Northeast Minneapolis has become a major hub for the arts here in the Twin Cities. There are galleries, art centers, events, festivals, concerts, and more artist studios than you can count. Art-A-Whirl is the huge art crawl in May that attracts thousands to NE, where artists open their studios and sell their work, tons of events go on and it can be pretty overwhelming with all the crowds. I personally enjoy the people watching and wandering amongst the mass of humanity filling all the art buildings....but that's definitely not for everyone, especially if you have kids. It's not very fun trying to herd a pack of children through all the people to see some art and learn something along the way.
If you want to check out the studios and get a chance to talk some artists one-on-one in a more low key setting, I suggest going to NE Minneapolis the first Thursday night of the month. It's quieter, the artists are less stressed, and you can see all the art much easier (and find parking a lot quicker!). It can be a little intimidating to walk into a studio and strike up a conversation with a random artist, but most artists I've met are more than happy to talk. If your kids come with questions and a willingness to listen, they can learn a lot, maybe even see a demonstration of an art process.
This is not a good field trip for children who can't refrain from touching things--even the nicest artist can get upset when the art they've worked so hard on is manhandled by unruly tykes. Although, if you ask nicely and handle the objects gently, there are some who are willing to let kids touch their work. I personally don't mind viewers running their fingers across my paintings because it does feel pretty cool, but it's always a good policy to ask first.
The Casket Arts Building, the Northrup King Building, the Q.arma Building and the Thorp Building all have open studios on this evening. The Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association has a full list of all the buildings that participate, with their addresses, times that they're open and links to each building's website.
My favorite places to go are the Northrup and Q.arma Buildings. Q.arma has a handul of studios on the top floor and in the basement; Altered Esthetics Gallery (where I have had work shown in the past) is on the second level. It has a lot of award winning artists in residence, and you can walk through the whole building pretty quickly. The basement is my favorite floor, with comfy couches scattered around, lots of art on display, and on occasion, a couple of friendly dogs that love to be petted. This would be a good place to check out if you don't want to walk too far.
The Northrup King Building, on the other hand, is a massive, sprawling four stories, with over 200 artists. Not every single studio is open, but there's still a lot to look at. I sped through the whole building one Thursday night in under two hours, but it's more fun to take your time and maybe choose a floor or two to visit. There are maps available, and signs on every floor, because it can get a little confusing as to where you are and how to find the stairs. It's suggested to start on the top floor and work your way down, which I think is a pretty good idea. I enjoy the Northrup because there is so much to see and many artists to talk to.
If you want to check out Northrup and see all the studios, Art Attack in November is a great time to go. There's a lot of events and special exhibits to see that weekend, and artists tend to have more of their art out on display.
