Art Hounds: Jeffrey Brooks, Tim Eitel, and contra dance in Northfield

Tim Eitel: Elsewhere (Exhibition installation view), 2013 (Photo credit: Gene Pittman, courtesy of the Rochester Art Center)

The hounds have uncovered an under-appreciated Minnesota composer, a hotshot German artist who's bringing his internationally renowned paintings to Rochester, and the reason Northfield will be a mecca for contra dance this weekend.

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Dance teacher and accordion player Jim Leedham is encouraging people to make room in their packed schedules for The Northfield Stomp. It's a contra dance extravaganza on Fri. Feb. 22 at 7pm, at the Northfield Armory. The Northfield Stomp will feature live music by Contratopia and enough contra dancing to make your head spin.

Tim Eitel is one of the most famous young painters in the world right now and his first large-scale survey exhibition in the United States is currently on view at the Rochester Art Center. Tricia Khutoretsky, curator/director of Public Functionary, was stunned by Eitel's use of color, the scale of his works and his technical prowess. She didn't love every piece, but thinks the show demands to be seen. The show runs through April 28.

Composer Mike Croswell will be at Studio Z this weekend to hear the concert "Playing it Close to Home." He's most looking forward to hearing the rhythmically innovative work of local composer Jeffrey Brooks. Mike loves that Brooks is a contemporary composer who writes with the audience's pleasure in mind and not just as an intellectual pursuit. Zeitgeist will be performing this Friday and Saturday at Studio Z at 7pm and at Roseville High School Sunday at 2pm. For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

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