WEEKEND: DAY THREE - SECTION TWO
Updated: Aug 18
MIA
RECOMMENDED TIME WINDOW: 10:30am - 1:00pm
Disregard Time Window if doing A La Carte or going at own pace
Personal car users: retrieve your car from the garage above, and park in the garage just to the south of the Children’s Theatre Company building.
From the arguably low brow kitschy to the overtly high brow cultured, we are about to traverse out from the depths of Hell up the clarion walls calling forth from the heavenly divine lips of enlivened enlightenment.
In other words, let’s blow this popsicle stand and see some fine art!!
It should be 10:30am. Time to order an Uber/Lyft to get schlepped to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, or Mia.
The Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts was formed in 1883 “to bring the arts into the life of the community”. (Minneapolis Institute of Art Wikipedia) They moved into the newly built Minneapolis Public Library in 1889. They also changed their name to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
In 1915, the Mia moved into a new museum, built in the Beaux-Arts architectural style (a style shared by the Cathedral of Saint Paul). It’s regarded as one of the finest examples of said style in the world!
“Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United States.” (Wikipedia) This place is massive and could possibly take days to really take everything in!
And it’s all entirely free . . .
Mia is truly one of the coolest art museums I’ve ever visited, rivaling The Art Institute of Chicago. From contemporary art to the Renaissance, Ancient China to van Gogh, Rome to Picasso, the exhibits span the timeline of Art as far back as humanly possible.
Go ahead and order that Uber/Lyft.
Once in the plaza between the Children’s Theatre Company and Mia (considered the Third Avenue Entrance), enter through the main doors. Stop.
How best to traverse this cacophony of a collection?
As always, feel free to go off and forge your own pathway!
If you’re sticking with me . . .
I’d first go to the main desk just inside the Mia doors to request a physical map. Also, if you didn’t bring along your own ear buds/headphones, I’d inquire about the free headphone option available.
Why?
Mia offers Audio Stops on a significant portion of their artwork, and I’ve found that the recordings for these pieces really bring home the meaning, the story, the techniques used in their creation. It helps me engage a bit more personally with the collection.
All you have to do is scan a QR code next to the art piece and viola!!
However, if you’d rather skip this audio element, no worries. It’s just a little added bonus.
Once acquiring what you’d like to have, go up to Level 2.
If you look at the map, you’ll understand my next sentence: I get it if you don’t want to follow my path.
If you do, you’re about to do something of a scavenger hunt. I know a lot of people like to be completionists with Loreways, so this is a Loreways Mini-Challenge:
MIA BY NUMBER
Can you complete Levels 2 and 3 without missing a number???
Start in Gallery 200 and move up through 201.
202 doesn’t exist, apparently.
Do 203 through 219. 220 also is nonexistent.
221 - 228.
Skip to:
237 - 239.
Here’s where the count truly gets flummoxed.
Do 253, 252, 251.
Skip over to 243.
That takes care of Asia!!!
Now, Ancient Art.
230, 240 - 242.
That was easy.
Skip over to 235.
Africa: 236, 250, 254, 255.
Pacific Islands: 256.
Go back through Africa (255, 254, 250), through 240, to 257: MAEP.
Americas: 259, 260, 261.
Now, the Rotating Exhibitions: 262, 275, 280, 281.
Go back through the Americas, to 258, Target Galleries Entrance.
266, 267, 268, 269.
274, 273, 272, 271, 270.
Level 2 complete!!
Go to Gallery 240 and take the stairs up to Level 3.
First: 362 - Judaica.
Europe 1200 - 1600: 340, 341, 342, 343.
344.
Back to simplicity: Europe & America 1600 - 1900.
Find Gallery 300.
300 - 304.
306 - 313.
Jump to 330.
Back to 314 - 318.
320 - 328.
331 - 337.
350 - 355.
357.
We’ve made it to Modern & Contemporary/Photography!
359 - 361.
363 - 365.
367 - 368.
379 - 380.
378, 377, 371, 376, 375, 374, 373, 369 . . . and . . . 370!!!
Did you hit them all? If not, deduct 1 point per room.
This challenge is like Whose Line is it Anyway? The points don’t matter. But you do get bragging rights!
Whether or not you do “Mia by Number”, I’ll see you back down at the Third Street Entrance at 1:00pm for Day Three - Section Three!!!
Have fun at Mia!!!!
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