Before I moved to Minnesota, I’d heard about this northern clime primarily in terms of cold: frigid, long months of winter and the many layers of clothing required to survive its severe temps; snow-pack so thoroughly chilled by February that the ground squeaks when you walk on it. I expected this region’s formidable cold. What […]

In January 2009, when the Minnesota Museum of American Art announced it would indefinitely close its doors, art lovers felt the loss of the downtown institution keenly. Of course, we wondered what would become of the museum’s eclectic, enviable collection of art, but with almost as much passion, I heard folks voice their sadness about the […]

It’s tricky business to effectively show artwork in coffee shops and restaurants. On one hand, the warmth of a good cup of joe and a comfortable seat at a sunny corner table coaxes a sort of informal, patient looking, a chance at the kind of friendly, one-on-one conversation between a serious viewer and the work […]