Shannon Fitzgerald here with Episode 8 of the Underground Arts Club, a newsletter for the readers of Minneapolis Voices. The club is a recommendation, not a review. My goal is to introduce you to all of the Twin Cities art that you haven't yet discovered.

The Must-See

"at low tide," The Moving Company

When: May 14-June 8

Where: The Southern Theater

Who: The Moving Company

From the website: 

at low tide

starts with a simple request, “Give me...”

…in the meantime, four intrepid souls put one determined foot in front of the other, eager to reach that place where…at low tide…the sea greets the sky. And hope prevails.

The Moving Company is committed to creating imaginative and thoughtful collaborative new work, and the Twin Cities are truly fortunate to be the home to this sort of artistic vision. The founders are Theater de la Jeune Lune veterans, a beloved company that closed its doors in 2008. Since I got here in 2014, I never got to see anything by Jeune Lune but I still felt its impact, and believe that its beauty and poignancy is captured and extended in The Moving Company’s unique creations.

Photo courtesy of Milly's Wine Bar & Bistro

Things to know

  1. Parking: Located in the Courtyard Marriott Ramp located next to theater, validation available ($5.50 for four hours). You do have to know your license plate number to register inside the lobby, so maybe snap a photo or write that down.
  2. Dining: Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro is a gorgeous little bistro that’s great before or after the show (open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday!) It’s fun to try the “Challenger,” two half glasses of a particular wine, one pricey, one, well, less pricey. Can you guess which is which (I get it about half the time)? Pair with any one of their fabulous cheese or dessert boards. It’s probably best to make a reservation – it’s a big space, but they can get busy!
  3. Attire: If you’re going to Milly’s, imagine a French bistro in the summer and dress accordingly.
  4. Accessibility: The Southern’s main entrance is accessible, with a separate accessible entrance from lobby to theater, accessible bathrooms, disability parking available in the ramp.

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The Discovery

Photo courtesy of Foci Glass Arts

I wanted to write about all of the seriously amazing opportunities that we have to learn how to make art in the Twin Cities, but there’s so much that I’m going to talk about them one at a time. 

Foci Glass Arts

I recently took a class at Foci, and bent and shaped molten glass, and felt like a badass. They do a great job with their workshops – small classes, great teachers, and doable projects that look great. I made a heart paperweight, but they have seasonal options depending on the time of year. You can also dive deep and take multi-week classes to truly learn the craft, or sign the kids up for summer camp!

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Field Notes

One of artist Mary Cassatt's many "Mother and Child" artworks, 1894, drypoint and aquatint printed in color, with monotype inking and touches of brushed on color.

Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate! As a mother who also has a mother, I’m toasting all the love, angst, and complexity that comes with the role. I might wander the galleries at the MIA, on a scavenger hunt for every representation of a mother that I can find. This would be a fun group project – I imagine that where I see mother might look very different than where you see mother in any particular piece of art.