Monday news and reviews

Happy New Year! Reporters are back from vacation and things are beginning to hum once again...read on for the latest news of the Twin Cities arts world.

Art

Ricardo Levins Morales on creating art for communities

After running the Northland Poster Collective for 30 years, Puerto Rican-born graphic artist Ricardo Levins Morales opened his own studio in the fall of 2009, and has since continued working as an artist to create social change.

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- Sheila Regan, City Pages

Books

Jill Bernard's 'Small Cute Book of Improv'

Teaching improv has been Bernard's primary gig since 2009.

- Coco Mault, City Pages

General

Two club closings and two new British films: 'Nowhere Boy' and 'The King's Speech'

We're at a slow time of year for the arts, to the extent that anything new is performed, or debuted.

- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com

Music

Turf Club closed until January 11, changing management

Just a few hours before the doors were scheduled to open on Saturday night, the Turf Club called off its gig with Marijuana Deathsquads, turned out the lights, and hung signs on the front doors that read "Closed for repair."

- Andrea Swensson, City Pages

Turf Club New Year's Eve cover night, 12/31/10

It seems New Year's Eve revelers broke the Turf Club on Friday night.

- Nikki Miller, City Pages

Vikings punter and bassist Chris Kluwe talks about balancing music and football

Though Chris Kluwe played violin as a child, his primary influence for picking up a bass guitar was the video game Guitar Hero.

- Loren Green, City Pages

Mark Mallman's New Year's Eve stunt: The 'Keyborg'

Mark Mallman has made a tradition out of returning to the Varsity each New Year's Eve for an extravagant show, and for his 5th annual NYE bash he pulled out all the stops.

- Andrea Swensson, City Pages

Dessa's New Year's Eve show at the Aster, 12/31/10

Sometimes, you stumble across an artist that makes you stand up straight, abandon your drink, forget the conversation, and listen completely. Once in a while, you find an artist so good that you will want to stop listening to music entirely--there can be nothing else, after all. Dessa is one such artist.

- Natalie Gallagher, CIty Pages

Track down these soundtracks: Like movies? Like music? It's time to go beyond Williams and Mancini.

As a movie fan and a music fan, I've discovered a new way to spend money.

- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press

Theater

Theatre Unbound's 24 Hour Play Project: You choose the secret ingredients

Less than a week from now, Theatre Unbound will be mounting seven brand new little plays - written, rehearsed and performed all within the span of a single day - the latest 24 Hour Play Project.

- Matthew A. Everett, TC Daily Planet