Cooler but still well above normal this week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Artist Ute Bertog checks out her colleagues' work at Soo Visual Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Usually when I attend a "re-opening" of a gallery or museum or theater, it's because the business has expanded. But in the case of 

's new gallery space, it's actually shrunk.

This weekend SooVAC is celebrating the completion of a remodeling of its building, which actually cuts the gallery space in half, from 3500 to 1600 square feet. Artistic Director Suzy Greenberg says it's part of a plan to make the gallery more sustainable in the long term.

Greenberg bought the building that houses Soo gallery ten years ago. She divided the building in two, renting out the rest of it to Highpoint Center for Printmaking. When Highpoint decided to finally move into its own home this past year, Greenberg took the opportunity to reconfigure the building, and she kept the reality of today's economy in mind.

Greenberg's new tenant - an ad agency - will now get the larger portion of the building, which will help to keep the gallery costs low.

SooVAC staff enjoy their new, smaller digs

Greenberg says the change in space is also part of a larger move to change SooVAC from being known as "Suzy's art gallery" but instead "Soo Visual Arts Center."

SooVAC is celebrating the opening of its new space with 

, its seventh annual juried exhibition. The main gallery room is now much more intimate, allowing visitors to take in the entire room as they walk in. Greenberg says she was happy to finally have the classic "white box" to present work in.

"Untitled" by Madison Van Holmes, made with toothbrushes, packing paper, duct tape and wood.

In addition, the gallery boasts a small front room dedicated to presenting the work of teenage artists (including the dress made of toothbrushes, pictured above). Greenberg says the goal of the space is to give young artists the opportunity to show their work, and mingle with established artists in the community.

SooVAC's re-opening takes place tomorrow night at 6pm, featuring 

 SooFUZE: SooVAC's first Minnesota Teen Arts Juried Exhibition

. Both exhibitions run through September 5.

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

SooVAC gallery has downsized in order to better present work by local artists.

When bigger isn’t necessarily better

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox