Art Flows Here
A bold vision is taking shape at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
We are exploring opportunities to strengthen our campus, deepen our connection to the Mississippi River, expand access to art and learning, and ensure MMAM continues to serve our community for generations to come.
Interested in learning more? Contact our Development team at hello@mmam.org
About the Project
Since opening in 2006, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum has grown into a nationally recognized arts and cultural center with a focus on water. To mark this significant achievement and prepare for the next, MMAM is launching a multi-year, multi-phased capital campaign to transform its 7-acre, riverside site into a vibrant campus experience.
The Art Flows Here Campaign is a transformational investment in the future of MMAM, creating a place where art, water, nature, and community flow together to inspire generations of visitors.
Your support will help deepen relationships with the river, update and enhance indoor and outdoor spaces, expand learning through programs, and strengthen the organization’s financial sustainability, securing MMAM’s future as an arts and cultural anchor for generations to come.
Phase One consists of six interconnected investments that work together to create an immersive visitor experience that reconnects people to the Mississippi River while advancing the Museum's mission to explore our relationship with water.
The Shoreline is the heart of Phase One, transforming the Museum's hardened river edge into a living landscape that reconnects people with the Mississippi River. By restoring native habitat and improving ecological resilience, the project creates new opportunities for visitors to experience the river firsthand while demonstrating how art, conservation, and community work together.
The Welcome Plaza and contemporary entryway will create a memorable first impression, seamlessly connecting visitors to the Museum, the river, and the surrounding landscape. Expanded gathering spaces, outdoor dining, improved accessibility, and enhanced amenities will transform the entrance into a welcoming space where art, water, and community come together.
The Riverfront Amphitheater will be carved from locally sourced limestone, creating one of the Upper Midwest's most extraordinary outdoor performance venues. Terraced seating overlooking the Mississippi River and its majestic bluffs will provide a breathtaking setting for concerts, theater, storytelling, lectures, school programs, weddings, and community celebrations.
The Art Deck will extend from the museum over the water, transforming creativity into an immersive outdoor experience. Connected to the Open Studio, this three-season classroom and gathering space will support artist residencies, workshops, demonstrations, and community events. Visitors will step over the water to watch towboats and barges, observe seasonal bird migrations, and experience the ever-changing rhythms of the river.
Accessible Pathways will weave the campus together, guiding visitors through prairie, restored shoreline, public art, and outdoor discovery experiences. More than routes of travel, these pathways invite exploration, linking visitors to immersive interpretive experiences of the Mississippi River, its ecology, geology, cultural history, and artistic inspiration.
Integrated lighting and signage will transform the Museum campus into a welcoming destination, upon arrival and long after sunset. Energy-efficient architectural lighting will illuminate pathways, gathering spaces, public art, and native landscapes, extending the visitor experience beyond gallery hours while enhancing safety and accessibility. New signage along Riverview Drive will increase the Museum's visibility, creating a stronger sense of arrival.