Art Hounds: Somali poetry and a music/improv mash-up

This week on Art Hounds, we take in a Somali poetry reading, an Elk River art show, and a music/improv mash-up.

Tom Gitaa, publisher of Mshale, is excited to check out "Saved by Faith and Verse," an evening of Somali poetry this Saturday at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Curated by poet Nimo Farah, the evening will include poetry in both Somali and English. Gitaa says he will attend poetry readings in Somali, even though he doesn't speak the language, because he finds the poetry so musical.

Writer/performer/podcaster Mark Sweeney says it's not often you see comedians come up with a new form of improv, but that's just what the duo Ferrari McSpeedy (Mike Fotis and Joe Bozic) have done with their show "What!" The two riff off of a wildly diverse music playlist, creating a different scene for each song. Sweeney says the result is high volume hilarity.

Metal sculptor Gene Olson invites everyone to drive on over to Elk River to check out the Elk River Arts Alliance's member exhibition, up through March 28. The exhibit features watercolors, pastels and paintings as well as wood carving, pottery and sculpture. Olson reports there are at least 300 members of the alliance, and some drove from hours away to contribute artwork. He says you can't miss the alliance — it's right next to the big metal ladle on Main Street.