Upending expectations about the place and power of art
From training empathetic doctors to driving rural engagement, the University of Minnesota is redefining the power of art.
At their best, the arts help build community, inspire and drive positive societal change, and even spark innovation — in fields that at first glance might not seem to fit neatly within the usual expectations.
Among the University of Minnesota community of faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as the public the university serves, this is a university that is creating opportunities to encounter art in unexpected ways.
For example, at the University of Minnesota’s flagship Twin Cities campus, renowned institutions like the Weisman Art Museum are integrating the experience of art into medical school education through trailblazing collaborations with the Medical School’s Center for the Art of Medicine, using the arts to train resilient, empathetic doctors.
And students in the College of Design are proving through an annual fashion showcase that human-centered clothing can not only inform community, but showcase passion and compassion as much as apparel.
All this, while alumni educated here move into the world and make their own meaning, through their own art forms: music as a source for healing and environmental change; photography as a window into worlds we did not know existed, but within which we might recognize something of ourselves.
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Meanwhile, at the University of Minnesota’s campus in Morris, a children's theatre introduces hundreds of regional elementary students to performances that might otherwise be out of reach; innovative courses at the University of Minnesota Rochester explore the intersection of creativity and mental health while helping health science students see themselves as artists; the Crookston campus strengthens its communities through engagement with the humanities; while in Duluth, students look at the city through an artistic lens, envisioning what it can become for the people, plants, and animals who call this one-of-a-kind place their home.
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These featured stories illustrate that art is not only integral to our lives, but that in many ways, they help us live our lives more fully.
In the coming years, the University of Minnesota plans to accelerate these efforts, serving communities through knowledge creation and exchange in the arts, health, healthcare, and the economy. Learn more about our roadmap to the future at Elevate Extraordinary 2030.
The State of Minnesota consistently ranks #1 in the nation in per capita spending on state arts agencies.