Art Hounds: Art-O-Mat, Salome, Harty Boys

Art-O-Mat at the Meridien Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis.

The hounds tell us about swapping art the size of a cigarette pack, a Richard Strauss opera about the woman who falls in love with a biblical figure's severed head and a pair of intrepid, sibling sleuths who were a big hit at the Fringe.

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Satoko Muratake is a big believer in Art-O-Mat, a North Carolina-based project which converts cigarette vending machines into dispensers of original art the size of a pack of Marlboros. Satoko, who is arts project coordinator for Juxtaposition Arts in Minneapolis, reports that Art-O-Mat founder Clark Whittington will be at the Meridien Chambers Hotel (which is home to one of these Art-O-Mats) in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 17th from 1-4:30pm, to facilitate an Art-O-Mat 'Swap Meet.' Local artists are invited to view, trade and discuss their work.

Scandalous? Of course. Erotic? Check. Gruesome? Yep. "Salome" is an opera of biblical proportions with all the ingredients to keep Twin Cities improv artist Jill Bernard glued to her seat. Jill is excited to see how the Minnesota Opera interprets Strauss' classic work, which is on stage at the Ordway April 15th, 18th, 20th and 24th.

Jen Scott is an actress and improvisor in Minneapolis/St. Paul who teaches improv theater at Brave New Workshop and Childrens' Theater Company. Jen couldn't be happier that the number one hit from last year's Minnesota Fringe Festival, "The Harty Boys in the Case of the Limping Platypus," is returning to the stage at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis this weekend and next. She says it's family friendly with a stupendous cast including Ari Hauptman, Leslie Ball and Andy Kraft.

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