Listening Sessions: Tell Us About the Arts in Your Community

Is art important to your community? If so, in what ways?
Does American art, as you see it in museums and galleries, reflect your life and that of your friends and neighbors?
What programs would you like to see, or see expanded, for the arts where you live?

We don’t all connect through art, and that’s okay. But many are interested in the arts and can’t readily access them – and that’s a problem. Their reasons may include cost, physical accessibility, or an underlying feeling of exclusion. Whatever the cause, overcoming such barriers to access requires candid give-and-take and collaborative problem-solving. A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work.

And so, the M is partnering with cultural organizations around the state to hold community discussions tackling questions like those you see above. Through these conversations, we’re hoping to glean information about the changes necessary to make museum spaces like the M truly inviting and open to all who are interested in the arts. Community members and artists of color throughout Minnesota will be leading several discussions. No prior arts experience is needed to join in the conversation. In fact, we encourage anyone with a curiosity in the arts, or who is interested in broadening the reach and impact of regional arts and culture, to join the conversations.

These statewide listening sessions are made possible by the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a grant funded by the taxpayers of Minnesota. The discussions we have will culminate in an exhibit, We the People, on view at the M this fall. Featuring a diverse selection of art chosen by emerging curatorial voices from communities of color, this exhibit aims to expand the definition of American art to more fully include both the artwork and lived experiences of all who call this nation home.

Upcoming Listening Sessions around the state:

• Saturday, April 1, 3:30 – 6 p.m., at the Somali Museum of Minnesota, 1516 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN
• Saturday, May 13, 9:45 a.m. – 12 p.m., at East Side Freedom Library, 1105 Greenbriar St., St. Paul, MN
• Thursday, June 29, 5 – 7:30 p.m., at Red Wing Ignite, 419 Bush St, Red Wing, MN
• Saturday, July 22, 12 – 3 p.m., at the Nemeth Art Center, Park Rapids, MN