In this issue: Works in Progress

The real work of art happens long before a finished piece hits the stage, or page, or gallery walls - the gritty, day-to-day reality of art-making is in the roil of development, the sweat of conception, and the trial and error of execution before an artist settles on just the right path. Featured articles in this issue celebrate that process: from an artistic director's passion for fostering the development of playwrights, to dancers who fearlessly leap from familiar territory to experiment with something new, or architects who find their vision, not in grand public projects, but in pursuit of the perfect rustic cabin in the woods. 

• HOMEPAGE: Highlights include an engaging essay on Guillermo Kuitca's penchant for cartography and "digging out the bones of life" by travel writer Frank Bures; a review of the McKnight SOLO performances; the distinctly Scandinavian pursuit of the quintessential summer house; and the launch of a new series of audio samplers from Ampers
• NEWS YOU CAN USE: A batch of new artist opportunities and local arts announcements, drawn from mnartists.org's daily-updated community bulletin board
• YOU ARE HERE: A host of arts festivals and outdoor performances, as well as new exhibitions, theater, and film, and the arrival of the Minnesota Fringe Festival

PLUS: Celebrate tpt's new weekly arts show MN Original AND the CSA (Community Supported Art) program by mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts in Mears Park this Friday