Art Hounds: 'At Home with Monsters' offers a look into del Toro's imagination

The Angel of Death from Guillermo del Toro's 'Hellboy II'
The Angel of Death from Guillermo del Toro's 'Hellboy II'
Jay Gabler | MPR

This week, the Art Hounds recommend a creepy art exhibit, "The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin" and "Our Mighty Mississippi."

Filmmaker Ed Linder loves the new exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, "At Home with Monsters." It features dozens of objects that normally decorate the home of famed director Guillermo del Toro, the creative mind behind such films as "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Crimson Peak." Linder says he enjoyed paging through digital copies of del Toro's journals and getting up close and personal with creatures that appear in his films. The exhibition runs through May 28.

Springboard for the Arts Executive Director Laura Zabel recommends you see "The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin" at the History Theatre in St. Paul. It follows the true story of one man's immigration to the United States during the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the consequences on generations of his family. Zabel says it's a beautifully executed story that examines how policies that look good on paper can have devastating results for real people. On stage through April 9.

ArtReach St. Croix Executive Director Heather Rutledge can't believe she's recommending a show about "the other river." But the St. Croix Valley resident plans to take in a performance of "Our Mighty Mississippi" at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis. Rutledge says the one-man show combines music and film and features talented opera baritone Steven Marking. Rutledge says she expects to be "carried down the Mississippi in song." Matinees at 2 p.m. April 5 and 6, evening performances at 7:30 on April 7 and 8.

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