Art Hounds: Painting and theater to make you reconsider your environment

Ecologist Tom Hollenhorst, of Duluth, Minn., recommends the art exhibit “The Mirrors” by Adam Swanson, on display at the Great Lakes Aquarium and online through the month of August. He calls it a science-meets-art collection. Each of the paintings features a federally listed threatened and endangered animal of Minnesota. The colors of the paintings are bright and joyful, and the pairings of wild animals with humans or scientific equipment can be thought-provoking or humorous.

The Minnesota Fringe Virtual Festival runs through Sunday, and comedian John Gebretatose suggests tuning into the half diary-reading, half improv show, “OMG.” He says the show centers on guests reading from their actual teen diaries, after which improv actors create scenes inspired by the material. Gebretatose called the show “angsty and hilarious … and healing.” “OMG” runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 7 p.m. as part of the Fringe Festival.

Freelance theater director Shalee Cole Mauleón is excited about the Fringe show “Instructions for a Habitat Inventory” from Playable Artworks. Through your smartphone, you choose a personal habitat to explore, such as your home or neighborhood. Actors give instructions and ask questions, making you an active member of the performance. Mauleón says Margo Gray has assembled a talented cast of actors of color. Between the pandemic and the uprisings following the killing of George Floyd, Mauleón called “Instructions for a Habitat Inventory,”a timely show that left her looking at her home in a new way.

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