About MAA

During the time of rampant unemployment caused by the Great Depression, there was very little support for artists. So, on April 14, 1937, twelve Minnesota artists decided to pool their energies and form a group where they could discuss their problems and gain encouragement to go on. That's how the Minnesota Artists Association came to be.

Perusing MAA rosters from the past, one finds a veritable Who's Who of art in Minnesota; there are too many well known names to recount here. These artists, at various times, operated their own gallery, organized satellite exhibitions around the state and offered art classes and demonstrations by other well known professional artists.

Over the years, the MAA has evolved into an incorporated non-profit organization which assists and promotes artists working in all media: oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, pastel and collage as well as drawing, photography, sculpture and hand-pulled prints.

MAA holds two juried exhibitions annually and there are monthly meetings where artists can socialize, take in demos or draw from live models. In the summertime, outdoor paint-outs are offered. All MAA events are publicized in a monthly newsletter and on its website members may display two pieces of work.