Courtesy of M.E.T. Projects, The ARt Cafe
Red Wing has long been known for its riverfront views, historic architecture, and thriving arts community. Now, the city plans to add another creative destination. Opening Aug. 16, M.E.T. Projects will debut with an exhibition that connects artists from around the world. Contemporary art isn’t always what people expect to find in a small river town—but that’s exactly what the team behind M.E.T Projects is hoping to change.
Opening Aug. 16 and running through Sept. 20, the new gallery occupies the building’s restored second floor, which has sat unused for years, above La Dolce Vita-The Art Cafe on Bush Street. Rather than creating a traditional exhibition space, the gallery’s founders—artists and art historians themselves—envisioned a place where established names, emerging artists, and different cultural perspectives could share the same walls.
That vision comes to life with “Impermanence,” the gallery’s inaugural exhibition inspired by the Buddhist concept of anicca—the idea that everything is constantly changing. The exhibition will explore themes of memory, transformation, and the passing of time while featuring everything from paintings and photography to printmaking and works on paper. “Our goal is to foster dialogue among artistic traditions, cultures, and ideas while contributing to Red Wing’s growing arts community,” organizers said in a recent release.
Visitors will find works by internationally recognized Hong Kong artist Lei Yan alongside acclaimed American artist Steven Sorman; longtime University of Minnesota art professors Thomas Rose, Tom Lane, and Gary Hallman; plus more artists from Red Wing and across the region. The exhibition also includes artists working within the centuries-old traditions of Asian painting and calligraphy, bringing together a wide range of voices into one space.
The opening celebration will begin at 5 p.m. on Aug. 16, when many of the featured artists will be on hand to meet visitors and discuss their work. Tibetan Buddhist teachers from Minneapolis’ Gyuto Wheel of Dharma Monastery will offer a blessing inspired by the exhibition’s central theme of impermanence. The gallery itself represents a transformation, too. By bringing new life into a long-overlooked downtown space, M.E.T. Projects hopes to become part of Red Wing’s identity as an arts destination, not just for local visitors, but for people exploring greater Minnesota as well. Admission to the gallery is free; wine and extras will be available for purchase during opening night.
M.E.T Projects, Second Floor Gallery, 219 Bush St., Red Wing; visit artcafeusa.com for details.
