Come on and get in the mood for art in the week leading up to festival

Published 6:42 am Saturday, August 18, 2018

See Art. Love Art. Make Art. Buy Art.

It’s all part of the week leading into the Austin ArtWorks Festival on Aug. 25-26. We like to call it ArtWorks Week and it is a celebration of literary, performing and visual arts.

ArtWorks Week opened with theatre arts at the Matchbox Childrens’ Theatre production of “Stuart Little” which began its run on Aug. 17 and goes through Sunday at the Paramount Theatre. The show is directed by Billie Jo Wicks and Angela Donovan with Max Larson as Stuart Little, Ray Wicks as Mr. Little, Diann Smith as Mrs. Little and supporting cast members Kaiah Gibson, Lilly Loverink, Izaeh Borg, Brianna Bakken, Hannah Zerke, Riley Szyszkowski, Eva Taylor, Jadon Fimon, Nathan Martinson, McKenna Donovan, AnnaBelle Kasel, Olivia Felten, Julia Zerke, Kollin Miller, Megan Dilley Jones, Sawyer Graff, Navaeh Corwin, Isaac Zerke, Caden Strampe, Maddie Hart, Ryan Capp, Kollin Miller, and Jude Hoveland.

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Tickets are available at www.austinareaarts.org and at the Austin ArtWorks Center.

Monday is the Karl Potach Tourney and Dinner at the Austin Country Club, a benefit for pediatric cancer research. ArtWorks Festival co-chairs Bonnie Rietz and Mary Anne Wolesky donated a piece of artwork to the silent auction at the Potach event.

For more information, go to www.karlpotachfoundation.com.

The literary arts are the focus at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with the Open Air Poet’s Open Mic presented by Sweet Reads at the Spam Museum Plaza. All are welcome to share their original works or come practice the art of listening.

Performing arts and world music take the stage at the Paramount Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday with the Yves Lambert Trio. The free show is presented by Austin Area Arts and the City of Rochester Riverside Concerts with grant funds from Southeast Minnesota Arts Council.

Yves Lambert is a towering figure of Quebec traditional folk music, known for his charisma and talent. Enjoy the colorful harmonies Lambert creates with Tommy Gauthier and Oliver Rondeau.

Thursday is bursting with three events celebrating performing arts and visual arts. The Austin ArtWorks Center will host a gallery opening with sculptor Sandra Haff and Adult Coloring Night from 5-7 p.m.

Amber Dolphin and the Pecatonica String Quartet will play two concerts at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Hormel Historic Home will present A Tribute to Blair Lawhead at 7:30 p.m.

Finally, get your alley party on with Minneapolis folk-rock band Farewell Milwaukee on at 8 p.m. Friday, behind Dusty’s. The six-member band fronted by Ben Lubeck released their fourth full-length album, FM, in 2017.

More information on all the activities of ArtWorks Week and the ArtWorks Festival are available at www.austinareaarts.org.

Coming soon at the Paramount Theatre

• Matchbox Childrens’ Theatre presents Stuart Little,

7 p.m. Aug 17 and 18, 2 p.m. Aug. 19

•World Music Series: Yves Lambert Trio, 7:30 p.m., Aug. 23

• Puddles Pity Party: Saturday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.; the Schindler Celebration event at the Austin ArtWorks Festival sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin. Reserved seating tickets are $25 advance and are 57 percent sold at press time.

Coming soon at the ArtWorks Center

•Open Clay Studio, Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m.

•Gallery opening: Sandra Haff with Adult Coloring Night, 5 p.m.

•$5 Kids Studio classes return on Sept. 8.

See www.austinareaartsshow.org for information.