Featuring a profile of the remarkable experiment in making and exhibiting art in the public sphere: Franconia Sculpture Park
Lots of folks can agree, in the abstract, that public art is a laudable and graceful addition to our civic landscapes; but the conversation becomes increasingly fraught with disagreement when you get down to brass tacks: What sort of work deserves our communal support? Do we seek out more challenging, but arguably more culturally enduring pieces; or is crowd-pleasing, uncontroversial fare better suited to the aim that this should be art for all of us? For this issue, artist and writer Andy Sturdevant investigates Minnesota's own, quietly revolutionary public art venue, Franconia Sculpture Park, which is home to both an unpretentious and open creative ethos and a revolving collection of truly fine, remarkably varied public artwork. * FEATURE: "Otherworldly Realms in Your Own Backyard," essay by Andy Sturdevant
* MnArts Magazine highlights include: incisive reviews of the Weisman's new exhibition on art of the New Deal and Mikhail Baryshnikov's buzz-worthy photography show at the Weinstein Gallery, as well as dispatches from our performance critics on the latest stage production of the classic Man of La Mancha in Lanesboro and the dance premieres from the first weekend of Momentum. * A handpicked selection of artist opportunities from our daily updated list of postings on mnartists.org * An abundance of classes, art festivals, lectures, theater, music, film, and gallery openings going on around the state—all drawn from mnartists.org's DIY, member-driven arts calendar PLUS: A month's worth of new Some Assembly Required episodes and a look into the Twin Cities Pan-African Festival of Music and Art presented by the nonprofit Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO)
