Winona art museum expands, acquires masterworks

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minn., is growing apace, both in terms of size and its collection.

The MMAM just celebrated the addition of more than 4,000 square feet of gallery and office space, along with the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting.

The new Stephen and Barbara Slaggie Family Gallery houses selections from the museum's European collections.

Part of the expansion celebration included the acquisition of paintings by Paul Gauguin and Joseph Mallord William Turner, among others.  This is an addition to a collection that already included works by such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Marsden Hartley and Andrew Wyeth.

The riverfront museum, which used to be dedicated to maritime art, first opened in 2006. Artistic Director Andrew Maus says just seven years later, it's a much different place.

“Even frequent visitors to the museum will be surprised. People can now experience some of the highest quality art ever created, in a truly inspiring space …. the kind of experience that rivals the finest in the world," said Maus.

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