2025 | July - September
Exhibitions + Programming

At 1275 feet, the Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage 'Round the World is the longest painting in the United States. The panorama is stored on four large rolls. Due to their size, and time it takes to change these rolls, MMAM curators and staff must change them while the museum is closed. But before they can be changed, the rolls must be rewound back to the beginning. Join us for a behind-the-scenes viewing of the panorama in motion as the second of the four rolls is rewound to the beginning.

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Join curator and poet Heid E. Erdrich, and artist Jonathan Thunder for a presentation of their collaborations of poetry and animation. 

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Join Mdewakanton Dakota artist Cole Redhorse Taylor for a casual gallery talk exploring the visual language of ledger art and its ongoing significance in contemporary Indigenous expression. Seated together in a circle, participants will hear directly from the artist about his creative process, storytelling through image, and the evolution of his multimedia practice, including illustration. All are welcome to listen, learn, and share.

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Meet the artists, illustrators, and authors of the Once Upon a Shore exhibition in the atrium of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Heid E. Erdrich, Cole Redhorse Taylor, Gwen Westerman, Jonathan Thunder, and Tashia Hart will be meeting attendees and signing books

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Meet the artists, illustrators, and authors of the Once Upon a Shore exhibition.  Learn more about the artworks and their creators in this informal gallery walk and talk.

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Celebrate the artists, authors and illustrators of the exhibition, Once Upon a Shore, with a weekend of programs at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. On Friday evening, join us for Shorelines and Storylines, an artist gathering with panel talks, book signings, and fireside connection. Saturday features a full day of opportunities to meet exhibition artists, enjoy informal gallery conversations, attend readings and film screenings, and explore Native storytelling through art, language, and literature.

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Join us for a special evening of reflection, story and shared warmth around the fire. This gathering offers an opportunity to connect with the artists of Once Upon A Shore through a special panel conversation moderated by guest exhibition curator, Heid E. Erdrich. MMAM is excited to partner with the Minnesota Humanities Center to highlight artists Gwen Nell Westerman, Tashia Hart, and Cole Redhorse Taylor who have contributed to the Native American Lives Series, books by and about Dakota and Ojibwe Minnesotans, for middle grade readers.

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The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is one of the local non-profits partnering with area restaurants for the Best in Tasting competition as part of the Big Muddy Brew n’ Que. The restaurants donate and make the food, the non-profits serve it during the tasting event. All tips earned during the event will go directly to the non-profits and a portion of the ticket sales will be divided among all the non-profits. MMAM is partnering with Nosh Scratch Kitchen.

Celebrate the opening of the new exhibition, Michael Kareken: Ebb and Flow (on view August 30 - December 28, 2025) as part of MMAM’s Thursday Night Series.

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This summer, immerse yourself in the beauty and power of water through art at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum! Every Saturday from June through August, join us for a 30-minute guided tour highlighting artworks that celebrate water’s influence on artists across time and place.

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Michael Kareken: Ebb and Flow opens to the public at 10am on August, 30, 2025, at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

Live music: Steam Machine
Food + Drink: Water Bar Cafe + Provisions
Trunk Show Artist: TBD

August is National Make-A-Will Month. It is  a time to reflect on what you love and how you want to be remembered. Join the Minnesota Marine Art Museum’s Development Director and local estate planning attorney Lee Ann Riehle for a free, friendly, no-pressure webinar on how simple it can be to create or update your will.

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Erik Jon Olson: Waste Not closes at 5pm on Sunday, August 24, 2025 at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.