Plan your weekend with a journey through St. Paul’s vibrant art scene at the longest-running art crawl in the United States, a one-woman comedy show delving into a multi-generational family curse, or an immersive Indigenous arts festival.
The 20-Year Curse Show
The Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK) will host “The 20-Year Curse,” a one-woman show written and performed by Korean American writer, actor, and filmmaker Naomi Ko. The production explores Ko’s multi-generational family curse through comedy, film, and an interactive Korean drinking game.
The curse that had apparently plagued Ko’s family for generations was revealed to her on her birthday by a Korean shaman. Though it struck her as peculiar, the idea of being cursed did not catch her by surprise.
“I think it just made sense like, ‘Oh, this is why my career hasn’t taken off, or, ‘This is why I’m still single.’ It’s all from the curse!” Ko joked. “I totally jumped into the deep end because it was a good way to explain why so many things were going wrong in my life.”
The show not only delves into Ko’s personal experiences, but also uncovers family secrets on her father’s side spanning three generations.
“There was this expectation from my parents that some things had to be kept secret because it was just too taboo to talk about, or because they didn’t want to make certain members of the family look bad…and I think the show uses comedy to truth tell,” Ko said.
Ko, along with writers May Lee Yang and Saymouka Duangphouxay Vongsay, founded FAWK after Ko was asked to censor profanity and themes of hypersexuality in a show.
“Asian women get it from both ends,” Ko said. “We get it from our community, because we’re expected to behave with dignity so we don’t embarrass the community, and we get it from society.”
Date: Thursday, October 5 through Saturday, October 7, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Red Eye Theater, 2213 Snelling Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
Cost: $20. Buy tickets here.
For more information: Visit https://www.fawkollective.com/20yc.
St. Paul Art Crawl
The St. Paul Art Crawl returns this weekend, stretching across all corners of St. Paul and showcasing the works of more than 300 local artists. The event will feature 21 venues.
Schmidt Artist Lofts will host Latin American dance classes, live painting demonstrations, and showcase the works of more than 80 participating artists with a vintage art sale.
Friedli Gallery and Studio will host the “Sacred Klown” art exhibition by Shaun Chosa, exploring traditional Native American imagery fused with contemporary pop culture. The gallery and studio will also display local art from seven diverse artists. Find more information here.
Additionally, the East Side’s ArT at 967 Payne studio will feature the works of Chicano artist Jimmy Longoria, Sue Costello Sepulveda’s “Women of Diversity” collection, and Jordan Sellman’s acrylic paintings.
Date: Friday, October 6 through Sunday, October 8, 2023
Time: Various times for different events. Find the art crawl schedule here.
Location: Multiple locations across St. Paul, Minnesota. Find details here.
Cost: Varies by event and location.
For more information: Visit https://stpaulartcollective.org/art-crawl-events/.
Owámni Falling Water Festival
The 10th annual Owámni Falling Festival invites guests to celebrate Indigenous cultures at the sacred Dakota parks, Mill Ruins Park and Father Hennepin Bluff Park, in Minneapolis. The event is hosted by The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, in collaboration with St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.
The festival features Native American artistry, with more than 15 artists showcasing their works. The event will feature acrylic paintings by Chholing Taha, digital art and custom fabric designs by Marlena Myles, and jewelry by Josef Reiter, among other work.
Entertainment at the Father Hennepin and Mill Ruins stages will include soulful jazz vocals by Jada Brown, a hoop dance performance by Jackie Bird, the rhythmic beats of Hip-Hop artist Tall Paul, and more. Find the stage schedule here.
The event will also offer Native American cuisine from six food vendors, including Tatanka Truck, Pow Wow Grounds, and North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems.
Date: Saturday, October 7
Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Mill Ruins Park, 102 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401; and Father Hennepin Bluff Park, 420 Main St. S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/events/owamni_falling_water_festival/.
