The Great State of Minnesota

The Great State of Minnesota is a group exhibition at the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, exploring the theme What Minnesota Means to Me. It gathers 51 works by 30 area artists, spanning pen and ink, mixed media, photography, acrylic and oil painting, screen prints, fiber art, poetry, ceramics, block prints, watercolor, charcoal, and papier-mache. Northwest Minnesota Arts Council director Mara Hanel says the state evokes many feelings, from blueberry picking, cabin life, and the land of 10,000 lakes to the power of community and icons such as Mary Tyler Moore, Prince, and Bob Dylan. The exhibit grew out of conversations about what Minnesota means to people across the region, asking artists to answer that question in their own mediums. The show is on view through mid-August 2026. The date and time of the artist reception have not yet been announced.