Minneapolis & St Paul Art Galleries, Museums, & Supplies

Best art galleries Minneapolis St Paul museums supplies classes your area

We are all about to dive deep into everything about art in Minneapolis and St Paul and our opening section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

Up next we will cover a variety of other topics like local Minneapolis and St Paul art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

If you are searching for any specific section you can jump straight to it by using the table of contents on the left and we will also be sharing a Twin Cities art map with all of the various venues we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

And for more of our posts on Midwestern cities you can click here.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Minneapolis

If you want to check out the best art galleries and museums in Minneapolis and St Paul you can head to:

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is one of the country’s most important comprehensive fine-art museums that displays almost 83,000 pieces covering more than 5,000 years of world art and culture in a stunning landmark structure that opens at 10am every day but Monday when they never open and they usually close at 5pm but on Thursdays you can stay until 9pm.

The Walker Art Center is one of the most popular modern and contemporary art museums in your area which attracts 700,000+ visitors each year and has over 13,000 works of modern and contemporary art including books, costumes, drawings, media works, paintings, photography, prints, and sculpture are part of the museum’s permanent collection. The Walker Art Center originated in 1879 as a private art gallery in Thomas Barlow Walker’s house and currently it is closed on Monday and Tuesday opening at 11am the rest of the week.

In 2002 The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) was established in Bloomington which is open from 10am to 5pm on weekdays and from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. It conducts approximately 50 annual events ranging from prominent lectures to classical music to theatrical readings while offering 8-10 exhibitions every year.

The Somali Museum is open from 3pm to 7pm on Friday and 1pm to 5pm on weekends as a great home of traditional Somali arts and this non-profit has over 700 artifacts on exhibit and educational programs on Somali traditional culture that are not available anywhere else.

Rosalux Gallery was established in February 2002 and is Minnesota’s longest-running collaborative art gallery housing around 80 local artists throughout the years assisting them in establishing a firm basis for their future careers as artists. You can check out what they have to offer from noon to 4pm on weekends.

Midway Contemporary Art is open from 11am to 5pm Wednesday through Saturday and was founded in 2001 as a non-profit non-collecting visual arts organization that hosts temporary exhibits, maintains a public research library, and hosts regular public programming.

Over 300 tenants call the Northrup King Building home including a creative center for over 250 artists as well as a variety of small businesses and charity groups.

Groveland Gallery opened its doors in 1973 exhibiting the finest of Minnesota and regional art with a concentration on modern realistic paintings, drawings, and prints. They exclusively offer original artwork and maintain a close relationship with the artists they represent and you can see what they are displaying from noon to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.

All My Relations Arts exhibits the work of current American Indian fine artists and offers events that highlight the beauty and strength of art from Indian Country.

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday but is part of the University of Minnesota that was established in 1934 and is named after the art collector Frederick R. Weisman. The 25,000+ picture collection includes substantial  works by Marsden Hartley, Alfred Maurer, Charles Biederman, Native American Mimbres ceramics, and traditional Korean furniture.

In the fall of 1984 Bockley Gallery debuted in the warehouse district showing off the works of local, national, and international artists. The gallery moved to its current site in 2005 with opening hours of noon to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and today Ahmoo Angeconeb, Frank Big Bear, Julie Buffalohead, Andrea Carlson, Jim Denomie, Sky Hopinka, Stuart Nielsen, Postcommodity, Lauren Roche, Dietrich Sieling, Cara Romero, Elizabeth Simonson, and other artists are represented.

The Katherine E. Nash Gallery is closed on Sunday and Monday while opening at 11am the rest of the week as a visual arts practice and interpretation research laboratory. The gallery was founded by Katherine Nash in the 1970’s and now occupies 4,900 square feet in the department’s Regis Center for Art at the University of Minnesota.

For almost twenty-five years the AZ Gallery has been a staple in St. Paul’s Lowertown area that you can visit from 10am to 4pm on weekends. They give artists at various phases of their careers the chance for professional development, personal discovery, and creative risk-taking.

Artista Bottega is a gallery, a studio, and a school for art near you that is open from 10am to 6pm daily and will seduce you with wonderful stuff to brighten up your house and yard. Prominent Minnesota artists will sell original art and craft in the style of a vintage Italian bottega.

The Grand Hand Gallery specializes in excellent American craft and fine art by artists from all across the United States with an emphasis on Minnesota and Northern California artists. Ann Ruhr Pifer is the gallery’s proprietor and the doors first in August of 2004 and today they are open from 10am to 5pm every day but Sunday. Individuals and organizations can also profit from their custom framing and private art consultancy services.

The Raymond Avenue Gallery has been showcasing the work of well-known area artists for over 30 years and you can see what they currently have on display from 10am to 4pm Monday through Friday and starting at noon on Saturday.

Bloomington Civic Plaza’s north end is home to the Bloomington Center for the Arts which is open from 8am to 10pm on weekdays, from 9am to 10pm on Saturday, and from noon to 6pm on Sunday. The building is used for arts programs, city functions, and private rentals by eight resident art organizations and the community.

Materials & Supplies Near You

The best places to buy art supplies and materials in your area are:

The Art Cellar is a non-profit art supplies store located inside the Minneapolis College of Art & Design.

Art Materials is located in the Uptown neighborhood and proudly supports the Twin Cities’ creative community as you’ll discover a wide range of art materials for all types of creators whether you shop locally, in store, or online.

Northland Visions began as Northland Native American Products and has evolved into a gallery and shop area where one may find treasures of the land and original goods created by Native peoples.

Continental Clay has the most comprehensive collection of clay and sculpting supplies at the most competitive pricing with over 65,000 square feet dedicated to clay mixing, glaze manufacture, research and development, and their retail store and gallery which is one of their most valuable ties to the local community.

EpoxyCandy is a family-owned and managed company that manufactures and distributes high-quality epoxy accessories.

Wet Paint is a single privately owned art supplies store in St. Paul that serves the Twin Cities community as well as the rest of the world that was founded in 1976.

ArtStar began in 1988 owned by a group of artists and art education professionals focusing on processes as well as products.

You probably already know what chain stores like the Michaels and Hobby Lobby near you have to offer.

Shows & Events

Some of the top art shows and events held here in this city would be:

The Northrup King Building opens every first Thursday of the month from 5pm to 9pm as home to two of the major two-cities events: Art-A-Whirl which is held in sunrise in NE Minneapolis and Art Attack in the fall.

The Visual Arts Fund is an initiative set up in 2016 with substantial funding for Midway Contemporary Art by the Andy Warhol Foundation. The Twin Cities are one of the 32 subway regions of Warhol’s Regional Regranting Program to promote dynamic creative activity in cities across the United States.

The American Pottery Festival will feature and celebrate the honor and the importance of millions of ways to live and create in the US as guests from throughout the country will be ceramics artisans.

The first Thursday in the NE Minneapolis Arts district is an Open Studio and Gallery tour that takes place on the first Thursday of each month while many Northeast artists open the doors to their studios and invite the public. Visitors may get to know the artist, ask questions, and debate his creative process in a relaxed atmosphere.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

When you need help with buying, selling, or valuing a piece contact these local art dealers and appraisers:

Walking Tours

What is better than walking around outside on a beautiful day and seeing some cool art in your area:

In 2003 Minneapolis City formally named the North-East Minneapolis Arts District and today you may enjoy the artistic environment in this region with several activities.

Minneapolis Visitor Center counts on a staff and retail store to help you navigate the city.

Sculptures & Statues

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There are some really nice sculptures and statues near you like:

  • Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at 725 Vineland Pl
  • Spoonbridge & Cherry at 14357 Loring Greenway
  • Nimbus Sculpture at 300 Nicollet Mall
  • Spannungsfeld at University of Minnesota
  • Leif Erickson Statue at University Ave W, St Paul
  • Western Sculpture Park at 387 Marion St, St Paul
  • Convergence Sculpture Public Art by James Brenner at 8080 28th Ave S, Bloomington

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is free, does not require any entry tickets, and is open every day between 6am and 12pm having welcomed millions of visitors since its establishment in 1988. In the setting of an urban park it has displayed works in the famous collections of contemporary and modern art of the Walker Art Center.

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen produced Spoonbridge and Cherry in 1988 which is a beautiful sculptural fountain.

Nimbus is a sculpture that the City of Minneapolis commissioned to extend the James Corner Field Operations re-design of the Nicolett Mall.

In 2014 the Spannungsfeld Monument was constructed by Julian Voss-Andreae.

A statue of Leif Erikson was unveiled on August 25, 1956 by the Norwegian American League and the second one was for the Norwegian immigrant sculptor John Karl Daniels.

Western Sculpture Park is the home of a selected display of sculptures in a densely-populated area just west of the Capitol of Minnesota.

A Bloomington South Loop classic, Convergence is a large-scale steel and glass sculpture in your area that was the project of sculptor James Brenner and Bloomington City.

Minneapolis Art Classes

Whether you need lessons for kids or are an adult who wants to grow his skills you have some options. Some of the best Minneapolis and St Paul art schools and classes you can be found at:

Since 1886 one of the leading art and design schools in the region has been the Minneapolis College of Arts and Design which is a private, non-profit, four-year and graduate college. As a leader of fine arts, design, business and sustainable education, MCAD has a major national role today.

Northern Clay Center opened in 1990 and reaches national and international participants and a direct audience of regional participants through special programs, talks, symposia, and publications.

Articulture was created in 2000 by members of the community who noticed a need in the region for additional visual arts programs plus their current site provides extra opportunities through their modest retail area for supporting local Minnesota artists.

The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art primarily focuses on training fine craftsmanship and painting abilities that lead to the development of well-constructed artwork having passed down a system of education that combines rigorous academic study with the influence of the French Impressionists from instructor to student.

Art Academy founder James Robinson and Co-Director Sarah Howard have served the Minneapolis & St. Paul area for over two decades as artists and instructors.

Art with Ellen focuses on early local childhood art instruction.

Ellen has been inspiring creativity and improving the creative capabilities of children aged 12 months to kindergarten for over 30 years. In their interactive classes adults and children play with clay, chalk, finger paint, various art tools, and other materials to discover basic art principles.

Artista Bottega also has classes.

Studios For Rent Near You

When you can’t wait to get that next project started rent some space at one of these art studios in your area:

Homewood Studios is an artists’ workspace, gallery, and meeting space in North Minneapolis that is designed for local artists and their neighbors in the belief the visible presence of working artists contributes to the vitality, self-image, and coherence of their community. Spaces in the Art Co-op feature natural lighting, 20 foot ceilings, and hard wood floors.

The Fallout Urban Art Center contains a gallery, studios, and a performance stage.

Art Space Projects provides a list of available residential and non-residential studios available throughout the Twin Cities.

The Northrup King Building, Artista Bottega, Bloomington Center for the Arts and Articulture also have studio space available.

Framing

A frame can transform a regular looking piece or picture to that next level and some of the best places for art framing in Minneapolis are:

FastFrame was founded in 1986 and their stores provide homeowners and commercial clients with personalized design and quality image framing services.

Mitrebox Framing Studio is packed with photo frames, letters and screen-printed greeting cards, specialized materials, vintage jewelry, candles, prints, mirrors, pictures, and paintings in your area.

Calhoun Beach Framing specializes in customized image framework quality and they’ve had more than 20 years of expertise honing their craft.

Caplow Custom Frame & Restauration is a full-service personalized frame business that sits situated the 48th corner of Minneapolis and Grand.

The Framing Place and Gallery has served the Twin Cities since 1973 as a custom picture store.

At Frameworks Gallery and Custom Framing you can stretch an oil painted canvas, get sew mounting on a sports jersey, or framing and matting of a family photo.

In the late 1980’s Steve Pope launched Wholesale Art & Framing and today customized framing for both individuals and business tasks are available as they collaborate with designers, artists, companies, and the public.

The Grand Hand Gallery, Art Materials, Hennes Art Company and Griffin Gallery also do framing.

You might be interested in our posts on:

Have Fun Enjoying The Minneapolis & St Paul Art Scene

At the moment that is all we have to share about the full art scene near you. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers that you may want to check out.

Those who are still reading this probably love art as much as we do. If so go ahead and use the comments to share your own tips or to let us know if you think we got anything wrong.

We hope you enjoy your time at the best Minneapolis and St Paul art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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