MN Artists is a great organization. From putting on the popular Drawing Club at the Walker this past summer to staging a field day for local artists to meet and play to providing a site for artists to market themselves to being a hub of all things art related for Minnesota. As part of their mission statement says,
"mnartists.org is an online database of Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines. It offers to Minnesota-based artists a central gathering place on the Web, and will grow to become a marketplace and community hub. It offers the public a new way to explore art and get to know artists. In addition to providing artists and organizations with a web page containing images and information, mnartists.org provides news and features about the local arts scene from a variety of sources."
mnartists.org is a wealth of resources, available to any who take the time to look. There's a newsletter, access+ENGAGE, which has articles about art exhibits, classes, events, art openings, plays, etc. You can browse through the thousands of artists' profiles (feel free to take a gander at mine). There's a calendar with a variety of upcoming events. There's something for everyone.
The only issues I have with the site is that it's just so vast and unwieldy. I found it quite confusing to use at first, so I suggest taking some time to click around and figure out where things are located. There's just so much good information and a huge archive to browse through, it can feel a little overwhelming at first.
If your high schooler is interested in a career in the arts, mnartists.org is a great starting point for them. It's pretty easy to set up an account and create a profile. And unlike some so-called art websites out there, mnartists tends to get draw in serious artists. You can make some good connections on there--I got in touch with an older artist who has so much experience and knowledge to share. Also, the majority of the art shows I've gotten have been through postings I've seen on mnartists.
Check it out, it's well worth your time.
