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Soo Visual Arts Center (or SooVAC for short)

is a non-profit art space founded by artist Suzy Greenberg in 2001...

 

 With over 3500 artists shown, we focus on discovering new talent and centering work from under-represented artists
Open five days a week, we offer free year-round exhibitions, educational support, artist talks, workshops,
events, printed publications, and online programming.


 

Mission

Soo Visual Arts Center is a nonprofit art space that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative art.

Vision

Soo Visual Arts Center is a gathering place where art is shared and made, a center for artists and the community, and a home where the gift of space and time will encourage ideas to become creations.

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the sacred land upon which the events and activities of Soo Visual Arts Center take place in Minneapolis. This is the traditional homeland of the Dakhóta Oyáte (Dakota People), unfairly ceded in the Treaties of 1837 & 1851, who stewarded it for millennia. The Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations have cared for this land as well. Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the area, Mni Sota Makoce — "the land where the waters reflect the skies." We invite you to learn more about the true history of this land, and to search out the wisdom and stories of the Dakota, Ojibwe, and other Native people still here.

Honor Native Land: A Guide

Native Land Maps

Bdote Memory Map

Native Governance Center

Soo Visual Arts Center is a non-profit 501 c3 arts organization that has shown a diverse cross section of over 2800 under-represented artists since opening in June 2001, with approximately 10,000 visitors a year. As a leader in discovering new talent and with a strong focus on emerging artists from Minnesota, SooVAC offers free year-round exhibition programming coupled with educational support, artist talks, workshops, events, printed publications and online programming. Our curatorial focus promotes contemporary artists whose work challenges and expands conventional notions of aesthetics and ideology, never emphasizing “salability” over the content. SooVAC prides itself on the service and support it offers to exhibiting artists, acting as an advocate for career development and growth.

 

Curatorial Practice

Since 2011, a panel of rotating Minnesota artists/arts professionals has curated our exhibitions. We believe that the engagement of Minnesota’s experienced arts community members in the presentation of exhibitions at SooVAC adds diversification to our programming, enhances our relevance to expanded audiences, and gives voice to a broader spectrum of Minnesota artists. Our current panel consists of Betsy Carpenter, Pao Her, Carolyn Payne, Gregory Rose and Megan Vossler.  SooVAC’s free and open call for exhibitions invites artists working in any medium and at any stage in their career to apply. Annually we receive approximately 300 submissions and select artists for solo and group exhibitions from the applicant pool.

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Access Policy

Soo Visual Arts Center provides equal opportunity and access to its facilities and programs to all individuals regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, beliefs, sexual orientation or disability in admission, access or employment. Upon request, accommodations will be provided to individuals who face barriers to participation in SooVAC services, programs and activities.

Location

2909 Bryant Avenue South #101

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Gallery Hours

SooVAC is currently closed to install two new exhibitions. Join us for the openings on Saturday, November 23 from 6-9PM.

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Contact

(612)871-2263

info@soovac.org

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STAFF

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2024 Sponsors

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FOUNDATION AND GRANT SUPPORT

 

 

Soo Visual Arts Center's programming is made possible in part by the generous support of our Members and Best Buy Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and with assistance from Propel Nonprofits. This activity is made possible by the voters on Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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Staff

Carolyn Payne

Executive Director

carolyn@soovac.org

 

Alison Hiltner 

Associate Director

alison@soovac.org

Board

Marc Davis

Debra DeNoyelles

Gretchen Gasterland-Gustafssson - Chair

Frank Grazzini II - Treasurer

Alicia Gibson - Secretary

Syed Hosain

Michael Kleber-Diggs

Creighton King

Yijia Li

John C. Levy

Anne Jin Soo Preston

Advisory Board

Andrea Carlson

Jason Howard

Herman Milligan, Jr., Ph.D

Jim Rustad

Michael Sammler-Jones

Nicole Soukup

Curatorial Panel

Betsy Carpenter

Pao Her

Carolyn Payne

Gregory J. Rose

Megan Vossler

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