Great cities often have iconic objects whose fame lures casual visitors and connoisseurs alike. The painting known elsewhere as the “Minneapolis Rembrandt” is one such object at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA), and there are other paintings, sculptures, collections and even places whose renown defines Minnesota far beyond the state’s boundaries.
“They do give the excuse for pilgrimage,” said Kaywin Feldman, the MIA’s director. “The idea that you have to go to Minneapolis to see one of Rembrandt’s greatest paintings in America is part of it. And that painting helps to define the museum in the minds of our audience, too.”
Not surprisingly, museums with long collecting histories tend to have the most must-see objects. The MIA, Walker Art Center and the Minnesota Historical Society, each a century or more old, are loaded with destination attractions. But there are contenders in less obvious places, too.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona has been working closely with its chief benefactors, Mary Burrichter and her husband, Robert “Bob” Kierlin, to develop a world-class collection. The couple’s purchase last year of a $4.5 million watercolor by British artist J.M.W. Turner — plus pictures by Gauguin, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and other marquee names — got art mavens checking their GPSes to see where, exactly, Winona might be.
“Our location on the surface looks like a detriment, but it’s actually quite a blessing,” said Andy Maus, the Marine’s executive director.
People from 20 countries and 50 states have visited, not bad for an eight-year-old museum in a rustic river town of 28,000.
“People expect a certain amount of quality, but we exceed expectations pretty regularly, and that plays to our benefit,” Maus said.
Source: http://www.startribune.com
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