Photograph of a young man in a gray T-shirt and a young woman in a green dress at the opening reception for an exhibition. Other people are captured in the background.
Opening reception for "Blue Cross Blue Shield Teen Perspectives" in Community Commons and Studios 111 - 113 at Minneapolis Institute of Art on May 12, 2024.

Community and Partnerships

Community & Partnerships

Community & Partnerships

Mia is the people’s museum. We champion the power of art to spark curiosity, connection, and creativity. Get to know the vibrant communities we’re honored to serve and the organizations we work with.

The Latest

Transatlantic Masterpieces: Mia’s Postwar Collection Heads to France in Landmark Museum Exchange

This summer, Mia is inviting new audiences to reconsider the story of American art—and demonstrating the role museums can play in shaping that conversation across borders.

“The Moments After Grief:" Q&A with Artist Ziba Rajabi

Ziba Rajabi discusses her MAEP exhibition “Ziba Rajabi: Belly Laugh at a Funeral,” which draws on ancient practices from the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia, and features textile works that explore the emotions following grief: peace, acceptance, healing, and progress.

Bon Voyage!

Everyone loves a summer vacation. Even the artworks in Mia’s collection, a group of which is packing its bags—er…getting packed, into boxes, to be loaded into shipping containers—for France, heading out on loan for an array of exhibitions.

Resting Places, Active Spaces: On Mia’s Partnership with Lakewood Cemetery

A cemetery doesn’t seem like an obvious place for an artist-in-residence program.

Domestic Dread: A Closer Look at Nik Nerburn’s "The Milkman"

Something bad happened in Nik Nerburn’s family.

“Things of Comfort”: A Conversation with Amy Usdin

In a culture driven by speed, scale, and endless consumption, Amy Usdin’s work offers a respite.

Artists in Charge: 50 Years of MAEP

In the winter of 1975, a couple dozen artists from around Minnesota gathered at a conference center in the Minneapolis suburb of Wayzata, on the frozen shores of Long Lake.

Minnesota Artist Hend Al-Mansour on the Healing Art of Representation

Hend Al-Mansour is a translator of sorts, working between the realms of feeling and seeing. She conveys experiences, ideas, and emotions through her immersive, room-like installation portraits of Arab American women.

Young Historians Visit Mia’s Photography Study Room

Each year, thousands of students around the country participate in National History Day. Working with their teachers, they select a historical topic and strive to gain an in-depth understanding of its significance.

Celebrating the Vibrant Diversity of Our Community

Mia prioritizes including community expertise in museum collections and programming, partnering with organizations that promote representational diversity and broaden accessibility. These partnerships ensure that every voice in our diverse community is heard and valued.

Mia in the Community: A Look Back at 2024

The new year brings resolutions and an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months. Whether through our programming, partnerships, educational efforts, or events, we love getting out into the community as much as we love welcoming folks in.

Exploring the Concept of Hózhǫ́ During Native American Heritage Month

Hózhǫ́ is a foundational concept in the Navajo world, encompassing ideas of beauty, harmony, balance, order, grace, health, and happiness. It is a state of being, thinking, and acting. Navajo artists embody hózhǫ́ as they weave, and textiles are imbued with and become works of hózhǫ́.

Celebrating Pride Month with Zanele Muholi’s Photography

Two photographs by self-described visual activist Zanele Muholi, taken in 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa, appeared in Mia’s lobby to celebrate Pride Month.

Queerness in the Collection: Rarely Seen Portraiture for Pride Month

Mia’s collection goes far beyond what you see in the galleries. Of the pieces in storage, the majority are prints and drawings, but these works don’t languish behind the scenes: You can make an appointment to view up to 15 prints and drawings in the Herschel V. Jones Print Study Room.

How a Young Conservator Is Helping Preserve Her Hmong Heritage

For National Hmong Heritage Month, Mia displayed two Paj Ntaub, or Flower Cloth, tapestries in the lobby. As the first Hmong who arrived in the United States during the Vietnam War are beginning to pass away, there has never been a more urgent time to contribute to the preservation of Hmong culture.

Mia’s Long, Unlikely History with the Minnesota State Fair

For years, Mia had a booth in the cavernous Education Building at the Minnesota State Fair, giving away things like cardboard fans, dubbed “Art on a Stick.” With the flick of a wrist, the eye-catching freebies kept fairgoers cool.

Picturing Childhood: Alec Soth on the Quirky Delights of Photo Books for Kids

Casey Riley, Mia’s curator of photography and new media, and Alec Soth, a Minnesota photograph, author, and educator, discuss photo books for kids and Mia’s “Just Kids” exhibition of photographs of, by, and for kids.

Opening reception for "Blue Cross Blue Shield Teen Perspectives" in Community Commons and Studios 111 - 113 at Minneapolis Institute of Art on May 12, 2024.