Art is in the eye of the beholder, whereas swollen retinas are in the eye of the bee holder. Get soul-stung by provocative and powerful art with today's Groupon: for $7, you get two adult (age 19+) tickets to the Museum of Russian Art on Stevens Avenue (a $14 value).
The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) is a nonprofit, member-supported museum that collects and displays historically significant Russian art to scores of Minnesotans. Housed in an elegant, historical, and recently renovated building, TMORA bills itself as the only museum on the continent that’s exclusively dedicated to preserving Russian art. It does so through rotating events such as exhibitions, seminars, and presentations that promote cross-cultural understanding through storied Russian art and history. Proving that the Cold War between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago is ancient history, TMORA collaborates with collectors and museums based in the U.S. and Russia. Stop by to ponder the massive culture of this massive nation, go on a docent-led tour of the museum on Saturday or Sunday (tours are free with admission and end at 5 p.m.), or visit the Russian Imperial Porcelain exhibit opening in November. In addition to access to the museum, your Groupon gets you 30% off annual membership if you become a member during your redemption visit.
Reviews
The Museum of Russian Art has been featured in the Star Tribune and the Examiner. The Examiner has also covered the museum’s latest exhibit of Vasili Nechitailo's paintings. Five Yelpers give the museum a 4.5-star average:
- Like the sowers and planters in the works of Manet and Van Gogh, the subjects of Nechitailo’s paintings are of the earth, by the earth, and for the earth. His people, his brushwork, even his pigments derive from the earth itself. – William Fietzer, Examiner
- I love Russian Art (and literature) and this place feeds my soul! The space is truly amazing and the variety of art is brilliant. – Terra C., Yelp
The Museum of Russian Art
Housed inside a Spanish Colonial–style former church, The Museum of Russian Art exudes an aura of hushed reverence—sunlight streams through Romanesque windows, and arches frame the museum’s collection of paintings and sculptures. The lofty setting is ideal for an art collection that spans eons, from unearthed Byzantine-era golden urns to paintings depicting a turbulent post-Stalin Soviet Union.
The Museum of Russian Art bills itself as the only museum on the continent dedicated to preserving Russian art. It continues to do so by collaborating with museums in Russia and the United States, recruiting artifacts, accumulating artwork, and reassembling hopelessly jumbled Matryoshka dolls for its ever-rotating collection. In tandem with the museum’s collection, curators strive to illuminate Russian culture by hosting lectures from scholars of Russian culture and leading free one-hour tours each weekend.