Why The Twin Cities is a Wonderful Place For Artistic Inspiration
Recently, I’ve been in a bit of an art block. I haven’t had the motivation, nor the energy to create new things. This is why I challenged myself to get out into the world, and experience the art around me, in hopes of breaking this slump. If you are anything like me, sometimes inspiration is all you need to kickstart your creativity, and in my opinion, the Twin Cities is a wonderful place to do that! They have a variety of different art like museums, theaters, and much more! My two favorite places to go are the Guthrie Theater and Minneapolis Institute of Art.
the Minneapolis Institute of Art, also known as the MIA. It was built in 1915, and has a wide variety of different art mediums. My favorite thing I saw when I went last was the photography exhibit on the third floor. It has pieces that capture such raw energy of real places and people. I felt a lot of nostalgia and comfort looking at the pieces and reading the stories of why and how they were created. This piece by Alec Soth was my personal favorite in the exhibit.
They also have period rooms throughout all the floors in the building. The most popular by far is the “Up All Night in the 18th Century” period room located on the third floor. It’s a beautiful room that has incredible interior design, set up to look like a living room from the 18th century. It's a popular photo spot due to the lighting and ambience. `there are special exhibits that the MIA offers that are behind paywalls, but a lot of the museum exhibits and art are free!
Another place I go to for Inspiration is the Guthrie Theater. The theater is located in Minneapolis, right next to the Mississippi River. As a retired theater kid, I love going to plays and musicals. I recently went to see Little Women, and I would highly recommend going to see it if you have the chance before it leaves theaters at the end of June. The actors were incredible, and I admit I did cry twice during the play. They also do a rendition of A Christmas Carol every year, and it is a classic in Minneapolis history. There is no bad seat in the Wurtele Thrust Stage, and the architecture of the building itself is gorgeous.
Even though these are very small parts to a very big picture, you can see the art in the Twin cities is a hotspot for art. Since I started going out more and experiencing art, I’ve noticed I have become a lot more inspired and I’ve been creating a lot more than I used to. There also are a lot of spaces to create art and have support while doing it. I go to the White Bear Center for the Arts every Wednesday to attend the Queer Clay Club they host, which is an unmatched environment of support for creation. The art in the cities is so rich, and there is no lack of it, So get out there and get inspired!