The Twin Cities arts scene this weekend unfolds with an arts festival paying tribute to Indian traditions and dance styles, paintings honoring the legacies of Black female musicians, and art installations exploring Puerto Rican identity and the interconnectedness between diasporic communities and their homelands.
Additionally, an improv festival takes center stage, celebrating the wit and humor of Black improv groups. Alongside the performances, workshops offer participants the chance to refine their skills in sketch writing, acting, and improvisation.
Improv shows and workshops highlight Black voices
The eighth annual Black and Funny Improv Festival returns Thursday night, showcasing emerging Black comedians and offering five workshops for aspiring performers.
“The hope is that Black people take the power and space they are given at this festival and bring that with them to other spaces,” said festival co-director Jada Pulley.
In an effort to elevate Black voices in comedy, festival directors Pulley and John Gebretatose curated a diverse program, including shows like “Blackout Presents: Shakespeare Unscripted,” where an all-Black improv company from Minneapolis tackles Shakespearean plays with spontaneity, and “Black People Win,” a celebration of Black joy involving audience participation. Also featured are “Brotha, Brotha,” an improv duo from the Twin Cities, and “The Fourth Floor,” a podcast-style show where hosts answer audience questions and act out scenes based on the responses.
While the festival primarily spotlights Black comedians, both shows and workshops welcome attendees of all backgrounds.
Among the workshops is “FamProv: Improv for Black Families,” tailored to engage Black children in comedy. Participants will collaborate for three hours, leading up to a Sunday performance.
“We all know kids are the most natural improvisers, so I’m excited to have made space for them to be included,” Pulley said.
Additional workshops include “Improvised Black SciFi,” immersing participants in futuristic settings to address themes of racial injustice; “Improv to Sketch” building sketches from improvised performances; “All Request Radio,” which focuses on musical improvisation; and “Turning Tropes into Virtues,” which caters to beginners in acting, sketch writing, improvisation, and comedy.
Date: Thursday, March 21 to Sunday, March 24
Time: Various times for different workshops and shows. Find the schedule here.
Location: Huge Improv Theater, 2728 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Cost: $20 for individual shows. $150 for an Ultra Pass to every show. Multi-show passes are 25% off per ticket. Buy tickets here.
For more information: Visit blackandfunnyimprovfest.weebly.com
Festival celebrates Hindu mythology with dance, food
Midtown Global Market, in collaboration with the Hindu Society of Minnesota, is hosting “Holi: Festival of Colors,” an annual celebration rooted in Hindu mythology.
The festival, observed on the day following the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna, will feature local artists performing classical Bharatanatyam and Kathak to Odissi, folk, and Bollywood dance styles.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the tradition of throwing colorful powder in the air, engage with henna artists, and enjoy Indian cuisine from MomoDosa and restaurants at Midtown Global Market.
Date: Saturday, March 23
Time: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Midtown Global Market 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit midtownglobalmarket.org
Art installations pay tribute to Puerto Rico
Public Functionary will host “Blood Memory,” an exhibit showcasing five installations by Cándida González, a queer, trans, nonbinary Puerto Rican artist from south Minneapolis.
These installations challenge traditional representations of altars, using various media such as collage, photography, audio, and everyday objects to explore grief, memory, ancestry, and the resilience of diasporic communities.
One of the installations,“Caldero Familiar,” transforms the gallery into a kitchen adorned with handmade collages and audio elements, highlighting how food serves as a vital link to one’s homeland.
Another installation,“Blood Memory,” invites visitors to interact with various objects and write a love letter to an object that evokes memories. “I Wear Gold to Talk to My Ancestors” explores the significance of adoring your body to connect with your ancestors, while “En Duelo” recreates a communal bedroom altar for the departed, providing visitors with a space to confront their grief over lost loved ones.
Lastly, “ReCreation” reimagines a Puerto Rican patio space inspired by the practices of immigrant families who integrate pieces of their home countries into their new households.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own headphones to access the audio and video components via QR code.
Date: Opening reception on Friday, March 22. Exhibit runs until April 13.
Time: Opening reception from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Regular gallery hours are 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday., 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Location: Public Functionary, 1500 Jackson St., N.E., Studio 144, Minneapolis
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit publicfunctionary.org.
Paintings celebrate Black female artists and activists
Bethel University is hosting “Backstage Barriers and Beyond,” an exhibit showcasing six paintings by former TV reporter Gasby Brown.
The paintings explore the lives and legacies of Black female artists, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, and Alicia Keys, celebrating their contributions to Black history and culture.
Date: Friday, March 22 to Monday, April 1
Time: Various times for different days. Find the library schedule here.
Location: Bethel University Library, 3900 Bethel Drive, Arden Hills
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit bethel.edu
