Current Events

Join Alicia Hauff for a walk through her solo exhibition, furthering the discussion of ecological community, connection, belonging, safety, and mutual care.

This tour will require attendees to stand and walk on concrete floors for 45 minutes. Mobility aids are welcomed and encouraged. Please reach out to visitorservices@plainsart.org with any questions or concerns regarding this program.

Plains Art Museum will celebrate the groundbreaking of their new permanent collection storage facility on Thursday, June 11th from 1:30-3:30 pm. The groundbreaking marks the beginning of Phase 1 of the Connections Campaign, which in addition to opening the vault, seeks to construct a new Welcome Center, expand gallery space, and improve the visitor experience. Phase 1 will transform the museum’s collection facility, nearly doubling the square footage and creating an open storage concept that will allow public access to the permanent collection of art for the first time. Only 18% of art museums in the United States offer open collection storage, making this a cutting edge project and cementing Plains’ position as a leader of the arts in the Upper Midwest.

Plains houses more than 6,000 works of art held in trust for future generations. As an accredited art museum, Plains stewards these works as part of the museum’s core mission. The collection includes a broad range of works by international, national, and regional artists, with an emphasis on Indigenous art. Recent major gifts of art include the collection and archive of master printmaker Steven M. Andersen and objects and artworks from regional Native American tribes from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts. Individual works of art include a monumental sculpture by Aaron Spangler, a lithograph by Wendy Red Star, currently on view in the exhibit Wiwahokichiyapi: They Promised Things to Each Other, and a large-scale painting by Brad Kahlhamer. These works are just a sampling from the 450+ pieces accessioned in the last two years. The new collections facility will allow Plains to continue to grow the permanent collection, while providing access to word class works of art for Fargo Moorhead residents and visitors from the region and beyond.

The new facility is designed by renowned museum architecture firm Olson Kundig, with JLG serving as the Architect of Record and Mortenson Construction as the Construction Manager at Risk. The groundbreaking celebration will feature remarks beginning at 2 pm from JLG, Mortenson, and Brian Hayer, the largest donor in Plains’ history. The FMWF Chamber will provide a ribbon cutting. A reception will follow remarks.

For more information contact Erin Shapiro at eshapiro@plainsart.org or 701.551.6123.

In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, Plains Art Museum invites educators to a one-day, hands-on professional development workshop introducing the Creating Portraits of Community curriculum. Designed for teachers working with students in grades 8–12, this workshop centers on a four-lesson framework that supports students in documenting their communities through photography and oral history. The curriculum emphasizes student voice, encouraging participants to explore how creative practice can shape a more inclusive and participatory understanding of history. Participants will leave with practical tools, lesson structures, and inspiration to implement the curriculum in their own classrooms. Attendees will also be invited to apply for a fall cohort to support continued implementation and collaboration.

Registration details and additional information are available at plainsart.org/create. Please feel free to share this opportunity with colleagues who may be interested.

Participants will receive one credit from North Dakota State University. Click here for more information.

*A $150 stipend is available for 20 participants.

Join the curatorial team in a walk-through of Thương Hoài Trần’s work, discussing labor, diaspora, and homage to familial lineage.

This tour will require attendees to stand and walk on concrete floors for 45 minutes. Mobility aids are welcomed and encouraged. Please reach out to visitorservices@plainsart.org with any questions or concerns regarding this program.

Discover the history of textile work and how it influenced contemporary quiltmakers in this curatorial team-led tour.

This tour will require attendees to stand and walk on concrete floors for 45 minutes. Mobility aids are welcomed and encouraged. Please reach out to visitorservices@plainsart.org with any questions or concerns regarding this program.

We invite you and your littles to attend an art-filled morning of dance, music, story time, visual arts, and drama exploration. Designed for children ages 5 years and younger, you will choose your own art adventure and move at the pace that works for you. For the youngest visitors, we are providing a baby play space. Older siblings and family members are welcome to participate!

Thank you to our partners for their commitment to introducing art at a young age. This is only made possible with the dedication of Theatre NDSU, Fargo Public Library, ND Academy of Dance, Selah Music Studio, and Anne Carlsen Center.

Free