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Singer Marie Woodward lives in upstate New York, but she was able to watch Minnesota Opera mezzo soprano 

.” The two met while performing together at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival two years ago.

Woodward admires how Athey created, directed, filmed and edited — not to mention sang —her one-woman showcase. As the title suggests, the songs follow a restorative journey for those stuck home during the pandemic.

Athey is in her second season of the resident artist program at the Minnesota Opera. The 42-minute showcase is part of the opera’s

, and it is available for free on YouTube through Saturday.

Katherine Kelly of Minneapolis follows the work of a number of artists who inspire her to be bold and creative. One of those artists is Minneapolis-based illustrator 

, whose work ranges from whimsical “bunny affirmations” to recent artwork expressing solidarity with the people of Myanmar following the February coup. One project that Kelly was particularly excited to share is the “Growbook,” co-created by Hong and 

. It’s an activity packet designed to spark conversation, healing and discovery.

The “Growbook” functions as an artist-created journal, complete with two coloring pages. Eleven pages of prompts invite the user to map their strengths, skills, views on conflict, and even recipes that have gotten them through the pandemic. The book is free to download and is designed to be shared in conversation with others. You can find the Growbook 

In this self-care-themed Art Hounds episode, we can’t leave out laughter. Trish Foster of St. Louis Park was one of several Art Hounds who wrote in about 

, a comedy performance trio whose unique set of skills includes knife-throwing as well as juggling. Foster says both the adults and children in her family have enjoyed past performances by the troupe. 

“The fun thing about a Danger Committee show is that they love to do improv, and they are so skilled at it. You never see the same show twice. And the jokes are just flying at such a rapid pace. It’s so much fun.”

The Danger Committee’s “Back to the Lab” performances at the 

 in Minneapolis run Thursday through April 25. In compliance with health guidelines, the theater will operate at 25 percent capacity. 

Emily Bright

Author

Mezzo soprano Mia Athey’s vocal showcase celebrates self-love as a remedy during the pandemic, Tori Hong and Cori Nakamura Lin’s “Growbook” offers a creative self-directed format for healing, and the Danger Committee’s juggling, knife-throwing, comedy show gives the whole family a chance to laugh.

Art Hounds: Artists explore self-care during hard times

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