DULUTH – The Duluth Art Institute will leave its longtime home at the St. Louis County Depot — but it has been given a brief lease extension so it has more time to find a new gallery space.
Duluth Art Institute gets slight reprieve, but must be out of its 50-year home by May 1
The St. Louis County Depot says the art institute is no longer a fit for its longtime space.
August 1, 2023 at 10:12PM
The St. Louis County Board, charged with managing the venue's tenants, was unanimous in its decision to extend the nonprofit's lease, but for just four additional months. The arts organization has until May 1 to vacate its space in the building's upper level.
A selection committee of county commissioners and Depot staff recommended rejecting the Duluth Art Institute's proposal for an extension beyond Jan. 1. Mary Tennis, the Depot's director, wrote in a letter to the county commissioners that the space didn't align with the institute's needs, the rental rate it offered was low and the venue couldn't accommodate the need for additional gallery space while capital improvement projects are underway.
Massive upgrades are planned for the Depot's HVAC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, projects that could start as soon as the spring of 2024.
Tennis was in favor the extension — and said the Depot could be flexible about where and when the maintenance occurs in the building.
"I think May 1 is doable for us in terms of hammer swinging and dust flying," she said.
The institute, which has been at the Depot for 50 years, is in early talks with the Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the city of Superior for exhibition space, according to a news release.
Lease extensions were given to the Depot's other current tenants: the Depot Foundation, Minnesota Ballet, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, St. Louis County Historical Society and the Duluth Superior Symphony Association.
Commissioner Keith Nelson said big changes are ahead in the next eight to 10 years as the Northern Lights Express, the passenger train service between Duluth and the Twin Cities, becomes a reality.
"It's going to go from a museum to a real, live, everyday train destination," he said.
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
