The museum's signature 'Gehry-esque' exterior features brushed stainless steel panels that were hand-fitted to the complex, non-linear steel frame.
The building's design represents a transition point in Frank Gehry's career, preceding his more famous work on the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
The collection of Mimbres pottery includes items dating back to the late Mimbres culture of the American Southwest, spanning roughly 1000 to 1150 CE.
The museum houses a significant archive of Marsden Hartley, a prominent American modernist painter known for his expressive landscapes.
The building was designed to be accessible from two distinct levels due to the steep bluff topography of the Mississippi River bank.
The museum has a specific collection focused on the Korean Joseon Dynasty, featuring traditional furniture and woodworking techniques.
The current structure, opened in 1993, is actually the second building to serve as the museum since its founding in 1934.
In 2011, the museum underwent a major expansion, also designed by Gehry, which doubled the available gallery space.
The museum's location on the East Bank campus sits directly above a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River gorge.
The Weisman Art Museum is an architectural landmark designed by Frank Gehry, located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The building is defined by its gleaming, stainless steel-clad exterior that curves along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. The museum maintains a permanent collection of over 25,000 objects, with a significant emphasis on American modernist paintings and ceramics. It also holds extensive collections of Korean furniture and traditional Mimbres pottery. The galleries are designed to provide a contemplative, intimate viewing environment. Exhibitions frequently rotate to highlight contemporary artists and critical social themes. The facility serves as both an educational resource for university students and a public-facing institution for the regional community.
The river-facing terrace provides the best perspective of the stainless steel exterior against the landscape.
Explore the outdoor sculpture plaza for an excellent view of the river gorge.
Check the online exhibition calendar before visiting to see if specific temporary collections are currently on view.
Spend time looking at the structural beams inside the galleries, as they reflect the unconventional geometry of the building's exterior.
Avoid assuming the interior layout is rectangular; the building's unconventional design can be disorienting, so use the provided gallery maps.
Closed on Mondays.
Refrain from touching artwork or pedestals; photography is permitted without flash in most galleries.
