Pierce in his scholar’s rock costume, at right, inspired by Mia.

Art is Story 2018

“Mia is Pierce’s favorite place to visit—he visits nearly every week to walk and sit and draw,” said his mother. For Halloween, he asked to be his favorite sculpture at Mia, the so-called scholar’s rock—or “botcher,” as Pierce calls it—that stands outside the lobby windows. His family sent Mia a photo of him at school, among a dragon and a princess, fully encased in a rock-like suit, only his arms showing.

Mia heard stories about the recent exhibition “Power and Beauty in China’s Last Dynasty,” like the one from a visitor who went three times and called it a “wonder experience.” And we heard from many visitors to “Art and Healing in the Moment,” who told us they felt hopeful and uplifted, that “this is what an art museum is for.”

18,000 visitors

More than 18,000 visitors experienced “Art and Healing,” an exhibition of work made by community artists in response to the 2016 fatal shooting of Philando Castile, an African American man from St. Paul. The exhibition was a collaboration between the Castile family, Mia, and a community advisory panel, and included a series of workshops and discussions with artists and facilitators to foster a dialogue around art as a powerful tool for community healing and learning.

250 stories

In collaboration with local schools and organizations, Mia invited community members to share their stories of immigration and migration through art and writing as part of “Your Story, Our Story,” a national story-telling project. More than 250 stories have been added from Minnesota since the project began in 2017.

200 books

In partnership with the MidContinent Oceanographic Institute, a youth literacy organization, students explore Mia’s galleries and write a story based on the objects they view. The stories are illustrated by a participating artist, and each child is given a printed copy of their book. Last year, about 200 books were created in collaboration with participating students.