Summer Arts and Fun 2021: Museums

Jun. 13—Twin Cities museums have a range of new exhibits debuting this summer, from outdoor displays examining racism and social injustice to a collection of psychedelic concert posters. Here's a look at what's up in the coming months.

Midsommar Celebration 2021

June 16-20: The American Swedish Institute kicks off its summer festivities with a virtual and outdoor Midsommar Celebration. For five days, ASI will offer a mixture of virtual programming (themed cooking and craft classes) and in-person events (music workshops and dancing around the Midsommar pole). Midsommar is a tradition that dates from ancient times as a moment to welcome back warm weather and the growing season. American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Mpls.; $12; 612-871-4907 or asimn.org.

Just Yesterday

Through Oct. 1: While its indoor galleries are closed, the Weisman Art Museum's new outdoor art installation highlights racial injustice in recent U.S. history. The 60-foot wraparound mural is on display along the exterior façade of the University of Minnesota museum. It was conceived by interning art director Mike Gaines and first-year copywriter Maggie Williams as part of an initiative by Minneapolis advertising agency Solve during the protests of 2020. The series uses pop culture references to put systemic injustices from our recent past into context. The Weisman's website and social platforms are amplifying Just Yesterday's message and offer additional content developed by commissioned writers, students, faculty, artists and community members. Weisman Art Museum, 333 E. River Road, Mpls.; 612-625-9494 or wam.umn.edu.

The Absence of Justice

Through Dec. 31: Through various works including paintings, tapestry, ceramics and video, this mixed media exhibit explores how Black people have been historically subjected to systemic racism in America. It features work from Faith Blackstone, A. Drew Hammond, Beverly Tipton Hammond, Katherine Mommsen, Sean Garrison Phillips, Broderick Poole, Donald Walker and the Sounds of Blackness. The exhibit is co-curated by Beverly Tipton Hammond and Tina Burnside, co-founder and curator of the museum. Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, 1256 Penn Ave. N., 4th floor, Mpls.; free; maahmg.org.

Wise, Gifted and Black: Art by the Magnificent Golden Agers

June 27-July 17: The Minnesota Museum of American Art is currently closed, but is continuing to exhibit works in its storefront windows at Fourth and Robert streets. "Wise, Gifted and Black" is part of a residency led by teaching artists Nicole M. Smith and Lawrence El Grecco Waddell at Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul. A group of women elders — known as the Magnificent Golden Agers — created collages, written reflections, poetry and photographs "that reflect discussions around the themes of Black identity and the intersection of art and activism," according to an M news release. Minnesota Museum of American Art, 350 Robert St. N., St. Paul; 651-797-2571 or mmaa.org.

Candice Lin: Seeping, Rotting, Resting, Weeping

Aug. 5 — Jan. 2: Los Angeles — based artist Candice Lin investigates the legacies of colonialism, racism and sexism by mapping the trade routes and material histories of a range of colonial goods. For this newly commissioned exhibition — co-organized by the Walker Art Center and the Carpenter Center for Visual Arts at Harvard University — Lin is creating a site-specific installation that responds to the space of the galleries at each institution, allowing the shape of the work to evolve over the course of its presentation. It includes hand-drawn and hand-printed indigo textiles, hand-built ceramic sculptures, plaster cast objects and a video animation that leads visitors through qigong breathing and movement rituals. Walker Art Center, 715 Vineland Place, Mpls.; $15; 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org.

Sixties Psychedelia: San Francisco Rock Posters from the Paul Maurer Collection

July 17-April 24: In 2019, Minneapolis collector Paul Maurer gave more than 200 concert posters to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Most date to the so-called golden age of psychedelic poster design, 1966 to 1969, and were commissioned to promote rock concerts in San Francisco. The exhibit features a selection of more than 25 psychedelic posters created by the period's leading concert-poster designers, including Rick Griffin, Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, Stanley Mouse, Wes Wilson and Bob Fried. Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.; free; artsmia.org or 612-870-3000.