Art, as we have seen quite prominently across the Twin Cities this year, is a personal and political language of its own.
Many of the museum exhibitions and gallery shows across the Metro this spring and summer were curated well in advance of their openings, but a central question feels relevant as ever: How do the objects we create and interact with tell stories of the world around us, whether that’s the world of today, that of the past or the one we imagine for the future?
In a show at the Walker Art Center, Deaf artist Christine Sun Kim explores visual art as a mode of communicating language itself. In a special exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, early 20th-century works from Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie remind us that art movements and political concerns are and have always been tightly woven. In other galleries, too, we see art used for a purpose: To reflect the mission of a university; to serve as Space Race-era propaganda, to convey historical traditions.
Here are some of the many art exhibitions worth your time this season:
Spring
Openings
“Illusive Objects” — April 1 to July 2 at Goldstein Museum of Design: The University of Minnesota’s design museum on its St. Paul campus doesn’t hold regular year-round public open hours, so it’s a real treat when we get a glimpse into the museum’s immense and unsung permanent collection. This particular exhibition showcases objects that are designed to not quite be what they first appear, encouraging us to consider perception and authenticity. Free; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays (and till 7 p.m. on Thursdays) inside McNeal Hall; 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul.
“Valley Pottery: 2,000 Years” — April 2 to May 9 at ArtReach St. Croix: Pottery traditions in the St. Croix valley date back more than two millennia, says Ed Fleming, an archaeologist and the chair of science at the Science Museum of Minnesota. After visiting the museum, contemporary ceramicists working in the area created new pieces inspired by the forms and stories of these ancient works. Free; open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 224 N. 4th St., Stillwater.
“Meruhen: Japanese Prints of Fairy Tales” — May 9, 2026 to March 7, 2027 at Minneapolis Institute of Art: Throughout the 20th century, Japanese illustrators became interested in European fairy tales and began creating works imagining whimsical, dream-like, magical worlds of children and animals. This show features prints by artists including Kawano Kaoru, Minami Keiko and Kanamori Yoshio. Free; 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis.
“Suzanne Jackson: What Is Love” — May 14 to Aug. 23 at the Walker Art Center: The Walker bills this show, organized with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and in collaboration with artist Suzanne Jackson herself, as the first major museum retrospective of her work. The show spans some 60 years, from Jackson’s early paintings on canvas to more recent three-dimensional paint artworks influenced by her work as a noted theater designer. Included with required museum ticket: $18 for general admission; $16 for seniors; $12 for students; free for kids, teens and Walker members. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
Last Chances
“To Tend To” — On view through April 5 at Second Shift Studio Space: A solo exhibition featuring works by artist Bo Young An, “To Tend To” showcases talisman-like tiger figures on hanji — traditional Korean handmade paper — alongside clay vessels, a juxtaposition that artist intends as an examination of the labor of hand-making and caring for precious objects as they, and we, change. Free; on view during gallery hours of 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; 1128 Payne Ave., St. Paul.
“Art for the Mission: New Acquisitions from the St. Catherine University Fine Art Collection (2015-2025)” — On view through May 9 at St. Kate’s: Over at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University, the school is showcasing additions to its art collection over the past decade, which aim to support the university’s mission around women’s leadership and social justice. Free; 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.
“Spies and Space: Cold War Artifacts from Both Sides of the Iron Curtain” — On view through May 10 at The Museum of Russian Art: Most of us have a mental image of American Space Race-era cultural artifacts — comic books, metal lunch boxes, action figures and other trinkets and such glorifying superheroes and characters from franchises like Star Trek and James Bond. But what were these pop culture tchotchkes like on the other side of the Iron Curtain? This exhibition shows them alongside one another for a unique and insightful mash-up. Museum entrance is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $5 for students, free for kids and members; 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis.
Summer
“My Voice Acts Like ROYGBIV” is a 2015 work by artist Christine Sun Kim, who is the subject of an exhibition this summer at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. (Courtesy of Christine Sun Kim / Walker Art Center)
Openings
“Blueprints of Transience” — June 5 to July 25 at Calendula Gallery: As a cyanotype printmaker, Graciela DeAnda uses natural materials and sunlight to “celebrate both the beauty and impermanence of the natural world,” per the gallery. Free; on view every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; 275 E. 4th St., Suite 110, St. Paul.
“Meeting Point: The Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Collection of Latin American Art” — June 27 to Oct. 4 at Mia: Throughout her lifetime, muralist and collector Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad — who splits her time between Minnesota and California — has built a collection of paintings, sculptures and religious art that showcases the intersection of the geography of the American West with Latin American culture. See works by artists including Diego Rivera, Alfredo Ramos Martínez and Miguel Covarrubias. Free exhibit.
Last Chances
“Be In Sunlight” — On view through June 1 at Interact Gallery: This group show features 67 artists whose works “explore connection, community, and the complexities of relating to one another – and the world around us – in uncertain times,” according to Interact, a progressive arts organization serving people with disabilities. Free; 1902 W. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul.
“Cats and Dogs in Soviet Art: Workers, Teachers, Friends” — On view through July 12 at The Museum of Russian Art: As you might expect, Soviet artists depicted domesticated animals not just as friendly pets — though certainly that, too — but also as valued contributors to a utopian collectivist society. More than a quarter of the works in this show have never been publicly exhibited before, the museum notes. 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis.
“Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910–1945: Masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin” — On view through July 19 at Mia: The Mia’s flagship traveling exhibition of the season explores the powerful influences German art and politics had on each other during the first half of the 20th century — a time of upheaval, to put it lightly, for both subjects. This is a ticketed show; $20 for general admission; free for members at the contributor level or higher and for youth under 17.
“Abstraction and Ourselves” — On view through July 31 at the Cafesjian Art Trust: “Fundamentally, abstraction is just about ideas, emotions and experiences. And as humans, we all have all of those,” said Jill Ahlberg Yohe, the Cafesjian Art Trust’s new curator of modern and contemporary art, about her newest exhibition at the Shoreview museum. The show brings together glass sculpture and large-scale paintings by important artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Dyani White Hawk and Czech duo Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová. Museum admission is free; book a timed guided tour during the day on Thursdays or Fridays or stop by without a reservation Friday evenings or Saturday daytimes. 4600 Churchill St., Shoreview; cafesjianarttrust.org.
“Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night” — On view through Aug. 30 at the Walker: Christine Sun Kim’s native language is American Sign Language, a form of communication that has no written visual component as English does — and her art aims to “translate its movement and grammar into graphic form,” per the museum. Through large-scale murals and video and sound installations, she aims to make the point that language is physical and cultural and collaborative. Included with required museum ticket.
