Last updated on April 28th, 2024
Not sure what the weather is going to be like this week, so perhaps a few more museums would be a good option. . . and, to keep to the architecture theme of the other day, most feature new buildings and/or dramatic expansions.
Minneapolis Museums
American Swedish Institute
Bakken
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA)
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts with its well-rounded collection is always a good place to visit. There don’t seem to be any special exhibits on at the moment that really speak to me, but it is always a fun place to spend some time (the Asian collections are amazing) and take a few photos. Besides, it’s just a pleasant place to be now as the new wing designed by Michael Graves (opened to the public in 2006) greatly improves the space.
The Museum of Russian Art
Without a doubt, the Museum of Russian Art is the best museum you’ve never heard of. This privately operated gem features world class exhibits of Russian art, but often not Russian art as you generally think of it.
Exhibits
Exhibits are well curated and feature extremely high-quality work in all mediums, from craft to fine art and everything in between. All exhibits include lots of information material, all of which is not only very informative, but often a delight to read.
If you can’t get there, they have some of their exhibits online. These are a few of my favorites:
- A Homespun Life: Textiles of Old Russia
- Dinner with the Tsars: Russian Imperial Porcelain
- Photographer to the Tsar: Revealing the Silk Road
- Transcendent Art: Icons from Yaroslavl, Russia
Sadly, they don’t have online exhibits for all of their shows. That means you missed your chance to see the Enchanted Art (an amazing exhibit on Russian lacquer) or Antiquities from Ukraine: Golden Treasures and Lost Civilizations (an unbelievable exhibit of artifacts from the Neolithic age through the Byzantine period).
The building
The building is wonderful too, originally the Spanish Revival Mayflower Congregational Church, it was revived as an elegant exhibit space by Julie Snow Architects in 2005.
Walker Art Center
Weisman
Frank Gehry’s Weisman Museum lacks some of the subtle sinuousness of his later, more famous creations in Bilbao and Los Angeles, but it’s still eye-catching.
Weisman Museum
Saint Paul Museums
Bell Museum of Natural History
Minnesota Historical Society
Science Museum of Minnesota
I really haven’t spent any time at the Science Museum of Minnesota since its 1999 move into its new downtown facility, but with a show on the Dead Sea Scrolls on now, it’s probably a good time to do so. Oooh, and the Omnitheater is featuring a show called Arabia! And then there is the Big Back Yard (mini golf, anyone?) and Elements Café is supposed to have good river views. Plenty of reasons to visit.