The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

LECTURE
Jen Bekman

American Photo's 2007 Innovator of the Year and famed New York gallery owner Jen Bekman packs up some photos and her affable lecturing style to pay the Minnesota Center for Photography a visit. The acclaimed artist, who makes frequent public appearances at portfolio reviews and seminars, charmingly refers to herself in the third person so as not to seem swell-headed when asked to rattle off her accomplishments. But, really, there's quite a bit to be proud of: her Jen Bekman gallery sheds light on budding artists and affords them the inventive group shows they deserve. Hey, Hot Shot!, Bekman's quarterly photography competition, follows suit, calling for a handful of talented young shutterbugs to line the walls. In the online realm, her Personism blog covers a healthy mix of fabulous design and noteworthy current events; and the Bekman-founded 20x200 site offers hard-to-find prints on the cheap. Those feats alone should fuel a couple questions. —Haily Joy Gostas

7 p.m., Minnesota Center for Photography, 165 13^th Ave. NE, Minneapolis, 612-824-5500.

First Amendment Arts, the Northeast Minneapolis basement space devoted to eye-popping prints and guerilla graphic design, has just the remedy for that notorious Hallmark holiday (hint: for many of us, it came and went with chocolate wrappers in its wake) with Cold Blooded, Warm Hearted. This group exhibition of prints brings together five established, eclectic artists (Christa Dalien, Bill Fick, Mark Hosford, Michael Krueger, and Jenny Schmid, each from a different place around the country) with some key concepts in common-past and present politics, personal and physical landscape, and cultural critique among them. Oh, a great sense of humor to boot, hence the title: one part cold-blooded irony; one part warm-hearted embrace of their bold subject matter; all parts fascinating. —Haily Joy Gostas

1-5 p.m., First Amendment Arts, 1101 Stinson Blvd., Basement Rooms A & B, Minneapolis, 612-379-4151.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Joseph Scrimshaw's Adventures In Mating,

Taking to the Bryant-Lake Bowl stage tonight (and running every Monday until someone makes ‘em stop), Adventures In Mating sees its triumphant return to the Twin Cities with new scenes, new choices, and a new leading lady (that'd be Mo Perry, most recently seen in the Minneapolis Theater Garage's production of Looking For Normal). Of course, Joseph Scrimshaw's now-international hit wouldn't entail the same madcap rom-com hijinks without plenty of audience interaction, so feel free to abuse your role as the swift hand of destiny in this couple's hit-or-miss first date. Red or white wine? Soup or salad? Kiss or slap? It'll rarely be the same show twice-kind of like Choose Your Own Adventure, but for the blackest of hearts. —Haily Joy Gostas

8 p.m., Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; $12.

Also tonight:

The Randy Weston African Rhythms Trio will perform at the Dakota. And Michael Oren, author of Power, Faith, and Fantasy, will discuss his book at Lyndale Congregational United Church of Christ (7:30 p.m.)