Teens visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art, MIA, throughout the year to see a variety of art styles that appeal to diverse audiences.  Visiting as a student creates the opportunity to find interactive, interesting and educational pieces within the museum. MIA satisfies the artistic needs of those who have loved art for years and those who are just discovering it.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has a wide range of styles and exhibits.  Visitors can find everything from original hallways designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, to the traditional courtyard houses of Japan, to modern art that touches on the controversies of fast fashion.  

St. Croix Prep sophomore Lydia McFarlane, avid MIA visitor, said every time she goes to the museum she feels, “like you’re looking at new things because you can’t go in every single room.” 

She added, “there’s so much you could go there for if you want to look at paintings or sculptures…it’s all there. I think that’s something that’s really cool about it.”

Along with so many different types of art, MIA creates strong interactive elements that keep visitors engaged. This includes murals to take pictures with and buildings that have been recreated within the museum.  Some of the most interactive elements are within the Asian art exhibit.

“A big thing that stood out to me was how interactive it was even without being able to touch things. There were so many cool experiences of rooms where you could like walk in and be totally surrounded and immersed in a different culture or a different perspective you haven’t seen from before, and I just wasn’t like expecting that from an art museum,” junior Margaret Swenson said.

Different styles of art in MIA are intended for different purposes.  There are exhibits that focus on education, such as portions of the Asian art exhibit, and those that are intended to make the viewer question what they are seeing and what it means to them, such as modern and some renaissance art.

McFarlane explained her love of modern art and the way it, “is supposed to make you uncomfortable.” She feels the frustration people get from the simplicity of the art satisfying. 

She explained, “The whole idea is that like it’s supposed to make people upset because they’re like ‘well I can make that,’ but you didn’t.”

Swenson shared that her previous experience with the course AP World created interest for her in some of the pieces found in the Asian art section. 

She said, “It was just really interesting to see how they had even like full rooms of houses set up” in the exhibit.

The design of the building allows visitors to wander around the building for hours without interruption.  The shape of the rooms and the way the floors are laid out makes whoever visits curious and want to explore.  The vast length and width creates many spaces to delve into.

“I do think that there’s something about the museum where you can get lost in it so easily…they made it in a way where there’s only like one entrance and one exit and kind of have to like find your way through it,” McFarland said. 

When asked if they would recommend the Minneapolis Institute of Art to their peers, both responded with a resounding yes.

McFarlane said, “I think that even if you’re not into art, there’s so much…the more you actually intentionally go there to like, learn something, the more interesting it is.”  Swenson added, “Absolutely…it was just such an incredible experience for someone who’s never been there before.”

https://franklloydwright.org/

“I think that even if you’re not into art, there’s so much…the more you actually intentionally go there to like, learn something more interesting it is.” 

Lydia McFarlane