Five reasons to visit the MIA on July 13

Everyone enters the museum with a different purpose. From grabbing a quick coffee to meditating on a particular work, visiting the MIA ties the community together, and that's a beautiful thing. As an art lover, I already had 80,000 reasons to visit the MIA. Now that I'm a mom, exploring the collection with my son gives me one new and very cute reason to come. Being both interested in art and a parent, a program like Family Day delights me to no end. The next one is on July 13, and while you don't necessarily need a big (or small) reason to come, here are five just in case:

1. It's free: Just like general admission to the museum, Family Day is always free and air conditioned, making it cool both figuratively and literally.
2. It's fun: Who doesn't love fun? Family Day is packed with tons of arts activities for the young and the young-at-heart.
3. "Marks of Genius: 100 Extraordinary Drawings from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts" opens July 13: Learn new things about old friends like Edward Hopper, Max Beckmann, Franc?ois Boucher, Edgar Degas, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and many others.
4. Admission to "Marks of Genius" is FREE: Regularly priced at $13 on weekdays and $15 on weekends, you can walk into "Marks of Genius" for exactly zero dollars during the thematically-relevant "Ready, Set, Draw" Family Day on July 13. Explore the treasures of the exhibition, take the audio tour, pick up new skills in the Drawing Room, and bask in the joy of human creativity.
5. It's important: Coming to the museum on Family Day means supporting the MIA's most excellent mission of creating an enriched community with accessible arts from the world's diverse cultures.

Inspiring wonder through the power of art is what the MIA is all about. Visit on July 13 and let the museum do its thing.

See you at Family Day!

Courtney Algeo
Brand Communications Specialist at the MIA

P.S. More of a night owl? Visit "Marks of Genius" in the Target Galleries on Thursday evenings starting July 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. for "The Artist Is In," where one artist each week will be on hand for informal drawing demonstrations, gallery talks, lessons, and to share his or her personal philosophy of drawing. See the list of artists then get your ticket!