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Fresh perspectives on art, life, and current events. From deep dives to quick takes to insightful interviews, it’s the museum in conversation. Beyond the walls. Outside the frame. Around the world.
The Latest
Art in Bloom joins Hirshfield’s Design Resource to spotlight decor and paint trends
By Jay Nuhring Remember the shiny brass furniture from the early 1980s? And the obsession consumers had with Spanish Oak cabinetry, burnt orange laminate countertops, and earth-tone shag carpet? They’re back! The year 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade in design, and rightly so—trends have about a 40-year cycle. Out with the cool ...
The Art in Bloom mocktail: A classic gin and tonic with a teetotaler twist
Art in Bloom, Mia’s perennial fundraiser produced by the Friends of the Institute, is now celebrating spring in place, thanks to COVID-19. So why not enjoy it at home with a wedge of fresh lime? We’re talking, of course, about a gin and tonic. Few drinks announce the arrival of warmer months as briskly as ...
Art in Bloom expert Jay Nuhring offers tips to freshen your house for spring
By Jay Nuhring Spring is my favorite time of year for many reasons, the least of which are that my birthday is in late April and I love a good spring thunderstorm. The smell of earth after a hard rain makes me hopeful for warmer days. Here are some tips for shedding the winter doldrums ...
From roadkill to the runway: Artist Holly Young on the purse that became an Art in Bloom sensation
By Diane Richard Long before anyone knew what COVID-19 was, or that Mia would close this spring because of it, Holly Young was in Bismarck, North Dakota, thinking about the 2019 Sante Fe Indian Market. It was several months before the nation’s premier showcase for Native artists, and Young was looking for a challenge. So ...
The masterpiece home office: How to spiff up your pandemic pad with art from Mia
By Tim Gihring With work-from-home in full swing, are you finding your quarantine quarters a little lacking? Do you dread logging into the morning meeting, coveting your colleagues’ digs while you slump at your desk seemingly made of Legos and leftover Ikea hardware? Yes, the ideal home office is the new status symbol, and Mia ...
Artist Sky Hopinka talks Standing Rock, growing up on the powwow circuit, and his show at Mia
Sky Hopinka says he’s always known who he is. His father is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, in Wisconsin; his mother is descended from the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, in California. They met on the powwow circuit, traveling across the country to perform, and when Sky came along he joined them in the ...
Minnesota artist Rachel Breen on clothing that kills, visible mending, and her new show at Mia
By Diane Richard Rachel Breen’s exhibition “The Labor We Wear” is sitting in the U.S. Bank Gallery, on the second floor of Mia, waiting for the doors to open. “I literally finished installing it right before the museum closed,” she says, noting the museum’s decision to temporarily close on March 13, ahead of the statewide ...
Goya’s Gratitude and the Long Tradition of Artistic Tributes to Health Workers
By Gretchen Halverson In 1820, Francisco Goya painted himself leaning back into the arms of his doctor, Eugenio García Arrieta. Shadowy figures loom behind them. Are they real or a disease-induced hallucination? The doctor administers a tonic while Goya—weak, pale, staring blankly—desperately grips the sheets of his sick bed. Goya, who was the most prominent ...
Can you name 5 women artists? Here’s a start, from Mia’s collection
By Nicole Soukup “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”—Audre Lorde A popular meme asks: Can you name five women artists? How many artists on your list are women of color? How many identify as queer? Trans or gender fluid? How many are ...
30 great artworks chosen by Mia’s curators to mark Women’s History Month
To celebrate Women’s History Month, we asked each of our curatorial departments at Mia to highlight works by women. You’ll find more, along with videos, stories, and related exhibitions on our Women’s History Month site. Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Sculpture Faith Ringgold’s sculpture was inspired by the 1974 discovery in Hadar, Ethiopia, of “Lucy,” a ...