The Museum of Russian Art facts for kids
The Museum of Russian Art
|
|
| Established | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Type | Russian Art Museum |
| Collections | Russian Realist Art Soviet Era Art Soviet Non-Conformist Art Christmas/New Years Ornaments Matryoshka Nesting Dolls |
| Visitors | 36,285 (2017) |
| Nearest car park | Free public lot |
The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) is a special museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. It is the only big museum in North America completely focused on Russian art and culture. This includes art from all of Russia's long history.
The museum was started by Raymond and Susan Johnson. They are famous art collectors. They had the biggest collection of Russian Realist paintings outside of what used to be the Soviet Union. TMORA became an official non-profit group in 2002. It opened in its current building in 2005. The museum puts on 8 to 10 new art shows each year. It also hosts over 50 events annually. These events include talks by famous speakers, classical music concerts, and theater readings. TMORA is open every day. It is located between Downtown Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Saint Paul Airport.
The Museum of Russian Art: A Look at Its History
How TMORA Started (1991-2005)
Raymond and Susan Johnson first showed their Russian Realist art to the public in North America in 1991. They had the largest collection of Soviet-era paintings outside the former Soviet Union. The Johnsons showed their art privately for a while. Then, in 2002, they decided to open a public museum.
The museum started showing art to the public in 2002. At first, it was in a borrowed space in an office park in Bloomington, Minnesota. The museum first showed Russian Realist paintings from the late 1800s. It also displayed art from the Soviet era, which lasted from 1917 to 1991.
Ray Johnson was made an Honorary Consul for Russia in 2003. This means he helped represent Russia in some ways. Both Johnson (in 2005) and TMORA's first Director, Bradford Shinkle (in 2009), received Russia's Order of Friendship Medal. This is a very high award for people who are not Russian citizens. They received it for helping different cultures and education.
In 2005, TMORA bought and completely updated the old Mayflower Church building in south Minneapolis. This building was 75 years old. It used to be a church and then a funeral home. The building received a special award for being reused in a new way. It opened to the public as a museum in 2007. TMORA now has modern galleries for art shows. It also has offices for its staff.
TMORA Today: An American Museum of Russian Art
The updated museum space has hosted over 70 art shows. These shows have featured amazing Soviet-era paintings. They have also covered historical topics like World War I and the Siege of Leningrad. The museum also displays Russian art forms such as Faberge eggs, Lacquer Boxes, Nesting Dolls, and Ornaments. TMORA also shows art by living artists. These include Leon Hushcha, an artist from Minnesota with Ukrainian family. It also shows art by Garen Bedrossian, a Canadian-Armenian artist.
TMORA has built strong connections with many Russian cultural groups and museums around the world. These include the Russian Embassy in the United States in Washington D.C. They also work with the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. The museum works with both private art collectors and other museums in the United States. However, because of a cultural agreement between Russia and the United States from 2010, art collections from Russian state museums cannot currently travel to the United States.
Besides its art shows, TMORA holds many different events throughout the year. These include concerts, talks, theater performances, dance shows, artist discussions, and book clubs.
In April 2022, a theft happened at the museum. A donation box with cash was stolen. No other art or items were reported missing.
