Art Hounds: Finding wonder in Bigfork

Katie Carter is an art lover and former arts reporter for Northern Community Radio. Recently, she made the drive to the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, Minn., where she says she was blown away by Terry Leinbach’s show “Wonder.”

The show includes 39 large, abstract paintings, which Carter calls “a feast of texture and color” that offers layered imagery whose meaning and emotion seemed to evolve the longer she looked.

Leinbach leaves room for this wonder-led interpretation: she numbers — but does not title — each piece. At the center of the gallery space are small wood block creations marked with words that invite the viewer to stop and contemplate. 

“It struck me in my cells, when I looked at her art,” Carter says. “It just had such a vibrancy and energetic-ness to it ... To me, her stuff could be right next to Helen Frankenthaler.” 

Leinbach lives near Blackduck, Minn. A retired Head Start teacher, she taught herself painting during the pandemic, working on large canvases repurposed from secondhand stores or stretched by her husband. 

“Wonder” runs through Sept. 30.  

Jim Robinson is co-founder of Table Salt Productions and an alumnus of the Brave New Workshop. He’s a big fan of writer and performer Josh Carson. Robinson is looking forward to seeing Carson’s show “The (Almost) Complete and (Mostly) Accurate History of Alcohol" which opens Friday at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis.  

Best known for co-creating “A Very Die Hard Christmas,” Carson has also dived into history to create plays on John Wilkes Booth and Nellie Bly, among others. This show explores the way alcohol has shaped our lives, causing — and occasionally solving — problems from ancient Greece through today. 

“You walk away from these shows breathless because they are so packed with comedy and information,” Robinson says. “He’s a brilliant writer.” 

The show runs through Sept. 30. 

Poets & Pints marks its 100th show next Wednesday, and poet Charles Curry of Apple Valley says he “wouldn’t miss it for the world.” The monthly poetry event takes place at Sisyphus Brewing. Curry describes it as "an exceptionally welcoming show for poets," fostering a friendly environment. Both seasoned and novice poets are invited to perform a wide array of styles, including formal and free verse poetry, as well as spoken word and rap.

Poet Tony Plocido is the host and curator of the events. At a typical event, poets fill out a quick form ahead of time for an opportunity to present their work; an open mic follows the scheduled readers. The 100th show features Minnesota poets Shane Hawley, Thadra Sheridan, Joe Davis and Khary Jackson, as well as Shawn Pavey of Kansas City.  

The nonprofit show is part of the League of Minnesota Poets, whose local chapter is Cracked Walnut. Shows take place on the third Wednesday of the month. Register to read at future events here.