Minneapolis Institute of Art

Spring is in the air! Art in Bloom is exactly one month away. Mark your calendar for the annual free floral festival, April 24–27. Registration is now open for Art in Bloom programs including talks, workshops, the opening party, and more. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4c8MAvh

“It is so special that Mia holds an all staff art show. I get to invite my friends and family to see my paintings. It is really sweet to have staff and volunteers come tell you that they saw your artwork and liked it! I love working at a museum where everyone is passionate about art and artmaking processes.” – Jenny Rydeen, Head of Visitor Experience, Operations Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Jenny Rydeen, Visitor Experience, “Lake Superior, October 14, 2018,” watercolor Rurik Hover, Curatorial, “Nevermore,” graphite? Emma McCabe, Visitor Experience, “Olive Trees Tote,” Mia Canvas Tote and embroidery floss Kyle G. Hunter, Security, “Preliminary cover design (front only) for ‘The High Heaven,’” collage/illustration Dan Dennehy, Visual Resources, “Tibetan Monk with Sutra,” color coupler print Kaitlin Bartlett, Retail, “Silversaint,” digital (Procreate)

What do art museums and pi have in common? Honestly, not a lot. But it's a great excuse to eat pie! Our registration team put together quite a spread to celebrate the occasion ?????

“Lesbians haven't exactly been at the forefront of collectors' lists, but Mia's ever-growing collection of LGBTQ+ artists includes lesbians like Harmony Hammond and Mickalene Thomas. Both groundbreaking, and some of my favorite artists. Hammond's work can be goofy, which I love—showing queerness in art doesn't need to be serious all the time. Thomas often depicts hyper feminine women, covered in sequins and glitter; that's what I feel like on the inside. Being queer is peaceful and playful, and Mia's collection shows that.” -Anna Dilliard, Manager of Programming, Audience Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Anna Dilliard, Learning and Programming, “Honeymooners,” photo print Todd Holmberg, Registration, “Cattle Cluster,” oil on linen Michael Folliard-Olson, Visitor Experience, “Childhood Memories,” ink with bamboo pen on paper Gunnar Gronski, Security, “15 Church Street SE,” ink and watercolor on paper Kaitlyn Morrison, Security, “Untitled #1 (eye),” acrylic Susana Hansen, Visitor Experience, “As I Love You Now: A Letter, poetry”

Dr. Liu Yang, Mia’s Chair of Asian Art and Curator of Chinese Art is busy this month giving several lectures about Mia’s Chinese bronzes in New York! Last week, he was at the opening of “Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes,” at the China Institute in America. You may remember that exhibition at Mia in spring 2023. Later this week, he’ll be giving a lecture on the same topic at Christie's.

“Everyone, artist or not, has the opportunity to come here and enjoy the art without paying anything, if they choose. Mia provides a safe place for a creative mind to explore art in their areas of interest and outside of their interests by offering opportunities for connection, collaboration, and reflection. This staff art show, the various free events Mia hosts like Meet at Mia, and other special events and exhibitions, like our Tibetan Shrine Room, and the week-long assembly of the Tibetan Sand Mandala that visitors could observe being created in real-time earlier this year, are great examples of that.” –Rachel Raskin, Retail Sales Lead, Operations Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Rachel Raskin, Retail, “Synesthesia Sliced in Sections (Would You Come Closer...),” ink on paper Cameron Jarvis, Registration, “Coast To Coast,” oil, pastel, marker and collage on canvas Angela Johnson, Security, “Hidden Reflection,” digital print Daniel J. Henry, Security, “Pink Aqua Metro,” digital painting (brushes and shapes only in Photoshop) Christian Beis, Registration, “Offering to The Rio Grande, Taos, NM,” Gelatin silver prints, hand-dyed cotton fabric Craig Olson, Registration, “Apotheosis of Harper Lee,” watercolor, gouache, and newsprint on paper

“Since working here at Mia, I’ve been able to become deeply engrossed in so many different artistic styles that my creative thought process has vastly improved in return. I started my career off with pencil and ink drawings during my youth, and I appreciate seeing the similarities whenever I'm stationed in the Art of the Americas. From the hundreds of thousands of steps I've already taken throughout our Global Contemporary and Southeast Asian Art permanent collection, I have a much greater understanding of the presentation and useful ancient techniques when it comes to displaying my work. I especially admire the large gothic framework of our European paintings. I’m always visiting local thrift stores and collecting similar picture frames I would often see while working at the museum. No matter how damaged or flawed in their appearance, I feel this adds a little character to the piece itself.” –Quintin Taji Joseph, Security Guard, Operations Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Quintin Taji Joseph, Security, “The Butterfly That Shined from Solitude,” mixed media, LED lights Rita Berg, Paintings Conservation (MACC), “Docks,” pastel and gouache on textured paper Emily Fritts, Programs, “Souvenirs,” mixed media on canvasboard Adam White, Registration, “It Came With The Room” (detail), cut paper on panel Jack Linell, Visitor Experience, “Laguna Beach, CA,” digital photograph

“Working at Mia exposes me to an entire world of artistic styles and cultural perspectives. This encourages me to think creatively about how I represent my ideas. The museum's emphasis on storytelling has influenced my approach. I want to bring people along on my artistic journey the way Mia brings audiences and artists together.” –Steven Lang, Technical Business Analyst, Information Systems Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Steven Lang, Information Systems, “The NOvA Experiement,” zine - laser printing on card stock Colleen Bracy, Human Resources, “Fire,” fused glass Joshua Angel, Information Systems, “Cabin Hideaway,” oil on canvas Kara ZumBahlen, Learning and Programming, “Sake set,” porcelain with iron and black slip decoration Emily Wecker, Security, “Shiloh,” gouache

“Mia’s mission statement includes the idea of inspiring through art. Mia provides a wonderful resource for artists to come and be inspired, and it’s free every day! I’ve been at Mia for 35 years. I’m inspired by the works of art around me and my privilege to handle them in my duties at the museum.” –Bill Skodje, Exhibition Designer, Curatorial Not all of the artistry at Mia comes from outside the museum—many employees are artists as well, and this exhibition spotlights their work. "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Bill Skodje, Curatorial, “Judith and part of Holofernes,” oil paint on panel Bill Skodje, Curatorial, “Jane, George, and Tiepolo,” oil paint on panel Virajita Singh, DEI, “Inkforms [#1, #2, #3, #4, #5],” color inks, monotype on paper Lincoln W. Matt, Events, “Chimera,” digital Rocky Xóchihua, Facilities, “Untitled,” acrylic paint, watercolor, paper Laura Galarneau, Friends of Mia - Advancement, “Self Portrait Series - 1,” watercolor, walnut ink, colored pencil

“Mixing up paint and layering colors on a canvas is a form of therapy for me. More than the end result, the process is what I enjoy and find relaxing. Giving space for an art show for hobbyists demonstrates Mia's commitment to supporting artists of all stripes. I think of the adage ‘if you run, you're a runner.’ If you make art of any kind, you're an artist, according to Mia, and worthy of showcasing and celebrating.” –Erin Piel, Web Content Manager, Audience "Artists at Work: The Mia Staff Art Show" is on view in the Katherine Kierland Herberger Gallery, Community Commons, until April 13, 2025. Admission is free, and everyone is always welcome. Pictured works: Erin Piel, Audience, "sorrow and rage", acrylic on canvas Darcy Berus, Advancement, "Lift Bridge", digital photograph Lindsay Burger, Advancement, "Untitled", watercolor Yuko Arimasa Ralston, Asian Art, "Ginza Tokyo, Now and Then", acrylic on canvas Kate Smith Williamschen, Audience, "Accessory Set #2", baby alpaca and viscose fiber, cotton thread, gold filament, turquoise, glass, and brass beads Josephine Carson, Visitor Experience, "Glurns, South Tyrol", watercolor