08 January, 2014

The Museum of Russian Art

by Ally Evander, Allied Member ASID

During all this cold weather, you may be looking for something to do indoors. Touring the Russian Museum of Art in South Minneapolis is a nice way to spend an afternoon. As someone who majored in art in college, I find looking at the rotating art collection to be of interest. But what I also love about this museum is the building itself.
The museum is housed in a former church, built in the 1930s in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. In the 70s, the church congregation had outgrown the structure and sold it to a funeral home. Then in 2004, the Russian Museum of Art worked with an architect to convert the church into a museum to display its collection to the public. The architect maintained much of the original structure and as a result, the museum visitor gets to experience the history of Russian art as well as the story of a Minneapolis congregation from many years ago.
At LiLu, we often find ourselves mixing styles thoughtfully to achieve an unexpected mix. So I am particularly drawn to the history of this building, and how a Spanish style architectural building came to be home to a Russian Art museum. I won't go on and on about the history of the structure, you should check it out for yourselves! Here are some photos of the museum to pique your interest. More information can be found at tmora.org.