Weisman Art Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Weisman Art Museum
West facade as viewed from the Washington Avenue Bridge
Established	1934 (1934)
Location	333 East River Road Minneapolis, MN 55455
Type	Art museum
Collection size	20,000+
Architect	Frank Gehry / MSR Design, Minneapolis / Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Minneapolis

The Weisman Art Museum is an art museum located at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It first opened in 1934 as the University Gallery. Back then, the museum was on an upper floor of the university's Northrop Auditorium.

In 1993, the museum moved into its current building. This unique building was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. The museum was then renamed to honor Frederick R. Weisman, who was an art collector and a generous supporter. The museum is known for its modern art. It has more than 20,000 pieces of art. This includes a large collection of traditional Korean furniture. It also features modern American art, with works by artists like Marsden Hartley and Alfred Maurer.

Who Was Frederick Rand Weisman?
The Museum Building
Images for kids
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Who Was Frederick Rand Weisman?

Frederick Rand Weisman (1912–1994) was born in Minneapolis. He became a well-known art collector in Los Angeles. In 1982, Weisman bought a large house in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles. He used this house to display his personal collection of 20th-century art.

When he opened his art collection to the public, he wanted people to experience living with art. This was different from the usual way of seeing art in a formal gallery or museum. Today, his house is still home to the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

The Weisman Foundation house is a two-story building. It was designed in the late 1920s by architect Gordon B. Kaufmann. The house shows beautiful craftsmanship from that time. This includes special decorations on the walls and ceilings. You can visit the foundation house, its annex, and gardens by making an appointment.

There is another museum named after Weisman. It is the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. This museum is on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

The Museum Building

The museum's current building was designed by the world-famous architect Frank Gehry. It was finished in November 1993. This building is a major landmark on the University of Minnesota campus. It sits on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. You can see it from the east end of the Washington Avenue Bridge. This abstract building is very important. It was built before architects widely used computer-aided design (CAD) programs.

The building looks different depending on where you view it from. From the south and east, it has a brick front. This helps it blend in with the older buildings nearby. From the north and west, it looks like an abstract fish and a waterfall. It is made of curving and angled brushed steel sheets. The company that made and put up the stainless steel is called the A. Zahner Company. They often work with Gehry's team.

The museum got a big addition in 2011. This new part was also designed by Frank Gehry.