A distinctive Spanish revival tower piercing the south Minneapolis skyline used to be clearly visible as you passed down I-35W. It had piqued my interest for years as I drove past. In 2005 the historic former church was transformed into The Russian Museum of Art. I finally stopped for a visit for the first time this week...I wonder what took me so long!
The building itself is notable because its architectural style is so unexpected in Minnesota...an unlikely design borrowed from the southwest because the pastor of the church at the time it was built fell in love with the style.
It is also unexpected to find the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the presentation of Russian art and artifacts in Minnesota!
When you put the two together you have a unique treasure tucked into a southwest Minneapolis neighborhood...yet another hidden gem that reflects our diverse community and its love of the arts.
With a recorded history that spans over a thousand years, the museum has a rich heritage from which to draw. Their current exhibition, Photographer to the Tsar: Revealing the Silk Road, is a wonderful example of how art provides a gateway to understanding history and heritage.
I was amazed at the beautiful color in these glass slides taken about a century ago by Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii to record the fabled Silk Road spanning several thousand miles. Born in 1863 and trained as a chemist he was a research pioneer in color photography. What I found perhaps most amazing was the clarity of the photographs, taken with a series of glass plates of different colors which were then super-imposed to get full color images...I would guess similar to the four-color print process of today.
It isn't all that surprising to have clarity when merging multiple slides of still subjects like buildings and landscapes...but I found it amazing to see it also in his photographs of people. In some of the large group photos you can see how some of the people didn't remain as still as others as you see trailing spots of various colors...fascinating reflections of the process. It reminded me of the trials of taking group portraits even today!
The museum isn't large so it doesn't take a big time investment to visit. Its beautiful setting and enlightening exhibitions make it a tranquil respite...and it also has a wonderful gift shop. Don't miss this hidden gem at the southwest corner of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road in the Tangletown neighborhood of south Minneapolis.
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Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com
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