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is a visiting religion professor at St. Olaf College as well as a calligrapher and book artist. For both these reasons, an event that pinged on his radar this week is a discussion Friday with artist Sam Robertson about his new book, 

Working over the course of several years, Robertson created about 250 full-page illustrations, inspired by his reading of the New King James version of the Hebrew Bible. The pictures, Sienna says, are “dense, colorful and quirky” incorporating modern settings and activities. 

The panel discussion at Open Book in Minneapolis includes professors of history, art history, English, and theology, as well as the book’s publisher, 11:11 Press. 

The event is 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a reception. The event is free, but 

Minneapolis writer and filmmaker Darren Johnson is looking forward to seeing the group, 

 blend West African and Irish dance and music. Johnson saw the group perform at the Irish Fair last year. He said they began with a handful of people in the audience, but by the time they finished, “the whole field was full. It got really energetic.”

The upcoming performance brings together master drummers Fodé and Alhassan Bangoura of Guinea, along with Twin Cities performers from the Celtic music scene and dancers from Duniya Drum and Dance and O’Shea Irish Dance.

The performance is Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

recommends a hands-on workshop that uses time-honored fiber arts practices to connect people to local watersheds. The Saturday workshops, “

” by artist and botanist Sarah Nassif, teach about dying fibers with locally harvested indigo and the role of water in the process. 

 of Three Rivers Fibershed, will show how to spin wool into yarn, drawing connections between the clothes we wear and the land and water around us. 

The workshop is Saturday 10 a.m. to noon at the 

Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

. Nassif’s related fiber and video exhibit, Personal Watersheds

 is on view at the  organization’s Stormwater Park and Learning Center.

Author

A discussion at Open Book in Minneapolis explores artist Sam Robertson’s illustrated art-book take on the King James Bible. Sarah Nassif’s hands-on “Weaving Water” workshop connects the ancient art of indigo dyeing and spinning fiber with local water systems. And at The Southern Theater, the group Cumar combines West African rhythms and Celtic dance to create something new.

Art Hounds have ideas to exercise your art brain

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