Minnesota Marine Art Museum

06/02/2026

Happy National Mississippi River day from the Minnesota Marine Art Museum!

Located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, MMAM’s visitors, volunteers, and staff are lucky enough to enjoy the museum’s beautiful 7-acre riverside campus.
A few weeks ago, the Mississippi, along with its passing barges and tugboats, served as the perfect subject matter during MMAM’s New Look Weekend. The incomparable Nelia Harper French (Nelia Harper Art) led a wonderful three-hour plein air paint-along on our riverwalk, guiding participants through the creative process while exploring the “light effect” that is so essential to painting outdoors.

Despite hours of bright sunshine, participants embraced the challenge and created stunning works that captured the unique beauty of the Mississippi River with its flowing waters, working vessels, dramatic bluffs, and vibrant gardens. Their paintings reflected not only the landscape before them, but also the enduring inspiration that this iconic river provides.

Today, we celebrate the Mississippi River’s history, beauty, and impact on the communities that line its shores. Thank you to this incredible river for inspiring artists, connecting people, and enriching life here in Winona and beyond.

Happy National Mississippi River Day! ❤

06/01/2026

Thank you, Winona Area Public Schools and Washington-Kosciusko Elementary for visiting MMAM! We are so glad you enjoyed your tour!

06/01/2026

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the exhibitions at MMAM? Every Saturday from June through August, join us for a 30-minute guided tour highlighting artworks that celebrate water’s influence on artists across time and place. No registration required, simply meet at the front desk to join in!

https://mmam.org/summer-public-tours

Image: "Water | Craft" on view January 24 - December 27, 2026. Photo by Bailey Bolton.

05/29/2026

Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and creative spirit of the Driftless Region with June Third Thursday [Mississippi Sippin]: Loreweavers, MMAM’s beloved summer music series. Thursday, June 18 features the Loreweavers from 6 - 7:30p. The concert will be outdoors in the MMAM gardens, and is free and open to all ages.

The Loreweavers focus their efforts on bringing tavern and fantasy soundtracks to a wider audience. Inspired by the tavern music presented in video games such as The Witcher and Skyrim, as well as traditional Irish tunes and sea shanties, Loreweavers seek to immerse their audience in a world of wonder and adventure.

We invite you to join us and unwind with a live outdoor performances, specials at the MMAM Shoppe, and culinary delights and beverages from MMAM’s Waterbar Cafe + Provisions. Looking to cool off? Step inside the museum’s climate-controlled galleries, where 20,000 square feet of world-class marine-inspired art await.

Learn more: https://mmam.org/calendar2/2026/loreweavers

05/28/2026

There are many ways that an author, illustrator, or artist can explore water in their work. This illustration by Hilary Knight, celebrates Kay Thompson’s iconic character, Eloise, in this drawing for “365 Days of Eloise.” Ever the unruly heroine, Knight brought the charming Eloise to life through her illustrations, including Eloise relaxing by the water.

This work is on view now at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN as part of the exhibition “Splish, Splash, Story: Selections from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art ,” on view through July 26, 2026.

Learn more: https://mmam.org/eric-carle

Image: Hilary Knight (American, b. 1926), Final illustration for "Dream Vacation,” “The 365 Days of Eloise,” 2015. Pen and ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on bristol board with tracing paper overlay. Collection of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Gift of the artist.

05/27/2026

"Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories" features 18 new Woodland Style artworks by Gordon C***s, as well as past works of the artist, and examples of early Woodland Style artworks from Norval Morrisseau and Sam Ash. Gordon C***s is a self-taught artist working in a variety of mediums including linoleum block prints, paintings, pen and ink drawings, sculpture, and prints created from cedar smoke and gold leaf.

C***s notes: “Woodland Art style images are not a religion but a way of life. Stories of the images were told during the time when the Ojibwa people would gather in lodges during the season of snow. The stories are for teaching your role in the community and on how to participate in the Ojibwa community.”

"Gordon C***s: Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories” on view through August 30.

Learn more: https://mmam.org/gordon-coons

[Photo by Bailey Bolton for MMAM of Gordon C***s: "Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories"]

05/26/2026

From bustling port cities to windswept coastlines, the ocean has long defined American life and imagination.

On loan from The New York Historical, “The Coast and the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America” presents an important collection of over 50 marine paintings and maritime objects spanning more than 150 years of history. Through vivid seascapes, portraits, and artifacts, the exhibition explores the people, industries, and cultural exchanges that emerged from America’s relationship with the sea.

“The Coast and the Sea” is on loan from and organized by The New York Historical, and is on view at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum through February 28, 2027. https://mmam.org/coast-and-the-sea

Credit: Carlton Theodore Chapman (1860 – 1925), “The East River,” NYC, 1904. Oil on canvas. The New York Historical, Gift of Mrs. Carlton T. Chapman, 1938.425.

05/23/2026

“…plein air painting does such a good job at storytelling…”

MPR News' Art Hounds features MMAM’s exhibition “Myths & Legends of Minnesota: An Exhibition of the Minnesota Plein Air Collective” on view at through September 13. Listen here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/21/art-hounds-a-new-professional-concert-band-plein-air-art-and-two-artists-at-vine-arts-center

Art Hounds recommend Minnesota Winds, “Myth and Legends” and a joint exhibit at Vine Arts Center and two artists at Vine Arts Center.

05/22/2026

A strong arts scene isn’t decoration. It’s infrastructure.

It’s one of the reasons people move to places like Winona and decide to stay. That matters if you’re trying to attract and keep good employees.

Becoming a Friend of MMAM helps keep that engine running and gives your team admission to use it.

Learn more about becoming a Friend of MMAM: https://mmam.org/friends-of-mmam

[Photo by Bailey Bolton for MMAM of "Edward Burtynsky: Water"]