art beat

Designing intelligently

The Soo Visual Arts Center is presenting &#8220Quantum Circus, The Intelligent Design Project” through Christmas Eve. The show is a two=person collaborative multimedia installation by Michael Zansky and Andrea Stanislav.

The project explores the idea that a sculptural environment can be created that combines elements of movement, light, and sound to enhance sculptural characters and creatures, which will &#8220perform” in acts, the center says.

The small sculptures include fantastic creatures, morphs and mutants, it says, the &#8220imaginary anatomy” of the 21st Century.

&#8220Quantum Circus” runs through Dec. 24.

Soo Visual Arts Center. 2640 Lyndale Ave. S.

871-2263. www.soovac.org.

Southwest siblings

The Abdomen, a band of Southwest siblings who recently released their first CD with their younger sister in the band, will play Nov. 25 at Intermedia Arts.

The Uptown art gallery isn't far from the recording studio where the teenagers spent late evenings learning and recording the album, &#8220This Time.”

The Abdos - Jake, 20, Matt, 19, and Mari, 16 - were among fewer than 50 teens selected to attend a national Grammy Camp last year near Los Angeles, where some of their new songs took shape, a press release says.

&#8220Everybody there was extremely proficient, professional and into it,” Matt said.

Music camp organizers had words of praise for The Abdomen, as well.

&#8220Together they create a musical synergy that is captivating and authentic,” said Patrick Bolek, director of education initiatives with the Grammy Foundation. &#8220‘Pacific Sunrise,' a song composed at the inaugural Grammy Camp, completely captures the California vibe. You'll be hard-pressed not to put the convertible top down and crank this tune as you drive along the Pacific Coast Highway with the wind in your hair.”

The Abdomen perform Sat., Nov. 25.Intermedia Arts. 2822 Lyndale Ave. S.871-4444. $5.

Big art

Up-and-coming Minnesota artist Chris Larson is showing his most recent installation at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Larson, born in 1966 in rural Minnesota, is best known for elaborate, large-scale wooden sculptures. The current show includes a 16-by-14-foot, two-story cardboard house that was the setting for his fourth film, &#8220Crush Collision,” which is also on view. The film garnered international attention at an event in Berlin earlier this year. The film features musician Grant Hart, performance artist Britta Hallin, local percussionist Michael Bland and gospel quartet the Knight Family.

&#8220Crush Collision” runs through Jan. 7.Minneapolis Institute of Arts. 2400 3rd Ave. S.870-3046. www.artsmia.org.

Dan Haugen can be reached at [email protected]

Delayed art arrives

The Museum of Russian Art has announced the arrival of 38 additional Russian lacquer art items on loan from two Moscow museums. The hand-painted items feature miniature scenes from Russian historical legends, myths and fairytales. They are on display through Dec. 30 as part of the museum’s “Masterpieces of Russian Lacquer Art” exhibition, which opened Oct. 5.

The loaned items from the Russian museums were delayed because of a Russian Ministry of Culture’s request for additional documentation following the recent unexplained disappearances of millions of dollars worth of art from the famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“We sympathize with the Russian museum authorities and support their efforts to ensure the security of their country’s artistic treasures,” said Bradford Shinkle, IV, president of the Museum of Russian Art.

“Masterpieces of Russian Lacquer Art” runs through Dec. 30.

Museum of Russian Art. 5500 Stevens Ave. S.

821-9045. www.tmora.org.

Linden Hills film wins award

An award-winning short film by Linden Hills resident Maxine Davis will be shown at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Southdale Public Library.

The video, called “A Good Doctor,” is about Dr. Raymond Scallen, who was born in 1925, grew up in Southwest Minneapolis and is still a practicing physician.

Davis, of Every Life Is a Story LLC, won the Minnesota Historical Society’s award for “Best Exploration of an Intergenerational Legacy.”

Applications are already being accepted for next year’s film competition.

Davis recently started a company to produce family video biographies, ranging from short video interviews to longer productions. She will answer questions at the event about the film and the competition.

“A Good Doctor” plays Nov. 15

Southdale Library. 7001 York Ave. S.

952-847-5900. www.tellyourhistory.com.

Jungle Theater finishes 15th season

The Jungle Theater finishes its 15th season with “The Rivals,” playing Nov. 3 through Dec. 31. Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan when he was just 23 years old, “The Rivals” dramatizes his time in Bath between 1770 and 1772. The show is a comedy about romantic, generational and social identities. It’s best remembered for a character named Mrs. Malaprop, whose name has become a byword for the misapplication of words she practices throughout the play.

“The Rivals” runs through Dec. 31.

Jungle Theater. 2951 Lyndale Ave. S.

822-7063. www.jungletheater.com.