Art-A-Whirl spins through Northeast

The annual all-you-can-peruse festival of art in Northeast Minneapolis is aptly named; Art-A-Whirl isn’t just the usual open studio fare, having evolved into an all-weekend party that brings together artists, patrons, collectors, and curious visitors.

Put on by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and held the third weekend in May, the neighborhood event boasts plenty of gallery tours, open studios, and exhibitions. But there are also a number of special events that have visitors hopping from one location to another throughout the three-day whirl. Official hours are 5-10 p.m. Friday, 12-10 p.m. Saturday, and 12-5 p.m. Sunday, but plenty of galleries will stay open to party and meet-and-greet after-hours too. Here’s a quick guide on some of the top hotspots.

Rogue Buddha Gallery party
Likely to be one of the hotter happenings of the weekend, this all-day reception on Saturday for 13th Avenue gallery Rogue Buddha for its new show Imago: An Exhibition Exploring Transformation will feature a DJ, food from Chowgirls Catering (mmm… barbecue), cocktails, and oh yeah, some art. Specifically, Nicholas Harper, the gallery's owner and a painter of no small talent; Kyle Fokken, who creates whimsical sculptures that are part-animal and part-vehicle; and Michael Thomsen, whose boldly colored, wall-mounted sculptures combine aspects of altars, carnival attractions and rummage sales.

Silent Auction
One of the highlights of AAW, the auction features more than 150 items, including painting, sculpture, and photography, as well as jewelry and mosaics. There’s no need to stop in at a certain time, either, since it goes on all weekend. Just stop in at the Northrup King building—where you should be perusing open studios anyway—and find your way to the third-floor NEMAA room. Another silent auction, just for photography, will also be in progress all weekend at the Minneapolis Photo Center, on the second and third floors of the Northwind Lofts.

Grain Belt all-weekend party
Although this might sound like it promises all the free Grain Belt you can drink (which sounds like a Northeast version of heaven), the old bottling building is actually home to a collection of artists, and they put on quite a show for Art-a-Whirl. There’s performance art, film, music, mixed media, clay works, you name it. And yes, there may be a few brews as well. It runs all weekend.

Casket Arts Silos outdoor rock show
The former home of coffinmakers Northwest Casket Company, the Casket Arts Building is now host to about a dozen artists, and features events through the weekend. Saturday night brings an open-air show featuring local bands Marvelle and Poor Weather Club, plus live painting from Linnea Maas Doyle, creating some artsy wonderment while the bands play on. Earlier that afternoon, the building's Studio 115 hosts a screening of animated short films with music from The Idle Hands, Aby Wolf, and DJ Estate.

ArtCar Workshop
Anyone who hangs around Uptown or Northeast has likely seen at least one ArtCar—old beaters that have been turned into moving, often crazy-looking artworks. See what goes into the process by stopping by the Red Stag Supperclub on Saturday afternoon to be part of a “paint-by-numbers” artwork.

Xelias Aerial Arts Student Showcase
Although this circus-arts performing company and school has a fairly small space, it makes the most of it with feats done vertically and, frequently, while spinning. Check out the adult students on Friday, or opt for the circus kids at shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

SS Infinite Regress
The reliably hip Creative Electric Studios no longer has a permanent physical home, having closed its former building a couple years back. Instead, the artists' collective led by David Salmela floats on, literally, presenting its second Art-A-Whirl showcase in a former houseboat on the Mississippi River. (It'll be docked behind the Sample Room on Marshall Avenue; see creativeelectricstudios.com.) This time the visitors are part of the artwork—the immersive installation involves a completely mirrored room, continuous film projection, and white hazmat-style suits. The gallery also hosts music on Friday, with Gay Witch Abortion and Knife World playing at dusk on a floating raft near the houseboat; and on Saturday with daytime sets from Jon Olson, Caveman and Adam Wirtzfeld, and a dusk set from White Map (featuring ex-Low bassist Zak Sally) and Allison LaBonne of the Owls.

Metal & Music
Metalworker Lisa Elias, who makes gracefully curvy and intricate works for gates and railings, lighting, and benches, opens her studio at noon on Saturday for a full day of worthwhile local bands, including First Communion Afterparty, The Twilight Hours, Snake Hearts, and Gay Witch Abortion.

Open Studios and Galleries
Of course, the main draw for Art-a-Whirl is the chance to see artist studios in all their paint-decked, cheese-and-cracker glory, and there are plenty to see. The spacious and artist-packed Northrup King Building is the largest, but also pop into the smaller nearby Thorp Building or zoom over toward the river for the California Building. The largest amount of individual galleries are clustered along the stretch of 13th Avenue just north of Broadway, including the Frank Stone Gallery, Two 12 Pottery, Studio 306, Rogue Buddha, and Sosin Gallery. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, visitors don’t have to wander around unaided. NEMAA provides maps to all locations at every Art-a-Whirl site, and also has the map available on its website, nemaa.org. So, get your art on, and pick up a few pieces to go while you’re at it.