Museums and Galleries

» CINDY SHERMAN

Cindy Sherman is one of the most familiar faces in the visual arts—sort of. She appears in various guises in many of her own photographs, yet the artist herself remains as elusive as the B-movie actresses, historical figures, clowns, and society ladies that populate her work. This fall, the Walker mounts a major Sherman retrospective—the most comprehensive survey in 15 years—tracing the evolution of Sherman’s enigmatic art all the way back to her seminal Untitled Film Still series. All of Sherman’s major series will be on display—170 photographs in all, including her latest, the Society Portraits. “The recent work is incredible,” says coordinating curator Siri Engberg. “Each one looks like a well-to-do woman of a certain age. They really do say tremendous things about age in our society.”
Nov. 10–Feb. 17. Walker Art Center 612-375-7600
 

» CHINA'S TERRACOTTA WARRIORS: THE FIRST EMPEROR'S LEGACY

Qin Shihuang—the first emperor of a united China—commanded very real armies in his lifetime, but it’s his vast “ghost army” of terracotta warriors that continues to fascinate. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts will illuminate this epic period in Chinese history with an exhibition, from New York’s MoMA, highlighting 10 of the famed life-size clay figures and more than 120 rare objects made of bronze, jade, and other precious materials.
Oct. 28–Jan. 20 Minneapolis Institute of Arts 612-642-2787

» GUY TILLIM: AVENUE PATRICE LUMUMBA

Patrice Lumumba was one of the first democratically elected African leaders in modern times. His subsequent imprisonment and murder presaged a post-independence era defined by conflict and upheaval. South African photographer Guy Tillim’s work captures the stark essence of this era on film.
Oct. 13–Jan. 6 Weisman Art Museum 333 East River Rd., Mpls., 612-625-9494

» SACRED SPACE, CONTESTED TERRAIN

Eighteen artists working across disciplines investigate the sacred and contested in art, architecture, and theology. This expansive exhibition features architectural renderings, paintings, mixed media, and other media exploring everything from Native American burial mounds to sacred personal objects.
Sept. 4–Oct. 6. Katherine Nash Gallery (and Architecture Library) 333 East River Rd., Mpls., 612-625-8096

» WHY WE DO THIS

Artist Andy DuCett single-handedly transforms The Soap Factory’s galleries this month with a massive installation that offers a visual counterpoint to the building’s industrial past. “I’ve thought of the spaces that I’ll be creating as dioramas of sorts,” says DuCett. “They’ll be scenes of everyday life, of shared experiences and places that we might rather be.”
Sept. 8–Nov. 11 The Soap Factory 514 SE 2nd St., Mpls., 612-623-9176

» 2011–12 JEROME EMERGING ARTISTS

Mixed-media sculpture and art installations take over MCAD’s main gallery when Jerome Emerging Artists Richard Barlow, Gregory Euclide, Lauren Herzak-Bauman, Alison Hiltner, and Jehra Patrick move in later this month. Be sure to check out Euclide’s “multi-dimensions typographies,” which are landscape paintings that spill out of the frame and into the gallery space.
Sept. 28–Nov. 4 Minneapolis College of Art and Design 2501 Stevens Ave., Mpls., 612-874-3700

» THE HUMAN CONDITION: A SURVEY OF HUMANITY

It’s a big topic, humanity. Given the vast terrain, the photographs in this exhibition promise to engage both mind and heart in various reflections of—and commentaries upon—the common condition. Juried by acclaimed National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths-Belt, the photos will likely be rich in both substance and style. Mark Seliger’s When They Came to Take My Father, a touring exhibition from the Houston Holocaust Museum, runs concurrently.
Nov. 10–Jan. 4 Mpls Photo Center 2400 N. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-643-3511

» PAINTING THE PLACE BETWEEN

The Minnesota Museum of American Art returns to the Twin Cities art scene later this fall with an exhibition of landscape and landscape-inspired paintings by Minnesota artists Holly Swift, Jil Evans, Andrew Wykes, and Betsy Byers. Coming out of storage too will be a selection of works from the permanent collection that complement the show’s theme.
Opens Nov. 9 Minnesota Museum of American Art 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-797-4057

» REGIS MASTER: JUN KANEKO

Northern Clay’s Regis Master Series recognizes ceramic artists older than 65 who have had a significant impact on the development of the medium in the 20th and 21st centuries. Jun Kaneko’s contributions are in the spotlight later this month. The exhibition chronicles his groundbreaking artistry, including several large-scale works—plates, monolithic heads and dangos (Japanese for “dumplings”)—for which he is known.
Sept. 22–Nov. 4 Northern Clay Center 2424 Franklin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-339-8007

» FIVE BEAUTIES RISING: NEW WORKS BY WILLIE COLE

Steam iron marks are one of Willie Cole’s visual hallmarks. The acclaimed artist has a series of new prints featuring 27 impressions of ironing boards, an allusion to Cole’s family history of domestic work and his African American heritage.
Sept. 14–Oct. 13 Highpoint Center for Printmaking 912 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-871-1326