft nights. Most classes are free.

Open U Inc.

706 North 1st Street

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 612-349-9273 Email: openu241@cs.com

www.openuinc.com

Open U Inc. is "committed to empowering adults to realize their potential and to share that potential with others through teaching, learning and community action." Art classes such as studio painting, pottery, calligraphy, greeting card design and photography are among the multitude of classes offered. Prices are slightly higher than community education classes, but "Frequent Learners" receive discounts.

pARTs Photographic Arts

711 West Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-824-5500 Email: parts@bitstream.net

www.partsphoto.org

pARTs Photographic Arts is a photography gallery and resource center. They offer photography workshops for adults, a teen mentor program, and youth programs, where they work with local elementary schools, recreation programs and social service agencies.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 West Kellogg Boulevard

St Paul, MN 55102

Phone: 651-221-9444 Email: info@smm.org

www.sci.mus.mn.us

The Science Museum of Minnesota offers adult classes on science and the arts, as well as classes for kids and families. Many of the classes for children combine learning about science with making art, and there's even a class on how to make your own art supplies. There is a cost for classes, but scholarships for 85% of the fee are available for families who receive public assistance, and for 50% of the fee for other families who need assistance.

Walker Art Center

725 Vineland Place

Minneapolis, MN 55403

Phone: 612-375-7622 Email: information@walkerart.org

www.walkerart.org

The Walker Art Center has a strong emphasis on community involvement and outreach. They often partner with community-based organizations to create workshops and other programs; there are too many to list here. Many of their programs have an emphasis on youth, teens and family.

Compiled by Rob O'Brien, Object Magazine

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