Minneapolis Museums Among U.S. Finest
From Modigliani to Milling Equipment, Exhibits Show Rather than Tell
Aug 14, 2008
At last count, 57 museums are located in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro Area. The Minneapolis museums listed below -- a sampling of what’s on offer -- are only the tip of that city’s cultural iceberg.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
This is one of America’s finest art treasure troves with a permanent collection of 80,000 works created during the past five thousand years. Renowned especially for its Japanese and Chinese art, the museum’s acquisitions are divided into eight collections: Africa, Oceania and Native American Art; Ancient Art; Architecture, Design, Decorative Arts, Craft, and Sculpture; Paintings and Modern Sculpture; Photographs; Prints and Drawings; and Textiles. 2400 Third Avenue S., Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Thursday to 9 p.m.) Sunday, noon - 5 p.m.; General admission and parking are free.
Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden
Another of the country’s top museums, the Walker Art Center showcases contemporary art, including film and performing arts. 1750 Hennepin Avenue; $10, adults; Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. A collaborative project of the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Department, the adjacent 11-acre sculpture park’s works include 40 permanent installations, including the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Joep van Lieshout’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”, designed during his artist residency at the garden is used or art labs Additional works are displayed at the park on a temporary basis.
Weisman Art Museum
Its striking stainless steel building and the 16,000 works of art inside make this another must-see on art lovers’ lists. The only Frank Gehry-designed museum in the U. S., recently underwent an 11,000 square foot expansion, which was also designed by the renowned architect. Inside, the major American modernism works include Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Oriental Poppies”, Jacob Lawrence’s “Dancing Doll” and “World’s Fair Mural by James Rosenquist. 333 E. River Road;
$5 adults, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Thursday, 9 p.m.); Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.
Mill City Museum
The contemporary glass and steel museum rises eight stories from the limestone ruins of the world’s largest flour mill, which was known as Washburn Mill A. At this interactive museum, you can play with dough and feast on samples in the Baking Lab and learn how rivers are harnessed to generate power in the Water Lab. The eight-story Flour Tower tour of the old mill and a film exploring the city’s history are other museum attractions. High point of the museum is the rooftop view of the Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge. 704 South Second Street; $10, adults; Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (9 p.m. Thursday0; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.
Museum of Russian Art
Only North American museum focusing on 20th Century art in the former Soviet Union, the Minneapolis collection was begun during the final years of Soviet rule and is believed to be the largest privately held collection outside the borders of the former Soviet Union. Almost totally isolated from foreign influences, the Russian artists during the decades of the 1900s developed a Socialist Realism style. The museum’s Ray and Susan Johnson collection chronicles life in the former U.S.S.R. with charming renditions of ordinary scenes, such as “Young Pioneer at the Door” by Fodor Shapaei and “Our Courtyard by Igor Popov. Recent exhibits included photographs by Sergei M. Prokudin of the Russian Empire just before World War I and the Russian Revolution; 5500 Stevens Avenue S. $10, adults; Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m (8 p.m. Thursday); Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.
Among the other specialty museums are the Firefighters Hall & Museum (664 22nd Avenue NE; $6, adults) the Bakken Library and Museum (primarily interactive exhibits about electricity) and the Swedish Institute.
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