By Anna Dilliard //
I often get asked—by folks in my life, by people interviewing me, even by people I’m interviewing—what my favorite part of my job is. I always answer with the same thing: the opportunity to ensure our visitors see themselves represented at Mia.
While the museum’s collection is encyclopedic, the works on view constantly rotate. If visitors find they aren’t represented on our walls at any given time, they can be sure they will be represented through our programming. So you may not always see a portrait that looks like you, but there will be an artist teaching a portraiture workshop who does. There will be dancers performing your traditional dance, like the artists from CAAM Chinese Dance Theater, who performed traditional and stylized Chinese dances in celebration of the Year of the Dragon. There will be musicians singing songs you grew up with in your place of worship, like Sol Salvation Choir, whose uplifting performance closed Mia’s recent partnership with Public Functionary.
Programming in an encyclopedic museum in Minneapolis provides endless opportunities. The Twin Cities is particularly special. It has the second-highest Tibetan population, the largest Somali diaspora, and the largest urban Hmong population in the United States, which allows me to really dig deep into these communities when I’m crafting our programming.
As a programmer, I always ask myself, “Whose story is this artwork telling?” Here are a couple of the stories we’ve been telling in 2025.
Public Functionary and Meet at Mia
Mia partnered with Public Functionary (PF) this spring to curate five weeks of Meet at Mia programs connected to “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys.” The ethos of the Dean Collection is “by the artist, for the artist, with the people.” When I was thinking about programming options, PF fit the bill perfectly.
They’re an organization I’ve long admired. Made up of a cohort of four multifaceted artists, PF reached out to their friends and collaborators to put together an incredible lineup of DJs, dancers, musicians, film screenings, tours, and even a 25-piece choir. In five weeks, more than 8,000 visitors joined us to experience some of the best the Twin Cities has to offer.
Visitors enjoy artmaking at Meet at Mia: Pride.
Pride 2025
Programming around queer artists, artwork, or exhibitions is extra special to me. After all, every month is Pride Month in my house—as you’re reading this, my wife and I will celebrate our first wedding anniversary! I don’t have to go far to tap into this community; these are my friends.
This June, you’ll meet some of my personal favorite LGBTQIA+ artists in the Twin Cities. During Meet at Mia on June 26, Elyse Lodermeier returns for Pride jewelry making after getting rained on last year, not that the rain stopped anyone. Textile Center curates a space for a weaving social, where we’ll celebrate our community’s resilience and creativity while building networks of solidarity and support. Self-proclaimed “bratpunk” trio VIAL—a group of queer best friends—performs hits new and old. Their friendship makes me think of my own, beloved, queer friend group (though we don’t play instruments; we’re more of a sit-in-our-backyard-and-talk-about-our-gardens kind of crew).
Mia Is Mine
Mia means different things to different people, but Mia’s slogan, “Mia is mine,” is my favorite. My goal as Manager of Programming is to ensure you feel that way, too. This place belongs to you. You’re represented here. You’re celebrated here.
While we honor things like Pride or Black history, the works in our collection aren’t confined to a month; they’re lasting stories to be told throughout the year. On our walls or through our programming, you’ll find something for you year-round.
But this month, I hope you’ll join me to celebrate my community!
About Anna Dilliard, Manager of Programming at Mia
Anna Dilliard is the Manager of Programming at Mia. She received her master’s in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her goal as a museum educator is to make sure you have so much fun, you accidentally learn something.