The MMAA was founded as an art school in 1927, when it formally incorporated as The Saint Paul School of Art. Collecting works of art, for instructional purposes, began in the late 1930’s. Over time, the acquisition of additional paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and studio crafts expanded the School’s collection and, in 1969, the then Saint Paul Art Center was renamed the Minnesota Museum of Art. By the early 1980’s, the institution’s primary emphasis had shifted to exhibitions and research while still providing popular education programs.
