| This summer, come to Minneapolis to see
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| | play opens July 21. For more information,
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| three grand openings that promise to
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| | go to www.guthrietheater.org.
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| change the city's architectural and
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| | Minneapolis Institute of Arts On June 11,
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| cultural landscape. The nationally
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| | the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA),
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| renowned Guthrie Theater is opening its
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| | in a neighborhood just south of downtown,
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| new theater overlooking the city's
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| | will open a $50 million wing designed by
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| birthplace on the Mississippi. The
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| | American architect Michael Graves. The
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| Minneapolis Institute of Arts is opening
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| | new 113,000-square-foot addition and
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| a spacious three-story wing to better
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| | associated 49,000 square feet of
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| display what is already one of the
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| | renovated space will add 34 new
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| nation's most extraordinary collections.
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| | galleries, increasing display space in
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| And the Minneapolis Public Library will
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| | the region's premier art museum by 40
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| open its new Central Library. Most
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| | percent.
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| tourists won't set out on a library tour,
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| | "It means a tremendous amount to the
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| but they may want to see how the Cesar
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| | museum proper," says Robert Jacobsen,
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| Pelli-designed building will transform
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| | senior curator of Asian art and liaison
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| the northern end of Minneapolis' famed
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| | with architects and builders on the
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| Nicollet Mall downtown.
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| | project. "We're definitely going to jazz
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| Guthrie Theater on the River The Guthrie
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| | it up with larger and livelier exhibits."
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| Theater will close the doors of its
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| | The new wing features a circular
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| facility near Loring Park after the March
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| | three-story atrium with a Venetian
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| 4 May 7 production of "Hamlet," the same
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| | plaster dome. A maple-paneled reception
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| play that launched the theater in 1963.
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| | hall on the third floor overlooks the
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| But the Guthrie won't close for long. In
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| | sculpture garden. Also on the top story
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| June, the theater reopens in the new
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| | are the expanded Modernism galleries and
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| Guthrie Theater on the River-a $125
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| | 10 new galleries for 20th-century and
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| million, 250,000-square-foot theater at
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| | contemporary paintings.
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| 818 Second Street overlooking the
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| | Second-floor galleries will hold
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| Mississippi River. There will be an Open
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| | 20th-century art, art of Native America
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| House on Sunday, June 25 with
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| | and Oceania, works of Minnesota artists,
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| entertainment on all three stages.
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| | and craft collections. The wing's ground
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| From the cantilevered lobby jutting
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| | floor houses a new art library, a prints
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| toward the river, theatergoers will look
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| | and drawings study center, a photography
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| below to the graceful stone-arch bridge
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| | study center, and a multi-purpose
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| and upstream to St. Anthony Falls. Next
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| | classroom.
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| door is the Minnesota Historical
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| | The addition allows the MIA to more
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| Society's Mill City Museum. Along the
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| | dramatically display its Asian art
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| riverbanks lie the city's Mill Ruins
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| | collection, representing 17 cultures over
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| Park, walking paths and bike trails.
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| | 5,000 years. The Chinese collection,
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| The new theater was designed by French
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| | already one of the most extensive in the
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| architect Jean Nouvel, his first project
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| | country, will now have a gallery for each
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| in North America. The new Guthrie borrows
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| | of China's three major philosophies,
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| its massive outline from the surrounding
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| | Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Other
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| mill and elevator buildings. The
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| | new galleries will fill with ancient
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| building's indigo cladding will fade into
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| | Chinese bronzes, jades, and ceramics, as
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| the twilight at evening performance time
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| | well as gold and silver, lacquer,
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| so that the building, despite its bulk,
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| | textiles, and paintings, sculpture and
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| will seem to disappear, leaving the warm
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| | calligraphy. Six new galleries are
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| lights of the lobby shining through
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| | devoted to the museum's Japanese art
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| generous windows to create a warm beacon
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| | collection, spanning the last 25
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| floating on the river bluff.
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| | centuries. The MIA has brought more than
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| "The views of the river valley are
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| | 1,000 pieces out of storage to fill the
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| amazing," says Tom Proehl, managing
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| | new space.
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| director of the Guthrie. "Nouvel's design
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| | Expanded special exhibition space "gives
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| completely mingles the old industrial age
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| | us a large enough gallery that we can now
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| with new architecture in a very careful
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| | attract the largest traveling exhibits,"
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| way. It truly fits in on the riverfront."
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| | says Jacobsen. "We can attract shows that
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| The new facility, he says "will bring all
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| | previously were only seen in New York or
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| of the Guthrie's functions together for
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| | London." For example, the MIA will show
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| the first time in many, many years." The
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| | three special grand reopening
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| Guthrie long ago outgrew its original
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| | exhibitions, all running from June 11
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| building as its season expanded from four
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| | into early fall: * "The Surreal Calder
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| plays to a dozen, attended by more than
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| | exhibit explores the origins of
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| 400,000. The original theater was known
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| | 20th-century surrealist artist Alexander
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| for its trademark thrust stage-great for
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| | Calder in the context of his
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| Shakespeare but not suited for more
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| | contemporaries.
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| intimate and contemporary works.
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| | * "Treasures on Paper displays the
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| The new facility will have a 1,100-seat
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| | Herschel V. Jones Collection of nearly
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| thrust theater, much like the old
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| | 200 of the world's most famous
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| facility, but with improvements to
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| | engravings, lithographs and woodcuts,
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| sightlines and additional legroom. In
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| | made over five centuries.
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| addition, the new Guthrie will have a
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| | * "The Harrison Photography Collection
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| 700-seat proscenium theater. A 250-seat
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| | includes nearly 100 photos of
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| studio will provide a space for
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| | 20th-century luminaries such as Henri
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| experimental productions.
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| | Cartier-Bresson and Dorothea Lange.
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| With the new facility, the Guthrie will
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| | "This is one of the biggest museums in
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| be able to nearly triple the number of
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| | the country that has remained free." Says
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| plays, concerts and other presentations
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| | Jacobsen, "This will be the greatest show
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| during its season. New amenities for
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| | in town." For more information, go to
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| playgoers will include a bookstore, bars
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| | www.artsmia.org, or call 612-870-3131.
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| and a restaurant. A skyway will link the
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| | The museum is located at 2400 Third
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| theater building to a convenient parking
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| | Avenue South.
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| ramp.
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| | The city's third opening this year will
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| The Druid Theatre Company of Galway will
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| | transform the northern end of the
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| provide the first performances at the new
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| | downtown. On May 20 the new
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| Guthrie June 27-July 1 when it presents
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| | 357,000-square-foot, five-story
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| "DruidSynge," productions of all six
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| | Minneapolis Central Library opens at 300
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| plays by John Millington Synge, one of
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| | Nicollet Mall. The new building, designed
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| Ireland's greatest writers.
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| | by American architect Cesar Pelli, will
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| The first Guthrie production in the new
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| | include a public commons, retail space,
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| theater will be a stage adaptation of
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| | as well as the largest collection of any
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| "The Great Gatsby," the Jazz Age novel by
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| | public library in Minnesota
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| St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald; the
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