This month for our arts and culture selections we branched out to include a new brew from one of our favorite establishments, the women-owned Urban Growler. That's not only the reason St. Paul is the place to be this month. You guessed it: St. Patrick's Day. But events at two Minneapolis galleries will have you rethinking what makes a city.
LuckyPalooza on West 7th
March 12, 2-10:30 p.m.
West 7
th, St. Paul
visitsaintpaul.com
A downtown parade isn’t the only thing happening on St. Paul’s holiest of holy’s, St. Patrick’s Day. On two blocks of West 7th, the streets will be closed for
LuckyPalooza, a festive celebration of food, camaraderie and the luck of the Irish. Along with tent parties at such local institutions as Cossetta’s, outdoor foodstands and bars will keep the hungry and thirsty satiated. If you missed Crashed Ice, don’t miss Red Bull Trials athlete Geoff Aaron performing daredevil stunts from 2-7 p.m. Bonus: Metro Transit is offering free rides on its buses and light rail from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. for LuckyPalooza on West 7th.
Go here for your free pass.
CWA: CITY SPIT
Through March 25
City Wide Artists, Minneapolis
612-359-0828
citywideartists.com
A
Minneapolis and St. Paul transit map from 1913 illustrates the ways in which the two cities were connected in the good old days—and perhaps will be again in the future. Why the map is the image for an exhibition showcasing work by 50 Twin Cities artists is up for speculation. Because the artists hail from throughout the metro region? Because art is connective tissue in communities, between people and across boundaries? No matter. The real focus of
City Spit (again, what’s with the name?) is on diversity in medium, methodology and manifestation—and price point. The idea is to push some of our lesser-known artists to the fore, so their work can be seen, discussed, collected. By attending this show, you’ll be able to say “I knew them when…”
SONIC WAM: States of Being
March 20, 2-4 p.m.
Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis
612-625-9494
weisman.umn.edu
Free with
registration
Currently on exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum (WAM) is a meditation on clouds, with works from American painter John Schueler (inspired by his time on the Sound of Sleat near the Isle of Skye), photographer Edward Weston and Boston installation artist Yu-Wen Wu. So far, however, the star of the show is an interactive work by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett. Titled CLOUD, 2012, the work is an assemblage of thousands of light bulbs in a cloud-like shape that viewers are invited to illuminate. During SONIC WAM, director Fernando Meza and his ensemble will add an aural element to the museum-going experience.
March Beer Releases
Urban Growler, St. Paul
651-340-5793
urbangrowlerbrewing.com
Deb Loch, head brewer and co-owner of
MSP’s only women-owned brewery, certainly keeps busy coming up with new beverages. This month, she debuts Hayloft Series™ 10,000 Plums Barleywine, which Urban Growler is calling its “most ambitious Plow to Pint® beer to date.” The brew is based on a traditional English barleywine recipe, but Loch has added 10,000 Minnesota-grown organic plums (three different varieties) from Blue Fruit Farms in Winona. After fermentation, the beer was aged in wine barrels. Forget a salad from the kitchen when drinking this beer. A bahn mi sandwich with cholula hollandaze, pork and pickled jalapeno, or blue-cheese and bacon burger are more in order.