Morgan Halaska

Northern Lights.mn  presents its third year of Art(ists) on the Verge (dubbed  AOV3), this time at The Soap Factory. This year's exhibition features five emerging Minnesota-based artists: Anthony Tran, Mike Hoyt, Drew Anderson, Caly McMorrow, and Aaron Westre. How each artist interpreted the "intersection of art, technology, and digital culture" prompt will be on display through April 15. While the subject might be a little redundant, the results are usually original and inspiring, even.

In the Heart of the Beast's PuppetLab is exactly what it sounds like ...

Carnaval Brasileiro is claimed to be "the biggest celebration in the world." Really? It sounds like another press-release ploy, doesn't it? But browsing Wikipedia's definition of the Brazilian Carnival, it might actually be true: The country stops completely for almost a week and the consumption of beer accounts for 80% of its annual total. Fine Line Music Cafe is adopting Brazil's non-stop party for Friday and Saturday night with three shows where Brazilian sensation Dandara is headlining. Extending Fat Tuesday into the weekend is easily justified this year.

These days, it's hard to imagine a sporting event as a "casual leisure activity," what with all the pain, angst, and drama that the competition breeds. The new exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts explores just how—through television, video, and digital technology—sports became the spectacle of mass participation it is today. And believe it or not, sports is more than just eating pork rinds, drinking beer, and burping on the couch; the works of art on display at the MIA "communicate a broader social, political and cultural significance."