The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a free museum operated for the benefit of the general public.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts enriches the community by collecting, preserving, and making accessible outstanding works of art from the world's diverse cultures.
In 1883, twenty-five citizens of Minneapolis founded the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, committing them to bringing the arts into the life of their community. More than a century later, the museum they created, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, stands as a monument to a remarkable history of civic involvement and cultural achievement.
Designed by the preeminent New York architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, the original building opened its doors in 1915. A neoclassical landmark in the Twin Cities, the MIA expanded in 1974 with an addition designed by the late Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. In June 2006, the museum unveiled a new wing designed by architect Michael Graves.
The Target Wing was the result of a major renovation and expansion that included thirty-four new galleries, and an additional 40% exhibition space. As well as increased gallery space the expansion included a new Lecture Hall, Photographs Study Room, Print Study Room, and an Art Research Library in a new, more visible location. The Graves design respectfully combined the neoclassical elegance of the original McKim, Mead & White 1915 building with the minimalism of Tange's 1974 addition.
The MIA's permanent collection has grown from eight hundred works of art to around eighty thousand objects. The collection includes world-famous works that embody the highest levels of artistic achievement, spanning five thousand years and representing the world's diverse cultures across all continents. The MIA has seven curatorial areas: Arts of Africa & the Americas; Contemporary Art; Decorative Arts, Textiles & Sculpture; Asian Art; Paintings; Photography and New Media; Prints and Drawings; and Textiles.
The MIA is Minnesota's largest art educator. More than a half-million people visit the museum each year. A hundred thousand more are reached through the museum's Art Adventure program for elementary schoolchildren. The museum's free general-admission policy, public programs, classes for children and adults, and award-winning interactive media programs have helped to broaden and deepen this museum's roots in the communities it serves.
The MIA has seven curatorial areas: Arts of Africa & the Americas; Contemporary Art; Decorative Arts, Textiles & Sculpture; Asian Art; Paintings; Photography and New Media; Prints and Drawings.
Established with the museum's opening in 1915, the MIA's Art Research & Reference Library is one of the Midwest's premiere research centers dedicated to the study of art. The library's holdings provide special collection and rare printed materials as well as digitized texts/images and cutting-edge online research tools. Spanning the world's history of art, the library's remarkable collection of more than 60,000 volumes continues to grow. Two notable recent acquisitions include Edvard Munch: Complete Paintings 'Catalogue Raisonn' and Vincent van Gogh: 'The Letters' The Complete Illustrated and Annotated Edition.
Exhibitions, teacher workshops, docent program, gallery tours, lectures, youth studios and programs, adult studios and programs, Picture Person classroom guides.
Auditoriums
Lecture Halls
Performance Areas
Director/President
Board of Trustees
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: False
Gift Shop
Online Gift Shop
Event Rental
Restaurant
Group Tours