Recent content from Alicia Eler
Being Black in Minnesota's suburbs and farmlands: a new exhibit tells the stories
A new exhibition shines light on Black stories from rural and suburban Minnesota.
10 great Black moments in the history of American art
A chronological list of culturally significant work, from 19th-century landscape paintings to Black riffs on Western art.
An icy surprise awaits art lovers in Minneapolis parks
Fashioned in an ice sculptor's freezer-like studio, five works from the Minneapolis Institute of Art make their debut in parks.
Two outdoor events will help Twin Cities art lovers beat the cold
See an "invisible concert" Saturday and Indigenous projections next week.
How QAnon conspiracy theories found their way into the Twin Cities yoga world
QAnon's conspiracy theories have taken root among yogis and other adherents of natural medicine.
American Swedish Institute reopens Saturday with exhibition of funky paper artworks
The exhibition "Papier" showcases haute couture-style sculptural paper fashion artworks.
Facing a budget crunch, Rochester Art Center lays off its artistic director
"We're not the Walker Art Center," says its new executive director, who aims to diversify programming.
Dakota artist Marlena Myles brings Native culture into the future
Through art and children's books, Marlena Myles illuminates old stories for generations to come.
A longtime Minneapolis landmark, Louvre It museum abandons downtown for Eden Prairie
The quirky four-gallery storefront was damaged during rioting last August.
Steps from George Floyd Square, this arts center was forged in community
Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center may be the least visible big arts organization in Minneapolis.
A caveman encased in ice? The story behind this viral Mpls. park sculpture
Plus, the hunt is on for his companion Zarah, the "mother huntress" icewoman hidden somewhere in Minnesota.
Minnesota artist Andrea Carlson pops up on New York billboard
Whitney Museum is placing a work by the famed Ojibwe artist outside the museum, along the High Line.
Minnesota History Center launches 'Black Voices' initiative with discussions this week
Starting at 4:30 p.m. Monday, "Black History, Black Voices" highlights contributions by Black Americans.
5 gallery shows to brighten January for Twin Cities art lovers
The Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center won't reopen until Jan. 28, but galleries are already welcoming art lovers back. Here are…
Twin Cities museums begin welcoming back visitors for second time
Six museums are reopening this week, starting Monday.
Bringing Minnesota art to Chicago art lovers is this woman's mission
Through a prominent gallery, Jennifer Armetta stays in touch with her Minneapolis roots.
Pandemic leads MIA to suffer first budget loss in nearly 3 decades
Declines in contributions and earnings caused the $1.2 million shortfall.
After decades, U of M is finally on track to return Native burial objects dug up in 1920s
Weisman and university officials were accused of "resistance" and "failure to comply with the law."
Artists confront the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women
Third edition of "Bring Her Home" at All My Relations Gallery focuses on resistance.
Godfather of Twin Cities film scene Al Milgrom dies at 98
An unstoppable force, Film Society founder built an audience for adventurous cinema.
Walker Art Center balances budget with help from federal PPP funding
But the next year will be a bigger challenge, given cuts in revenue and programming.
Rocks, raindrop and a hug: Nine outdoor art gems in the Twin Cities
Itching for an art fix? Take this tour of Twin Cities public art treasures.
Macalester professor takes home $50K Creative Capital grant
St. Paul-based artist Jenny Lion is one of 42 artists to receive this year's honor
St. Paul museum opens its windows to Southeast Asia's 'generation 1.5'
The Minnesota Museum of American Art finds a creative way to make this show happen.
Holiday gift ideas for the art lover in your life
A host of holiday ideas for the art lover in your life.
German artist makes painting weird again in solo debut at the Walker
Attraction meets repulsion in Michaela Eichwald's solo debut at Walker Art Center.
Artist digs into Minnesota's forgotten history of fascism
Weisman-sponsored project draws parallels between 1930s and the present era.
Bundle up! American Swedish Institute's holiday events are moving outdoors this year
Holiday market and story trail will open Saturday.
Closed by pandemic, Minneapolis art center takes its shows on the road
Closed by pandemic, Midway Contemporary Art launches an ambitious "Off-Site" series.
'Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel' exhibition coming to Mall of America
The finger of God reaches out to a reclining Adam in Rome’s Sistine Chapel, a painting by Michelangelo that people travel thousands of miles to…
More than 2,000 Minnesotans are showcased in Mpls. Institute of Art's 'Foot in the Door'
More than 2,000 Minnesotans are featured in a virtual version of the popular show curated by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Minneapolis Institute of Art enlists a Somali partner to display Islam's highest art form
Calligraphy show called for a unique collaboration between Mia and Somali Museum curators.
Grieving for Minneapolis, BareBones reinvents Halloween as an art event
Art installations take the place of its annual puppet show to mark this year of grieving.
South Minneapolis teen and his former teacher find their voices through racial justice art
They came up with the "Black Lives Matter Collection," a series of four prints, each with powerful messages about fighting back against racial injustice.
Immigrant artist ponders American youth through portraits at the Weisman
A portrait show at the Weisman examines democracy and youth.
With a bold splash of color, Mpls. Institute of Art reimagines its South Asian galleries
MIA reinstalls its South and SE. Asian galleries, casting a bold new light on Asian art.
Minnesota's quirky Bakken Museum reinvents itself with $4.5M face lift
The Bakken Museum hopes to expand its reach as it reopens this weekend.
Exhibits at Minnesota African American museum keep George Floyd's spirit alive
Art reflects the moment in four exhibits at Minnesota African American Heritage Museum.
The future is now, in Walker Art Center's visionary new design exhibit
A design exhibition offers visions that range from optimistic to apocalyptic.
Aldo Moroni, beloved Minneapolis artist who created tiny civilizations, dies at 67
Moroni's thing was creating and destroying "mock civilizations" as a commentary on humanity's relationship to the built environment.
'Desire to create' drives the gradual reopening of Twin Cities art scene
Alicia Eler Star Tribune Twin Cities art aficionados are living in a pandemic upside-down world. Some museums and galleries are re-emerging, while others remain…
Minneapolis quilting shows offer 'a soft place to land' on a hard topic – racism
Quilters tackle racism in a new series of Twin Cities exhibitions.
As murals of George Floyd fade, Minnesotans are working to keep their message in the public eye
Grassroots effort has collected nearly 200 boards thus far.
Museum exhibit illuminates the making of iconic Minneapolis artist Frank Gaard
Exhibit at Mia shines a light on the beginnings of Frank Gaard's manic, mystical style.
Artist Siah Armajani, who built bridges from Minneapolis to the world, dies at 81
A decade after Siah Armajani settled in Minnesota as an artist-in-exile, he noticed a newspaper ad offering a chance to buy property for cheap in…
Black Entrepreneur State Fair aims to create healing space amid pandemic, social unrest
A response to pandemic and social unrest, the fair continues through Saturday in Minneapolis.
While State Fair was canceled, the show goes on at its Fine Arts hall
While the State Fair was canceled, its Fine Arts show is alive and well.
Science Museum of Minnesota welcomes back visitors with big changes for safety
Hit hard by the pandemic, the St. Paul hands-on museum set to reopen.
Twin Cities galleries cautiously open their doors: 'We have to be ready for anything'
The job is more janitorial than curatorial: "We have to be ready for anything."
A staple of Minnesota summer, art fairs like Uptown have hit the pause button
But as art lovers mourn all the pandemic-forced cancellations, a Minneapolis fest bucks the trend.
Facing terminal cancer, Minneapolis artist Aldo Moroni is fighting to finish one last epic work
Facing terminal cancer, Minneapolis artist Aldo Moroni is still trying to finish one epic work.
Landmark North Loop restaurant reopening after first closure in 100-plus years
Plus, the Hewing Hotel reopens its rooftop patio.
From the Black Death to the coronavirus, pandemics can also yield powerful art
What kind of art might come from the current crisis? Two Mia curators point to the lessons of history.
Twin Cities museum lovers rejoice as Walker, Mia reopen: 'It's emotional to be back'
The Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center reopen after four months of coronavirus closures.
Minnesota Museum of American Art fires its longtime director
In her decade-plus there, Kristin Makholm led the once-homeless museum into a landmark St. Paul venue.
Fuji Ya, one of Minneapolis' first Japanese restaurants, closes after 60 years
Pioneering riverfront sushi spot later moved to Lyn-Lake, where it has been a mainstay since 2000.
When COVID-19 canceled summer trips, Minnesotans jumped into learning new languages
Minnesotans are learning new languages in quarantine for fun or familial purposes.
Minnesota museums envision a 'touchless' future as they reopen
As Twin Cities venues begin to reopen, they're rebooting the visitor experience.
Larger-than-life Soviet art marks the first reopening of a Twin Cities art museum
The Museum of Russian Art reopens with paintings from Soviet-era Ukraine.
Keegan's Irish Pub and Red's Savoy in Northeast are permanently closed
Facing losses from the virus, the Irish bar and the pizza restaurant have closed their doors
Minneapolis Institute of Art cuts staff in response to pandemic
Citing "economic uncertainty" due to the pandemic, the museum cut 39 jobs and reduced leaders' pay by 15%.
Two young artists create a 'cemetery' in Minneapolis to honor victims of police killings
Art installation serves as community gathering space.
Twin Cities museums aim to reopen as soon as next weekend
Bakken plans to open June 20 while Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center are aiming for mid-July.
His work ruined in rioting, a 90-year-old Minneapolis artist starts anew
Minneapolis artist Aribert Munzner lost a lifetime of work in the aftermath of rioting, but kept his sense of humor.
George Floyd murals, graffiti across the Twin Cities spread a message of pain — and hope
Artists waste no time spreading messages of hope, healing and social change on boarded-up buildings in the Twin Cities.
3 minority arts organizations damaged by rioting in the Twin Cities now look to the future
Juxtaposition Arts, the Somali Museum and Hmong Cultural Center all suffered damages.
With museums and galleries closed by coronavirus, Minnesotans swarm outdoor sculpture parks
Minnesota sculpture parks are seeing a surge in visitors as people look for a break from crisis.
For Minnesota art graduates, the senior show is another casualty of coronavirus
End-of-year exhibitions at Minnesota colleges have moved online, or will wait until winter.
Discover fresh art and inspiration at these 5 Minnesota Instagram accounts
Minnesota artist Instagrammers bring a dose of inspiration, provocation to the social media platform.
For these Minnesotans, painting in the great outdoors is the perfect socially distant art
Painting in the great outdoors is a perfect antidote to this socially distant moment.
Former Minneapolis Institute of Art director Alan Shestack dies at 81
Former Minneapolis Institute of Art director Alan Shestack stayed in the Twin Cities for only 21 months, but during that time he shook things up.…
Little-known fact: The Twin Cities is a hotbed for type designers
Meet six Twin Cities designers, several of whom make a living designing fonts.
5 Minnesota artists whose work is perfect for the virtual world
This is the perfect moment for new-media artists. Here are five you should know.
How Minnesota artists are staying creative and beating the coronavirus blues
From connecting via Instagram Live to fine-tuning drawing skills, artists are being forced to get more creative.
Minnesota cartoonist for Mad Magazine keeps busy with 'Coronacatures'
Burnsville-based Tom Richmond has parodied "Mad Men," drawn for Marvel and done caricatures at Valleyfair. With Comic-Cons canceled, he's inviting fans to draw with him on social media.
