| This summer, come to Minneapolis to see
| |
| | play opens July 21. For more information,
|
| three grand openings that promise to
| |
| | go to www.guthrietheater.org.
|
| change the city's architectural and
| |
| | Minneapolis Institute of Arts On June 11,
|
| cultural landscape. The nationally
| |
| | the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA),
|
| renowned Guthrie Theater is opening its
| |
| | in a neighborhood just south of downtown,
|
| new theater overlooking the city's
| |
| | will open a $50 million wing designed by
|
| birthplace on the Mississippi. The
| |
| | American architect Michael Graves. The
|
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts is opening
| |
| | new 113,000-square-foot addition and
|
| a spacious three-story wing to better
| |
| | associated 49,000 square feet of
|
| display what is already one of the
| |
| | renovated space will add 34 new
|
| nation's most extraordinary collections.
| |
| | galleries, increasing display space in
|
| And the Minneapolis Public Library will
| |
| | the region's premier art museum by 40
|
| open its new Central Library. Most
| |
| | percent.
|
| tourists won't set out on a library tour,
| |
| | "It means a tremendous amount to the
|
| but they may want to see how the Cesar
| |
| | museum proper," says Robert Jacobsen,
|
| Pelli-designed building will transform
| |
| | senior curator of Asian art and liaison
|
| the northern end of Minneapolis' famed
| |
| | with architects and builders on the
|
| Nicollet Mall downtown.
| |
| | project. "We're definitely going to jazz
|
| Guthrie Theater on the River The Guthrie
| |
| | it up with larger and livelier exhibits."
|
| Theater will close the doors of its
| |
| | The new wing features a circular
|
| facility near Loring Park after the March
| |
| | three-story atrium with a Venetian
|
| 4 May 7 production of "Hamlet," the same
| |
| | plaster dome. A maple-paneled reception
|
| play that launched the theater in 1963.
| |
| | hall on the third floor overlooks the
|
| But the Guthrie won't close for long. In
| |
| | sculpture garden. Also on the top story
|
| June, the theater reopens in the new
| |
| | are the expanded Modernism galleries and
|
| Guthrie Theater on the River-a $125
| |
| | 10 new galleries for 20th-century and
|
| million, 250,000-square-foot theater at
| |
| | contemporary paintings.
|
| 818 Second Street overlooking the
| |
| | Second-floor galleries will hold
|
| Mississippi River. There will be an Open
| |
| | 20th-century art, art of Native America
|
| House on Sunday, June 25 with
| |
| | and Oceania, works of Minnesota artists,
|
| entertainment on all three stages.
| |
| | and craft collections. The wing's ground
|
| From the cantilevered lobby jutting
| |
| | floor houses a new art library, a prints
|
| toward the river, theatergoers will look
| |
| | and drawings study center, a photography
|
| below to the graceful stone-arch bridge
| |
| | study center, and a multi-purpose
|
| and upstream to St. Anthony Falls. Next
| |
| | classroom.
|
| door is the Minnesota Historical
| |
| | The addition allows the MIA to more
|
| Society's Mill City Museum. Along the
| |
| | dramatically display its Asian art
|
| riverbanks lie the city's Mill Ruins
| |
| | collection, representing 17 cultures over
|
| Park, walking paths and bike trails.
| |
| | 5,000 years. The Chinese collection,
|
| The new theater was designed by French
| |
| | already one of the most extensive in the
|
| architect Jean Nouvel, his first project
| |
| | country, will now have a gallery for each
|
| in North America. The new Guthrie borrows
| |
| | of China's three major philosophies,
|
| its massive outline from the surrounding
| |
| | Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Other
|
| mill and elevator buildings. The
| |
| | new galleries will fill with ancient
|
| building's indigo cladding will fade into
| |
| | Chinese bronzes, jades, and ceramics, as
|
| the twilight at evening performance time
| |
| | well as gold and silver, lacquer,
|
| so that the building, despite its bulk,
| |
| | textiles, and paintings, sculpture and
|
| will seem to disappear, leaving the warm
| |
| | calligraphy. Six new galleries are
|
| lights of the lobby shining through
| |
| | devoted to the museum's Japanese art
|
| generous windows to create a warm beacon
| |
| | collection, spanning the last 25
|
| floating on the river bluff.
| |
| | centuries. The MIA has brought more than
|
| "The views of the river valley are
| |
| | 1,000 pieces out of storage to fill the
|
| amazing," says Tom Proehl, managing
| |
| | new space.
|
| director of the Guthrie. "Nouvel's design
| |
| | Expanded special exhibition space "gives
|
| completely mingles the old industrial age
| |
| | us a large enough gallery that we can now
|
| with new architecture in a very careful
| |
| | attract the largest traveling exhibits,"
|
| way. It truly fits in on the riverfront."
| |
| | says Jacobsen. "We can attract shows that
|
| The new facility, he says "will bring all
| |
| | previously were only seen in New York or
|
| of the Guthrie's functions together for
| |
| | London." For example, the MIA will show
|
| the first time in many, many years." The
| |
| | three special grand reopening
|
| Guthrie long ago outgrew its original
| |
| | exhibitions, all running from June 11
|
| building as its season expanded from four
| |
| | into early fall: * "The Surreal Calder
|
| plays to a dozen, attended by more than
| |
| | exhibit explores the origins of
|
| 400,000. The original theater was known
| |
| | 20th-century surrealist artist Alexander
|
| for its trademark thrust stage-great for
| |
| | Calder in the context of his
|
| Shakespeare but not suited for more
| |
| | contemporaries.
|
| intimate and contemporary works.
| |
| | * "Treasures on Paper displays the
|
| The new facility will have a 1,100-seat
| |
| | Herschel V. Jones Collection of nearly
|
| thrust theater, much like the old
| |
| | 200 of the world's most famous
|
| facility, but with improvements to
| |
| | engravings, lithographs and woodcuts,
|
| sightlines and additional legroom. In
| |
| | made over five centuries.
|
| addition, the new Guthrie will have a
| |
| | * "The Harrison Photography Collection
|
| 700-seat proscenium theater. A 250-seat
| |
| | includes nearly 100 photos of
|
| studio will provide a space for
| |
| | 20th-century luminaries such as Henri
|
| experimental productions.
| |
| | Cartier-Bresson and Dorothea Lange.
|
| With the new facility, the Guthrie will
| |
| | "This is one of the biggest museums in
|
| be able to nearly triple the number of
| |
| | the country that has remained free." Says
|
| plays, concerts and other presentations
| |
| | Jacobsen, "This will be the greatest show
|
| during its season. New amenities for
| |
| | in town." For more information, go to
|
| playgoers will include a bookstore, bars
| |
| | www.artsmia.org, or call 612-870-3131.
|
| and a restaurant. A skyway will link the
| |
| | The museum is located at 2400 Third
|
| theater building to a convenient parking
| |
| | Avenue South.
|
| ramp.
| |
| | The city's third opening this year will
|
| The Druid Theatre Company of Galway will
| |
| | transform the northern end of the
|
| provide the first performances at the new
| |
| | downtown. On May 20 the new
|
| Guthrie June 27-July 1 when it presents
| |
| | 357,000-square-foot, five-story
|
| "DruidSynge," productions of all six
| |
| | Minneapolis Central Library opens at 300
|
| plays by John Millington Synge, one of
| |
| | Nicollet Mall. The new building, designed
|
| Ireland's greatest writers.
| |
| | by American architect Cesar Pelli, will
|
| The first Guthrie production in the new
| |
| | include a public commons, retail space,
|
| theater will be a stage adaptation of
| |
| | as well as the largest collection of any
|
| "The Great Gatsby," the Jazz Age novel by
| |
| | public library in Minnesota
|
| St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald; the
| |
| |
|