Frey Hired as Edina Art Center General Manager

The Edina Art Center has hired award-winning artist Michael Frey to serve as its permanent general manager, the City of Edina announced in a release.

Frey has served as interim leader at the Center for more than a year now, having taught classes there dating back to 1998.

"To me, the arts are about seeing things in life a different way than other people," Frey said. "The reason I love working at the Art Center is that artists look at the world differently. I guess for me, I can relate to how they look at the world because I look at it in a similar way."

Frey hopes to maintain—and build upon—the sense of community and friendly atmosphere visitors have come to appreciate at the Art Center. The Center currently operates on a $650,000 budget, with two full-time staff members and 11 part-time employees. It currently boasts 85 instructors, 45 to 50 of whom are actively teaching courses.

Frey is a 1999 graduate of the Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art in Minneapolis, graduating with a degree in realistic drawing. He also has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Colorado. He currently lives in Minneapolis.

He has won several awards for his portraits, including a 2001 fourth-place Merit Award at the Minnesota State Fair; 2003 Merit Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2003 Peer Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2004 Honorable Mention, GLBT Pride Art Show; 2005 Merit Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2005 Peer Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; and 2005 Best In Show, GLBT Pride Art Show.

For more information on the Edina Art Center (located at 4701 W. 64th Street) call 952-903-5780, email ArtCenter@EdinaMN.gov or visit www.EdinaArtCenter.com. The Center is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

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