Over the coming weeks, art lovers have a rare opportunity to see big-league work usually hidden from public view. There are currently two exhibits of internationally notable pieces, both drawn from the private caches of individual collectors, on view in the Twin Cities.
At the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, you can browse through “Noble Dreams & Simple Pleasures,” a show of historic pieces of American artwork from 1800 to the 1920s, borrowed from the personal collections of Minnesota families.
Today (March 5), the small St. Paul gallery of the College of Visual Arts is opening a new exhibition of photography and sculpture by a delightfully idiosyncratic assortment of contemporary art’s heavy-hitters. The exhibit includes a diverse selection, much of which is by nationally acclaimed artists like Alec Soth, Viola Frey, Daisy Youngblood and Annie Liebovitz. As eclectic as the show is, the pieces on view play nicely off one another in the gallery space. It’s an intriguing hook for an art show, actually: the eccentric affections of the collector determine the choice of work on view. And CVA had such treasures from which to choose!
The CVA’s “2009 Perspectives in Fine Art” consists of contemporary artwork drawn entirely from the impressive private collection of Gary and JoAnn Fink, proprietors of the strange and wonderful hole-in-the-wall Minneapolis gallery, Museum Louvre It or Leave It.
“This feels like a coming-of-age show for CVA,” says college administrator Demeri Mullikin. “We’re a small institution, but growing fast. CVA aspires to bring work of national significance here to benefit our students, of course, but also to serve our community in St. Paul. We’re hoping to fill some of the needs left in the wake of Minnesota Museum of American Art’s closure. This is our most ambitious exhibition yet, but we hope it’s the first of many.”
College of Visual Arts‘ “2009 Perspectives in Fine Art” opens with a free public reception 6-8 p.m., today (March 5), and will be on view through April 5.
