From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.

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Painter Adam Swanson of Cloquet recommends seeing the work of painter Matt Kania at Duluth Pottery, on view now through February. The exhibit “From There to Here” features Kania’s plein air paintings. There is an artist reception tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.

Swanson says Kania is a prolific artist who takes the time to notice — and paint — both landscapes and scenes of everyday life.

Rachel Doran is co-director of Hothouse, a dance arts space in Northeast Minneapolis. She can’t wait to see Black Label Movement's show “Rules of Life,” which combines dance with findings from cancer research.

Performances are Jan. 16 and 17 — Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. — at the Barbara Barker Center for Dance in Minneapolis. Please note: this 45-minute show seats audience members in pods for an immersive and up-close experience of the dance; no late-comers will be seated.

Rachel says: Black Label Movement, a local contemporary dance company helmed by Carl Flink. They are premiering a new work, “Rules of Life,” on Jan. 16-17, which has been in development for years, through Carl’s collaboration with cancer researchers David Odde and Paolo Provenzano.

BL’s work is physical-to-the-max, impressively so, pushing limits of what the dancing body can do, and what dancers can do together. I can’t wait to see this culmination of research and output come together on stage.

— Rachel Doran

Spoken word artist Ibrahima Kaba, known as IBé, of Robbinsdale loves the West African–Celtic blend of the musical group Canadh Croí, which means “singing of the heart” in Irish Gaelic and is pronounced “Conna Cree,” just like Conakry, the capital of Guinea (and hometown of drummers Fodé and Sana Bangoura).

The Twin Cities group combines West African rhythms with Irish and Scottish melodies. Their debut album is called “Badenya,” which is Mandinka for a family relationship that encompasses extended family. There is an album release concert Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Celtic Junction Art Center in St. Paul.

Ibrahima says: There is something nostalgic about the sound, how it both transport and transfixes. It both reminds me of the Guinean ceremonies and celebrations, and the feeling I get when I see pictures and videos of the Irish countryside.

I think a blending of music tradition gives a result that's truly more than the sum of its parts. When I listen to Canadh Croí, they don't only take me to Guinea and the Ireland I imagine, but also a place totally different, new and refreshing, a place that I believe is as American as the Statue of Liberty.

This is especially important to remember and celebrate in today's immigration climate, that one of the amazing and beautiful things about America is the opportunity it gives to bring together seemingly different cultures, to create something new, fresh and totally wonderful.

— Ibrahima Kaba (IBé)

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Sandra Brick, a teaching artist at the Textile Center of Minnesota, recommends a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see Amy Usdin’s contemplative fiber arts exhibit, “After All.“

The show runs through Feb. 22 in the U.S. Bank Gallery.

Sandra says: I think it’s really great that Mia is giving fiber art this call-out in this show because, historically, fiber art has been considered a craft, and by having this exhibit at Mia, we’re saying that it is an art.

Amy's art is an expression of connection and transformation. There's woven layers, knots, found objects and time-composed pieces, both large and small, and many are hanging from the ceiling. So it's a truly immersive experience. You get to walk around the art. I would check it out just to learn and see how simple processes, like weaving, knotting, can be transformed into really contemplative, transformative pieces.

A lot of the pieces are very airy, and so you're actually seeing through them. You see how it all blends together and flows into one really great use of the space.

— Sandra Brick

Performance enthusiast Laurel Podulke-Smith of Rochester follows the work of local artist Jessalyn Finch, who has a short multimedia film debuting this weekend.

“Embodied Landscapes” is the creation of Finch, Mary Mailand Schlichting and Laura Sukowatey. The film incorporates dance, large-scale drawing and sculpture.

The premiere takes place at the Historic Chateau Theatre in Rochester on Sunday, Jan. 11. Screenings are at 2 and 3:15 p.m., with an artist talk and Q&A in between. Attendees are encouraged to wear cocktail attire and enjoy mocktails while meeting the artists.

Minneapolis theater maker Caleb Byers recommends “Plano,” presented by Third Space Theater. The play runs Jan. 9–18 at the Alan Page Auditorium at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.

Caleb says he’s been anticipating this production since seeing Third Space Theater’s original show “Breach” at the Fringe Festival.

Caleb describes the play: Will Arbery is something of a magical realist-slash-surrealist playwright. And “Plano” is about three sisters, essentially in a sort of heightened reality and a sort of undisclosed period of time.

Time is a little bit strange in “Plano.” They, in a very surreal style, move through their specific problems. There’s very snappy, casual, modern dialogue. I'm incredibly excited for these artists in particular to tackle this.

— Caleb Byers