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It was a year of transitions and milestones on the Minnesota arts scene.  Longtime leaders moved on and new ones arrived. Institutions celebrated big birthdays and major acquisitions. Art was stolen and bars were saved. The arts community made itself known in fields as large as — well, an actual field. Here's a look back at some of the arts stories that made headlines in 2015.

 2015 marked major anniversaries for two major arts institutions: The 

 turned 100. The art institute launched a year of surprises and special events to celebrate its centenary. Meanwhile, 

Jocelyn Hale announced she would be stepping down

 as director of the Loft Literary Center; it was just the first of several high-profile leadership changes over the year.
 

, the longtime owner of the Old Log Theater, while the Guthrie Theater announced that Artistic Director Joe Dowling 

 designed to be the home of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. The Minnesota Historical Society Press published 

 a compilation celebrating the work of Minnesota's black writers.  
 

 its new artistic director, replacing founder Bain Boehlke. The Minneapolis Institute of Art received 

, and an iconic American painting ("Washington Crossing the Delaware") 

made its way from the walls of the White House

 to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona.
 

 in the first major cultural exchange since the United States and Cuba relaxed restrictions on travel and commerce. A patron of 

 bought it from 80-year-old Louis Sirian so that Sirian could retire knowing the bar would stay relatively the same. The McKnight Foundation named playwright and director Rick Shiomi 

, and Ordway President Patricia Mitchell 

 was erected to honor military families, the 

 took over Minneapolis for a night, and the 

 The Minneapolis City Council designated 

 in St. Paul reopened as Vieux  Carre under the management of the Dakota, and the 

 announced it was hiring Macalester grad Britt Udesen to be its next executive director. The 

 had to be removed from Lake Calhoun because swimmers were climbing on it, and a $1 million reward was offered for the return of 

 announced he's finished hosting after next season, and 

 came to the Twin Cities to film "Wilson."
 
 

 The Minneapolis Institute of Arts dropped the "s" at the end of its name, and announced that 

 instead of "MIA." One of its curators, meanwhile, was hired to 

 of redesigning its sculpture garden. Minneapolis jazz singer 

 at the age of 91, and music venue First Avenue showed its age when 

: As "Mia" continued its 100th birthday, an Eagan field was transformed into 

a colorful, towering tribute to Bob Dylan

 St. Paul Chamber Orchestra President Bruce Coppock 

announced that he was stepping down (again)

 from its northeast Minneapolis home, Minnesota nonprofits won big on 

, and Minnesota business icon and arts patron 

 Two galleries shut their doors, one temporarily (

Arts and Culture

NewsPartners

Marianne Combs

Author

The Minnesota arts scene finishes a year of transitions and milestones.

A look back at the year in arts

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