Welcome to MIA Stories. The unveiling. Every week here you’ll find new exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and photos. Stories from Minnesota artists and leaders about the artwork that inspires them. Stories that connect current events to incredible art in the collection. Strange but true stories. Travel stories. Your stories.
Why are we doing this? Tell you a story. A few months and a different a job ago, I was editing a magazine feature about the favorite souvenirs of well-traveled Twin Citians: curators, a restaurateur, an explorer. One had a necklace she’d evaded two grasping thugs on a Russian thoroughfare to bring home. Another had a wedding kimono he’d bought for 500 bucks under a highway. And a shipping container full of Ming Dynasty furniture he’d bought for Ikea prices. And a 12-foot-scroll from a Mayan artist he’d commissioned in Guatemala (and later mailed a check for $3,000). “My whole house is landmined with memories,” he told me.
And that’s the point: objects don’t just live on the walls or in the vaults. They live in stories. You’ll find them here, regularly refreshed, for the sharing, the commenting, and the occasional distracting from work (you’re welcome). Check back often—we’ll have plenty.
P.S. One of those souvenir collectors was the director of this museum, Kaywin Feldman (who will occasionally share her experiences on MIA Stories). A story of arms and legs and what they’re now doing in her home. Ask her about it sometime—you won’t be disappointed.