Art Hounds®

Art Hounds: Art that asks 'What does it mean to be ladylike?'

Colorful painted art.
Lady.Like by Andrea Bagdon & Spencer Gillespie - Relic #1, Mixed media on foam.
Courtesy of the artist

Bobby Marines of Rochester heard about a juried arts show about walking and wondered what such a pedestrian topic would yield. The Rochester Art Center show blew Marines away.

Titled “Walk With Us,” the show of 15 local, national and international artists is varied and creative in its use of space. The exhibit is tucked into the hallways and alcoves of the building.

Artists explore the physical act of walking, its meditative properties and our connections to land and water. Marines liked Presley Martin’s cairns made of plastic that the artist found walking along the Mississippi River and painted to resemble rock. The exhibit runs through October 3.

Emma Fitzsimmons is a dancer and choreographer in St Paul. She’s been able to get a sneak peek at the show La.dy.like opening Saturday at Lowertown Underground Artist Gallery.

Andrea Bagdon (she/her) and Spencer Gillespie (she/they) investigate femininity. The space uses painting, projections, and multimedia works to ask what and who gets to be called “ladylike,” and what does it mean?

Fitzsimmons says the exhibit invites guests to peer into boxes or hold art pieces in their hands. “From the moment you step in, you're going to be immersed in this feminist experience,” said Fitzsimmons.

The show runs through July.

Sometimes there are performers whose work you enjoy so much, you’d see whatever they are in. That’s how Sean Dillon, managing director of HUGE Improv Theater, feels about James Rone, Mike Fotis and Jen Scott.

The three Twin Cities artists are teaming up for a night of original songs and funny stories Friday at Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre under the title “There’s a Crack in Everything.” Rone is a songwriter and musician, Fotis is a storyteller and comedian and Scott is a musician who performed as Penny and the Bandits.

Dillon says the show promises to be full of humor and heart. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Correction (June 30, 2022): A previous version of this report misidentified Presley Martin. The story has been updated.

This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.