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As actor Willie E. Jones III prepares to start the last semester of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA actor training program, he’s looking forward to Thursday’s one-man show 

The show is written and performed by Twin Cities creative 

, an alumnus of the same BFA program. Inspired by a story told by Duke’s grandfather, the play follows a young Black man returning home to Mississippi in 1927 in the wake of his father’s death.

Jones says the show is an “investigation on racial violence, grief, and hope ... and what it means to have a legacy in an era when everyone’s trying to cut you down. I think it’s being released at the perfect time.”

The show streams for free at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the 

. A live post-show Q&A session with Duke follows the show. It’s part of an ongoing monthly series by the Guthrie Theater and Black Minneapolis actors. The series runs through May, with a new show each month.

Artist Karen Krey shines a light on fellow St. Cloud, Minn., artists: 

The husband-wife team draws influence from dot paintings by Aboriginal Australian people.

Often working together, the Wallingas use sticks to apply acrylic paint to canvas, creating images from layered dots. The resulting brightly colored paintings often look like murals, some are abstract, and others are nature-themed.

St. Paul-based ghostwriter Dave Walbridge recommended art that makes him happy during the pandemic: the Facebook concerts by Minneapolis singer-songwriter 

. Walbridge describes Reed’s musical style as “folk, alt rock. …she’s like a camp counselor who knows all the words to everything and you just want to sing along.”

Reed has adapted to the pandemic by hosting bi-weekly concerts titled “Live from Somewhere in Her House” as well as monthly singalongs with Twin Cities pianist 

. The next singalong is at 7 p.m. Monday, followed by a performance at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21. Both stream through Facebook. 

Emily Bright

Author

Often working together, Eve and Gary Wallinga use sticks to apply acrylic paint to canvas, creating images from layered dots.

Inspired by a story told by his grandfather, Antonio Duke performs the play of a young Black man returning home to Mississippi in 1927.

Art Hounds: a couple creates Aboriginal-inspired art in St. Cloud

An acrylic painting titled "Coneflowers" by Eve Wallinga.

Courtesy of Eve and Gary Wallinga | Photo by Gary Wallinga

An acrylic painting titled "Owl Dreaming" by Eve Wallinga.

Art Hounds: A St. Cloud couple creates paintings inspired by art from Aboriginal Australians

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