The seventh annual Around the Coyote Winter Arts Festival runs through this weekend, with some 95 visual artists exhibiting at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee, and the Northwest Tower Building, 1608 N. Milwaukee; hours are Fri 2/10, 6-10 PM, Sat 2/11, 11 AM-10 PM, and Sun 2/12, 11 AM-6 PM. A visual arts day pass is $5, theater programs are $10 per show or $15 for a day pass, spoken-word/music programs are $5, film/video programs are $7, and an all-access weekend pass is $40. Call 773-342-6777 or see www.aroundthecoyote.org for more information.
FRIDAY 10
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This year’s program showcases the local video makers’ collective Split Pillow, an improvisatory group that uses the “exquisite corpse” method of random association to come up with a common idea, then assigns directors to complete individual shorts. Most of these 11 works are presented out of their original context, putting them at a distinct disadvantage, but some clear directing talent is evident. The most successful in their own right are Alexander Rojas’s Cushion (2005), in which a young slacker arranges a rendezvous with his online lover and meets her weirdo family, and R.J. Bentler’s clammy A Reason to Drink (2004), with Reggie Manning and Stuart Ritter as two friends pursuing an unholy communion with a large egg. 87 min. (J.R. Jones) Rodan, 1530 N. Milwaukee. 6:30-8 PM
Theater Program I
Beginning Art Collectors Tour
See Fri 2/10. Happydog, 1542 N. Milwaukee, second floor. 7 PM
Gallerist Peter Miller discusses “methods of curating gallery exhibitions, collecting emerging art and how to build solid collections.” Limited to 20 participants; reservations recommended. Convenes at Around the Coyote Gallery, 19351/2 W. North. $10. 1 PM
