Red Wing, Minnesota, a quaint river town situated an hour southeast of the Twin Cities, is known for its boots, the Sheldon Theatre, Barn Bluff, and historic downtown, but it’s also recognized for its flourishing arts community. The Anderson Center, for instance, the city’s annual fall arts festival, and various galleries, public art installations, and more all make Red Wing a hub for creatives. Three years ago, though, world-renowned Red Wing Stoneware & Pottery (ever seen a gorgeous Red Wing crock?) stopped producing stoneware—leaving a large gap in the area’s clay and stoneware community.
But recently, Red Wing Arts—a local organization that supports artists, hosts galleries and festivals, and offers workshops and art classes—decided it was time to reactivate the legacy of clay with the expansion and opening of Red Wing Arts Clay & Creative Center.
The new center, located on Old West Main Street and, believe it or not, sited in the old Red Wing Stoneware & building, is slotted to open April 2022. The re-imagined Clay Center will showcase the diversity of clay art, feature a sales room for retail sales, and exhibition space that highlights the region’s creatives. The 6,600-square-foot location will also feature community space for workshops and classes with professional instruction from a platform of multidisciplinary teaching artists.
“We’re so excited to bolster the significance of clay and the legacy of its artform in our community,” Red Wing Arts executive director Emily Guida Foos says. “We have heard from many that more opportunities are needed. Our expansion is based on that feedback and the tremendous endorsement we’ve received from the community.” Learn more about Red Wing Arts’ initiatives and programs here.
Red Wing Arts Clay & Creative Center, 1920 Old West Main St., Red Wing, 651-388-7569, redwingarts.org
