Plains Art Museum (Fargo, ND)

During my visit to Fargo, ND last fall I made sure to visit the Plains Art Museum. I had heard so much about this museum and was excited to check it out! I absolutely love visiting art museums in different cities, and taking in the different pieces each museum holds. The art at the Plains Art Museum was beautiful, and the building that holds the art was magnificent – it reminded me of an old warehouse which is exactly what it is way back in the day. Come along as I share the history of this stunning Museum and all it offers!

Plains Art Museum began as the Red River Art Center in 1965 and was housed in the former post office in Moorhead, MN. The Museum acquired its present name, Plains Art Museum, in 1975 and maintained residency in Moorhead until 1996. The Museum renovated a turn-of-the-century warehouse in downtown Fargo, ND, and opened to the public in October 1997. The redesign of the International Harvester branch house (Plains Art Museum) was directed by Hammel Green & Abrahamson, Inc., whose work can be seen in the award-winning Minnesota History Center, the Walker Arts Center, and the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts.

It’s important to note that Plains Art Museum is located within the sovereign lands of the Wičhíyena and Isáŋyathi of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Oyate and Aniibiminani-ziibiwininiwag. The Museum sits at the crossroads of the many gathering places and homes of these nations. Plains Art Museum also sits on the shores of the Wakpa Sha and Kitchi-ziibi, also known as the Red River, a key trade and transportation route for countless original Nations going back several millennia.

Plains Art Museum features 56,000 square feet. The building is fully accessible and contains the Hannaher’s, Inc. Print Studio, The Dawson Studio, The Store, the Goldberg Art Lounge, meeting and reception space, frame shop, wood shop, visitor services center, performance areas, and permanent collection storage and care areas. It is free to explore the Museum at your own pace; however, reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. You may also request a guided tour for a small fee. Guided tours are a 60-minutes experience led by Plains Art Museum educators and will engage in close looking and inquiry-based experiences in the Museum galleries.

The Museum’s permanent collection contains approximately 4,000 works including national, international, regional fine art, and ethnographic objects. The permanent collection includes African collection, Native American collection, painting, photography, sculpture, textile collection, and works on paper.

The Museum offers approximately 12 special exhibitions along with smaller exhibitions each year. These exhibitions feature art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Some of the current exhibits include Heart and Soul, Scapes by Britta Anderson, and Below the Surface. Classes, lectures, studios, collaborations with others, as well as social events and performances complement the exhibition schedule.

The Plains Art Museum’s studio has programs that focus on developing potential for deeper learning and problem solving through creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. The Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Center for Creativity is a multipurpose arts facility offering community classes, as well as studio and exhibition space for learning, discussion, and display of creative work. This facility recognizes Katherine Kilbourne Burgum’s pioneering work as an arts advocate and educator in the region. A skybridge connects the original museum building with this 25,500 square foot expansion. Some of the classes offered are Introduction to Monotypes and Clay For Couples – Wheel Throwing.

Beginning in 2009, Plains Art Museum launched a new project to engage artists with communities in public spaces to create “defiant gardens.” The term poetically captures a sense of affirmation for something that is necessary but missing. Since the project began, two artist-designed gardens have been designed and received funding to support their construction. One such garden is the “Pollinator Garden” at the Plains Art Museum. Christine Baeumler, an environmental artist based in the Twin Cities, created downtown Fargo’s first pollinator garden that will help to sustain populations of species of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Pollinator Garden was developed by working with Museum staff, other artists, local businesspeople, a horticulturist-ecologist-landscape architect, and teens. The Pollinator Garden includes gardens, a cistern to capture rainwater, and areas that attract pollinators and humans alike.

The Museum also holds special events such as “Low-Sensory Mondays” on the first Monday of every month for individuals and families who prefer a quiet, less sensory-stimulating environment. At each event, loud gallery sounds, and bright lights are turned down and attendance is limited. Fidgets are available for checkout. Some other upcoming events include Fargo Got Talent: Youth and College Night, Artist Talk: Britta Anderson, and Read Between the Lines Book Club.

During my visit to the Museum the second floor was set up for a wedding reception, and it was absolutely gorgeous! With its combination of historical and new architecture, Plains Art Museum provides event spaces that are perfect for meetings, conferences, dinners, receptions and many other corporate and private events.

The next time you’re in Fargo, ND I encourage you to take a look around Plains Art Museum! There is so much to see and take in – it’s a beautiful experience! Enjoy!