I recently discovered my new favorite place in the Twin Cities – the Museum of Russian Art. Mind you, I know next to nothing about Russian art, but I do so love the building!

The Spanish Revival style is not very common in Minnesota. One is much more likely to find such architectural examples in California. If you can picture the exterior of this building at Diamond Lake Road and 35W, you can easily guess at the characteristics of the style: smooth plaster or stucco walls, clay tile roofs, terracotta ornamentation, semi-circular arches, iron trim.

The Museum of Russian Art didn’t start out as a museum. It was built as a church in the early 1900’s, served as a funeral home for a while, and underwent a major renovation in 2005 to become the stunning modern-slash-Spanish Revival jewel that it is today. Retaining the main characteristics of the original style, it has been updated with wide open gallery spaces, glass railing, dark oak flooring, and the state-of-the-art accoutrements that all museums need.

Perhaps I love this building because I love art, or it reminds me of Tucson (where I used to live) and Santa Fe (where I live in my fantasy world), or just warm sunny places in general. In any case, I am sure to eventually become an expert on Russian art, because I’ll definitely be going back!

More information on the museum can be found at http://www.tmora.org/