Opening Day @ the New M
Sunday, December 2, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
FREE and open to the public
Minnesota Museum of American Art | 350 Robert Street North, St. Paul
Located in the Historic Pioneer Endicott
Join us for the grand opening of the M, and experience a full day of fun activities, in-gallery performances, food & drink, and remarkable art around every corner in the museum’s beautiful new home!
Come explore a new museum that has been years in the making! After months of construction, Minnesota Museum of American Art (“the M,” for short) is opening its long-awaited permanent home, driven by a 21st-century vision of creativity and community. Since 2013, the M has organized touring shows and presented nationally recognized exhibitions and programs in its Project Space gallery, housed in downtown St. Paul’s historic Pioneer-Endicott complex. Now, thanks to a groundswell of support from the city, state, and the community, a new kind of museum is opening in the Twin Cities: an inclusive space for creativity and wonder, learning, and timely conversations about timeless American art.
Celebrate the new M’s grand opening with:
- Noon – A ribbon-cutting with civic leaders and community partners
- 4 p.m. – Live music by Lady Xok (Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra)
- All day – Twin Cities dance collaborative SuperGroup performing throughout the museum
- All day – DJ sets in the M’s grand lobby by Beatrix*JAR
- All day – Hands-on activities for all ages in the Center for Creativity – make a housewarming present for the new M, with artists Carrie Thompson and Aki Shibata in the Wide Open Studio
- All day – The M’s first Artist Takeover resident, Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra, in-studio at the Josephine Adele Ford Center for Creativity
Take a selfie with friends under the monumental arches flanking the museum’s soaring new sculpture court, which will be filled with a colorful fiber art installation by New York artist Sheila Pepe. Tumble into the depth and breadth of the M’s collection by exploring the exhibition, 100 Years and Counting: early 20th century paintings, photographs, incredible drawings, mid-century studio craft, sculpture, prints, contemporary Native American art, sculptures by Paul Manship and George Morrison, and up-to-the-minute recent acquisitions by outstanding American artists.
Watch some performances, make art with family and friends, chat with artists and folks from neighboring Lowertown and downtown arts organizations. Grab a bite from a food truck just outside the museum, and while you’re there, don’t miss Minnesota artist David Bowen‘s street-facing light installation in the M’s new Window Gallery. It’s a big moment for our creative community – let’s make a day of it!
