explore minnesota | minnesota explorer | artists gonna art | Soomaal House of Art visual arts fellow, Wasima Farah, painting on canvas

with makers + shakers

the coolest art galleries you (probably) haven’t experienced yet

Ever stumbled upon an art space that felt like a hidden gem, buzzing with creativity? Minneapolis and St. Paul are brimming with such spots, where renowned artists and new talents are displayed under the same roof.

Take the advice of over 30 local artists and curators on some of the most inspiring galleries around. Whether you're an art aficionado or just curious, there's a vibrant scene waiting for you.

FIND THESE LOCAL GEMS

Close up of purple, pink, mint, and orange beaded floral earrings by Creative Native Beading in Minneapolis

shops and makers you won’t want to miss

Minnesota has a thriving Native American community, including 11 federally recognized Tribal nations who call the Star of the North home. With their own unique cultural traditions, they all contribute meaningfully to the state’s richly diverse tapestry.

Buying from Indigenous entrepreneurs is a great way to connect with the local Native community, support Tribal members, and help bolster the local Indian economy, sovereignty and self-determination. Offering everything from art to food to fashion, here are 12 Indigenous makers and businesses to shop from.

EXPLORE THESE ENTREPRENEURS

Person with long brown hair and a white streak tosses their hat into the air, copying the Mary Tyler Moore statue pose behind them.

murals and monuments and masterpieces, oh my!

Whether it’s publicly funded projects, instantly recognizable icons or the thrilling work of local creators, Minnesota is home to a host of accessible public art. We rounded up some of the state’s best installations, murals, statues and sculpture parks, from the Iowa border to the Northwoods.

SEE PUBLIC ART ON YOUR NEXT TRIP

Four artisan drinks from Hai Hai in Minneapolis poured in various cocktail glasses, adorned with cocktail umbrellas, mint, and fruit.

cheers to the best cocktail makers

Around here, mixologists don’t just pour drinks — they craft edible (well, drinkable) art. We’re talking cocktails so creative you’ll want to snap a pic before you take a sip. Taste bold new flavors or tip your hat to a perfectly executed classic with these Twin Cities spots.

RAISE A GLASS

art-a-whirl spotlight

SPRING INTO THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND ART FESTIVAL

The largest open art studio tour in the nation, Art-A-Whirl is a neighborhood-wide event spanning studio buildings, galleries, and businesses. Enjoy art demos, activities, performances, food, music, and more, spotlighting 1,400 artists at 100 sites throughout Northeast Minneapolis over three spectacular, art-filled days.

Art-A-Whirl will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025. Learn about a few artists you’ll find at this iconic Minnesota event.

Reggie LeFore working closely on a larger piece with rows and rows of spray paint on shelves behind him.

reggie leflore

Reggie LeFore is a dynamic visual artist renowned for his celebration of individual and communal narratives through the medium of human portraiture. Inspired by the ethos of Street art and Illustration, he employs a diverse range of techniques and materials, inducing aerosol, acrylics and graphic design to craft pieces that resonate with viewers on multiple levels.

alicia de la cruz

Alicia De La Cruz, a two-spirit native artist from Minneapolis and an enrolled member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, blends contemporary and old style Ojibwe art with a unique twist. She aims to preserve her culture through language and art, using beadwork, painting, mixed media, ink and marker in non-traditional ways.

kari maxwell

Kari Maxwell has been painting, exhibiting and selling her work, featuring animals as her primary subject. She's found that observing any animal in its natural environment can be a spiritual experience. Her work offers the viewer the opportunity to reflect while forming a surprisingly deeper relationship with each subject.

victor ramiro yepez garcia

Since immigrating to the U.S. in 1997, Victor Ramiro Yepez Garcia has worked as a sculptor, muralist, art teacher and public artist. His art is inspired by everything around him. It's made with passion and love, limitless and indestructible.

andy jacobs

Andy Jacobs is a multidisciplinary artist who works with the mediums of fibers/textiles, sculpture, drawing, and installation. Her work contemplates biodegradability, ephemerality, interconnection, and cyclicality. By creating objects with techniques that require a slowness, she is committed to exploring, expanding, and deepening time.

Sarah White at ease in her studio, green plants and an abstract white, sky blue, and burnt red painting beside her.

sarah maricha white

Sarah Maricha White is a Multidisciplinary Healer, Artist, Coach, Mother and Dance Floor Activator. Her process foundationally starts from a trauma-informed approach, dusting away the debris to expose the innate truth that all of us have the ability to heal - and that healing is a lifelong spiral - not a final destination!

PLAN YOUR ART-A-WHIRL EXPERIENCE