I have a handful of favorite places that I like to hit when I go home to the Minneapolis area. And yeah, most of them may actually be restaurants and bars, but a few aren’t; one in particular is the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I
t’s a great place to get lost and look at some high class art for free. Yep, that’s right, it’s doesn’t cost a dime if you’re visiting the main part of the museum – special exhibits are extra.
t’s a great place to get lost and look at some high class art for free. Yep, that’s right, it’s doesn’t cost a dime if you’re visiting the main part of the museum – special exhibits are extra.
Normally I drop in for an hour or two to bridge a gap that I have in going from one place to another, generally to meet up with someone for a night at one of the aforementioned bars, but this day I made a special trip to the museum, which sits just south of downtown Minneapolis, to see the special exhibit that they have from the Louvre. I visited the actual Louvre during my 2008 trip to France and wanted to see what else they had up their sleeves. In truth it was quite a bit, but how they fit some of those giant paintings and sculptures on display up their sleeves is beyond me.
There were a bunch of amazing pieces that 
were brought in to Minneapolis, but I truthfully found the regular pieces at the museum to be superior. But, in a town that’s known for the arts like Minneapolis, that’s to be expected. The place has an impressive art and theater culture that someone on the outside probably wouldn’t expect, but it’s there and thriving with theater and museum stacked upon one another at almost every turn. I was quickly reminded of this in my visit and was definitely appreciative.
were brought in to Minneapolis, but I truthfully found the regular pieces at the museum to be superior. But, in a town that’s known for the arts like Minneapolis, that’s to be expected. The place has an impressive art and theater culture that someone on the outside probably wouldn’t expect, but it’s there and thriving with theater and museum stacked upon one another at almost every turn. I was quickly reminded of this in my visit and was definitely appreciative.
The museum is predominantly spread out on two floors with a third (the main floor) being used for office space. The second floor is dominated by a stunning collection from Japan and China that includes ink drawings and receated period rooms. It’s at least half of the huge floor with the rest being used for the special Louvre exhibit and art from the Americas, Pacific Islands, Africa and Classical Greece and Rome with some stuff from Egypt and a few other smaller exhibits.
The top floor, the third, is where I can really get lost though. All of the paintings and sculptures from Europe and America from the year 1200 on is where I like to get lost in thought while resting on a bench. The display Impressionism is probably my favorite as I can just stare at the likes of Gauguin, van Gogh and Cezanne (left to right) all lined up next to each other on the same wall. That’s on top of Renoir, Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Kandinsky, O’Keeffe and all the other great photography and Modern Art rooms as well.
And oh, thanks to the beautiful Louvre exhibit clerk who actually asked if I was a student and in turn charged me the rate for it when I responded with a sly wink!
Jason's Travels 
great – sounds like a fantastic collection there.
I’m a real fan of art also, and have had a lot of fun recently doing the same sort of thing as you – visiting and photographing at Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art. You might enjoy these: http://lightswimming.com/2012/02/24/across-country/