Letter: Grandview District Perfect Spot for Art Museum

When I was a young artist growing up, I would frequently take the bus over an hour from south Minneapolis to the landmark center to view the Minnesota Museum of American Art.

The collection was the most important to me as a painter than any other in Minnesota. The demotion of the collection to temporal showings and storage has been the greatest loss to the arts culture in the history of Minnesota.

When I discuss this loss with others they either have no idea what I am talking about or simply do not care. It is an insult to the arts community that this world class collection of art has been all but erased completely from the consciousness of the community worst of all people with great interest in the arts.

During this month dedicated to our museums, I thought that it would be important to mention the missing museum—that could be the most important museum of them all—in boxes at some disclosed location. I do not want to insult the staff and board of the MMAA, however it must be much easier to manage boxes than an active and involved cultural resource accessed by the community that is in need of it. The MMAA is selling its actively showing temporary and tiny statements of the collection as an outreach to all of Minnesota, however outreach programs should never take the place of a primary dedicated installation of works.

This collection should be in its own museum, so that it has the potential to create a venue that would attract its patronage of support.

In recent weeks the City of Edina has expressed an exact opportunity match, the need for a major cultural attraction that would create a lively socio-cultural focal point for the new Grandview Development near the intersection of Hwy. 100 and 50th Street. A dedicated new museum built specifically for the MMAA collection at this location would present an ideal opportunity by creating its own unique patronage that now is waiting for a cultural venue that does not exist.

Sorry St. Paul, but the MMAA had already failed as an office gallery show and the interest in the arts in the west metro is far beyond anything that the east metro can envision. The patrons are waiting for a collection to meet and greet. A museum should be built in Edina for the Minnesota Museum of American Art, where the supply of an arts commodity could be supported by the demand of a community looking for a cultural focal point.

Shannon Ingham
Artist

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