Twin Cities museums begin welcoming back visitors for the second time

Twin Cities museums are welcoming visitors back for the second time since they were shuttered last March to halt the spread of COVID-19.

The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) was the first to re-open Monday, as Gov. Tim Walz relaxed the executive order that closed museums and other entertainment venues Nov. 21. Starting Monday, museums and movie theaters can reopen at 25% capacity, with a limit of 150 people.

The museum also is opening a new show next week, date to be determined, a solo exhibition of metallic prints and animations by Marlena Myles, investigating interactions between Russian explorers and indigenous people in Alaska.

The Twin Cities' two major art museums, the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center, do not plan to reopen until Jan. 28. But several other museums will open their doors this week.

TMORA returns with the exhibition "Leaders and the Masses: Mega Paintings From Soviet Ukraine," which debuted when the museum first reopened in July. The museum also is opening a new show Saturday, a solo exhibiti of metallic prints and animations by Marlena Myles, investigating interactions between Russian explorers and indigenous people in Alaska.

The newly remodeled Bakken Museum will open Tuesday, as will the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, which features a new exhibit, "Art Is My Weapon," aiming to engage the public in respectful conversations about gun violence.

The Minnesota Children's Museum and Minnesota History Center reopen Thursday.

The Somali Museum reopens on Friday with an exhibition by Somali painter Dirios. The museum is still partially under construction after being damaged in rioting last summer.

Hennepin History Museum reopens on Feb. 4 with "Local Heroes," a historical exhibition inspired by healthcare workers' response to the pandemic.

The American Swedish Institute plans to reopen Feb. 6 with a new exhibition of paper-based works, "Papier."

The Science Museum of Minnesota will not reopen for a couple months. When it closed before Thanksgiving, the museum instituted a 15-week closure plan that, a spokesperson said, "would help us preserve our resources and be in the best position to open in early March."

@AliciaEler • 612-673-4437