Meet Mia: Q&A with Jenny Rydeen, Head of Visitor Experience
Meet Mia is a bimonthly series highlighting museum staff—the talented humans who help make Mia a community treasure. Watch for new Q&As in People & Culture.
May 28, 2025—Head of Visitor Experience Jenny Rydeen is an expert at making visitors to the museum feel welcome, engaged, and creatively inspired.
How long have you worked at Mia?
Thirteen years, which means I’ve been a part of designing and implementing the Mia experience for over seven million museum visits.
Visitor Experience staff tend to have a special connection to the first major exhibition they work at Mia. Mine was “Rembrandt in America,” a sold-out show. Our department office has a wall highlighting major exhibitions going back several years, and each team member writes their name under their first exhibition. It’s fun to see different cohorts of staff grow and develop around each show.
What are your first memories of art?
I have many, but I’ll just share two. The first is Mia-related! In fifth grade, an Art Adventure volunteer visited our classroom and taught us about the Georgia O’Keeffe painting Pedernal—From the Ranch #1 (I did have to look up the name of the artwork for this interview).
Another is of my grandma—Nana to me—who was a fantastic artist. She would set me up with oil paints and an outdoor easel all summer. I remember we were painting at the picnic table one day, and a massive gust of wind blew my canvas off the easel. It landed straight on my head, and we spent the afternoon cleaning oil paint out of my hair. Nana never shied away from allowing me to use “real” art supplies. That trust gave me confidence and made me feel like a true artist from a young age.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The people; it’s always the people. Sharing the experience, wonder, and power of art with others is a gift.
We work daily to create the best art museum visit possible for our visitors, staff, and volunteers. In my current role, it’s been so meaningful to integrate employee and volunteer insights about the visitor experience into our initiatives and decision-making.
What’s it like being a Mia mom?
My son, Mark, is 20 months old. Around the time he was born, we started a new program, Mini Mia, for kids ages 0–5 and their grown-ups to enjoy the museum. I love bringing Mark to Mini Mia and experiencing the galleries with him. He hands out maps and makes sure all the kids, especially kids and parents visiting for the first time, feel welcome.
Art museums can be perceived as less welcoming to young kids because of our policies that keep visitors and the art safe, but there is so much freedom to explore the galleries and just be you!
If you could take one artwork home from Mia for a year, what would it be?
A Norwegian River in Winter by Ludwig Skramstad. Mia recently acquired this painting, which depicts a snowy forest and icy river at sunset. Looking at it, you can feel the cold and the quiet stillness that snow brings. Living in Minnesota, we know what a proper snowy winter feels like, and this one speaks to me! That painting is gorgeous; I’m simply obsessed with it.
What was your first job (before and/or after college)?
My first job was teaching ballet. I taught two classes: advanced youth and beginning adult. I loved them both. The advanced youth class was fun because my students were really talented, but still young enough that I was still better. The adult class focused on access and inclusion in the performing arts for people who didn’t experience those opportunities as kids. You had to be intentional about making the class feel welcoming and approachable. I liked that aspect, and am glad I’ve been able to carry that into my current job!
Not everyone feels like an art museum is for them, much like not everyone feels ballet would be for them. So finding ways to connect with people through conversation and helping them see Mia as their space is gratifying.
What’s your favorite restaurant on Eat Street?
All of them, and I eat there often. My favorites include: Quang, Spyhouse Coffee, Eat Street Crossing, Pimento, Christos, Pho 79, and Centro. I also have to put in a plug for our very own Agra Culture Café at Mia. Located on the first floor and a convenient walk from my office. The team knows my daily cappuccino order.
What would you be doing if you weren’t working as the head of Visitor Experience?
It’s hard to imagine where else you might work when you feel like you have your dream job. Whatever organization it might be, I’d need the job to be connected to the people they serve. The more people I get to interact with, the better.
And I’d like to paint more. As a mom who works full time, I’m trying to figure out how to carve out some time to paint and involve my toddler, Mark, in the art-making process. However, as soon as we get a routine down, he reaches a new milestone, and we have to start all over again!
Do you have a particular memory/story of working in Visitor Experience you’d like to share?
We opened “Giants” this spring and welcomed Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz to the museum for the opening party. Working that event will live in my mind as one of my favorite days at this job. Our staff put so much thought and care into opening the exhibition and executing the event, and seeing the high-quality experience the Visitor Experience team created was truly special.
“Giants” is on view until July 13, 2025, and I encourage everyone to see the incredible artwork featured in this show!
What’s a guilty pleasure for you?
TikTok, and yes, I spend too much time on social media. I like getting recipe ideas and watching videos on how to prepare meals. However, I’m often misled by these videos that purport that a meal can be made in just 30 seconds, like the clip I saw.
Would you rather get a new Taylor Swift album or a new Swiffer?
I may be the biggest Swiftie at Mia. I attended the Eras Tour in Minneapolis while 30 weeks pregnant! I was also in London when she performed there, and I traded friendship bracelets with all the Swifties on their way to the concert. Surprisingly, I don’t actually own a Taylor Swift album, but I do have a Swiffer.