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It’s an arty party in Saint Paul! From Grand Ave to Lowertown to Midway, our fair city has lots to look at and appreciate this weekend. Want to make an evening of it? Check out our handy-dandy itineraries below!

Friday, August 27th

Beneath the Surface Closing Party

7-10pm / Free

Rhea Pappas Photo Studio / Northern Warehouse, 308 Prince St., Studio #411

The photography of one Rhea Pappas always takes our breath away - and not just because her subjects are submerged under water. The young shutterbug has made major “waves” in the art scene this year, showing her work in multiple locales and being accepted to the State Fair’s Fine Arts Competition. Her current body of work Beneath the Surface was displayed at the Icebox Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis over Art-A-Whirl. And for those of you who didn’t have the chance to cross the river this May, Pappas is offering a chance for you to peep the goods at her Lowertown studio this Friday - an unofficial “closing” party, if you will. Check out Pappas’ ethereally submerged lovelies and her ghostly, abstract light-play, meet the artist herself, sip some refreshments, nibble some apps and even tap your toes to live music a la Sarah Cotner. Click HERE to read an interview we did with Rhea earlier this year.

What to do after: After checkin’ out the art, pop into the Black Dog Cafe for a glass of vino and live music from the Fantastic Merlins. Or stroll a couple blocks down to Barrio and try one of their awesome margaritas and perhaps a couple happy hour tacos!

Friday, August 27th

Well Done Closing Party

7-11pm / Free

Nicademus Art / 225 N. Snelling Avenue

Burlesque of North America’s small but famed group of collaborators have whipped up beautifully designed posters for cool bands the world over and have sold their limited edition art prints far and wide. And what’s that you say? They’re based out of the Twin Cities? Yep, it’s true. And even if you didn’t make it to last month’s opening reception and BBQ, you’ve been granted one last chance tonight. Well Done is a collection of the collective’s favorite pieces, many of them in alternate color palettes than their original designs — making the prints on display truly one-of-a-kind. What’s more, is that the group has created a huge wallpaper installation in the gallery and will be selling off “wallpaper packets” to those interested in jazzing up their own abode.

What to do after: Jaunt on over to the nearby Turf Club to take in live tunes from Vaz (comprised of founding members of legendary local noise rock group, Hammerhead). Or for something less loud, make your way to the Blue Door Pub on Selby, a joint widely heralded for its perfect Juicy Lucy burger.

Friday, August 27th-Saturday, August 28th

Tri-Art Acrylic Event

10am-8pm Fri / 10am-6pm Sat / Free

Wet Paint / 1684 Grand Avenue

Okay, so this isn’t an art opening, but hey, we figure after all the above shenanigans you might be inspired to create art yourself! Head down to Grand Avenue’s staple art supply store, Wet Paint, for a weekend sale and some fun art-play! The shop will be offering a whopping 60% discount on Canadian-made, high-pigment acrylic paint line, Tri-Art. And Reps from the Jack Richeson Company (US distributor for Tri-Art) will demo the Tri-Art range and answer any questions you have about the line. They will also have samples of each of the Tri-Art paint lines found at Wet Paint on hand so you can test them out yourself - and you can forget doodling on little sheets of paper - this weekend’s even invites you to try out the wide range of products on a huge 5′x’10 canvas easel. Painters of all ages and skill levels are welcome. So, get inspired, grab some heavily-discounted supplies from Wet Paint and put your creativity to work!

What to do after: Since you’ll likely need some replenishing after a day of artsy shopping, stroll up the block to the Coffee News Cafe, a cozy spot that offers a great menu of sandwiches and soups…and yes, coffee. Or check out the Shish Cafe, where you can snack on Mediterranean delights and baked goods. Don’t forget to stop into some of the cute boutiques in the area while you’re at it!

When Local photographer Rhea Pappas graduated from MCAD in December of 2008, no one was surprised at how quickly she gained momentum. As a student, Pappas scored numerous awards and even taught at area high schools and at IFP (a job she still holds). Over summer break, she even taught community education in Duluth while living on a sailboat with her dog. Talk about dedication to the arts!

Upon graduation, the young photog (still just a mere 23 years old) scored her first gallery show in NYC; had her debut show in Minnesota; was sponsored by Aquatica Underwater Housing; and was accepted into the Northern Warehouse Art Collective in Lowertown Saint Paul, where she’s one of a group of artists who started the Lowertown First Fridays Art Crawl. With a style that seems to be one part surreal dream and one part poignant, real-life documentation, Pappas has, over the past year, turned her craft into an all-encompassing career that spans both the art world and the educational sphere.

We had a chat with this talented shutterbug about life in Lowertown, her art, and what’s on the horizon….

One of your main bodies of work is the underwater series. What inspired this and do you have any plans to do more underwater work?

The inspiration for the underwater work came from my previous project, Sister. People were telling me, “You need to photograph more in water.” Since this was my first time shooting in water, I definitely have a lot in store for 2010. I have some awesome collaborations, projects, and some huge shows coming up this year, all underwater.

You have a very interesting style of photography that often combines fashion editorial with photo journalism. How do you plan your shoots? Do you storyboard or plan out your shots, or do you just fly by the seat of your pants?

That’s a huge compliment, thanks! Usually I write first. I sit down and daydream while letting my mind go. This allows me to take in the images of my surroundings and mold it in my mind to a functional idea. Once this happens, all I have to do is set it up.

You also do photography workshops. Can you tell me more about that?

This year I am starting for the first time in the Twin Cities, a Photography Boot Camp. My new teaching studio is called: Rhe Pops Photo Ed, it’s starting here in February. I love teaching and it’s where my heart belongs. The one goal I wish to achieve in every class is to help inspire people to learn and create with photography in a way teachers rarely did for me. Otherwise, I do teach at IFP (independent Film Project) and love working with the organization greatly.

If you could shoot anything, anywhere, what would it be?

Right now I am on a family or adventure kick. I am really hoping to combine them both and shoot in Greece or France this year. Discovering my family from the past to present.  The image that started the project is of my mother in NYC.

You are also one of the ringleaders of the Lowertown First Fridays art crawl. How has that been going and what are your thoughts on Lowertown in general? How do the artists work together to draw attention to the district?

I think that Lowertown has been making a name for itself recently as others have been discovering it, but it’s been like this for sometime. I have only lived in Saint Paul about a year now, but it seems that my collaborations have been out of this world. The connections I have made down here have opened up many doors for me. When you think of all the artists who live in Lowertown, it’ll amaze you how many heavy hitters you’ll find. I’m 23 and due to the place I live I have had the opportunities to talk, show, and work with artists that show at the walker and international galleries. There is no other place in the state that has this kind of successful, high density area of working artists. All of us together make it worth while for people to come out and visit us with First Fridays and the Art Crawl. We respect each other enough to help and enjoy each other down here in Lowertown. That’s why four working artists (including me) wanted to start First Fridays.

Do you have any cool new projects coming up in 2010 that you’d like to divulge?

I would love to tell them all, but most of the really cool things are under wraps. I will say that I am in the works with a large gallery for a 4 month long show this summer, talking with specific fashion designers, and wanting to work with some larger events for developing promotional materials. I can talk about my new project on Ice Scuba Divers and also on the probability of a month in France sometime this summer for that family project I was talking about earlier. So, lots of stuff. You can keep up with new work on my flickr page.

What are your top 5 favorite things about Saint Paul?

Top 5… hmmmm….

1. The down to earth people and lack of pretentious behavior.
2. Lowertown- community is excellent (especially in the Northern Warehouse)
3. The Minnesota Boat Club and the Mississippi River
4. Great Waters, Sawadee, The Black Dog, Princess Garden, and Mississippi Market. Amazing food.
5. The respect for a living and breathing community. I love that things close at 9/10pm and people go to bed. Respect for self brings respect for the people surrounding you. St. Paul has got that down.

The Lowertown First Friday Art Crawl has been moved to the Second Friday (January 8th), this week only due to the New Year’s Holiday. The crawl runs from 6-9pm. Check out the Facebook page HERE for more info or visit the info page at MnArtists.org HERE.

Check out Rhea’s work on her website or flickr page.