The Arts Aficionado

Must See/Do:

Walker

MIA

Weisman

The Big Three institutions on any arts aficionado’s visit to the Twin Cities  include the Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-375-7600), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-870-3131), and the Weisman Art Museum (333 East River Rd., Mpls., 612-625-9494). To make a day of them, spend the morning at the Walker and eat lunch  at Gallery 8 Cafe or Wolfgang Puck's 20.21. Digest during a stroll through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, where you’ll find a certain piece of supersized flatware balancing a cherry the size of a Volkswagen. In five minutes by car, you can be at the MIA, where you’ll find a more traditional art-viewing experience (i.e., paintings in actual frames). Finish the day off at Frank Gehry's Weisman, on the East Bank of the University of Minnesota. (Hint: It’s the building that looks like it was made with a pair of tin snips.) Had your fill of art from other countries and cultures? Then head across the river to St. Paul and check out the Minnesota Museum of American Art (50 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, 612-292-4355), the most underappreciated museum in the Twin Cities. It’s all American art, all the time. Park your Ford in a nearby garage and enjoy.

Hot Ticket:
You don’t have to go to Paris to see paintings by Picasso this summer. Picasso and American Art, featuring work by artists inspired by the master as well, is showing at the Walker Art Center all summer long. Norwegian blood runs through the veins of many locals, though, so if you’re looking for a more indigenous art experience, check out A Mirror of Nature: Nordic Landscape Painting, 1840-1910 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Photo: Picasso’s Bathers with Beach Ball

Hidden Treasure: Not many people know that railroad baron J. J. Hill was once one of the country’s most avid collectors of French landscape paintings. At the James J. Hill House (240 Summit Ave., St. Paul, 651-297-2555 ), some of Hill’s original collection and many other paintings and sculptures from the Minnesota Historical Society permanent collection are on display in the mansion’s two-story art gallery. The house itself is a work of art too.

Where to Stay: In addition to instantly becoming the coolest place in town to stay, as well as one of the priciest, Chambers (901 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-767-6900 ) also houses 200-plus pieces of international contemporary art assembled by owner Ralph Burnet, who used to be on the board of directors of the Walker Art Center. The collection includes sculptures, drawings, photographs, and prints. An original painting hangs in every room, even the Rock Star Suite.

Dining Out:
If sophisticated art chic is what you’re after, head to Cue, the atmospheric restaurant/bar on the ground floor of the Guthrie Theater (818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-377-2224). Schedule a preshow dinner in the restaurant; see one of three productions playing in repertory upstairs; then return to the Cue bar afterward for drinks, discussion, and, on many nights, live jazz.

Best Deals: Early August is outdoor art season in these parts. August 3–5, the Uptown Art Fair, Loring Park Art Festival, and Powderhorn Art Fair—converge to create a mega-festival of sorts. Free shuttle buses take patrons from venue to venue in air-conditioned splendor, and a healthy dose of food and music at each location will keep you fed and entertained. Every first Thursday of the month, the Northrup King Building (1500 NE Jackson St., Mpls., 612-363-5612 )—an old grain warehouse converted into artist studio space—opens its doors to the public. Work in every imaginable medium from 100-plus artists is on display, and most of the time you can chat up the artists themselves. Our artists are a friendly bunch, so conversation is encouraged.

Photo Op:
At the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet Mall, you can immortalize your visit with a picture next to a bronze statue of Mary Tyler Moore, which commemorates Mary’s iconic hat-toss into the air while twirling for joy. If you’re under thirty-five and wondering who Mary Tyler Moore is and why she rates a statue, the polite thing to do in these parts is not to ask. Suffice it to say that we loved her, even though she was fictional (sort of), and despite the fact that ecstatic spinning on Nicollet Mall is a good way to get hit by a bus.