Art lovers have plenty of reasons to explore Minneapolis and St. Paul this weekend, with new exhibitions, artist receptions, and neighborhood gallery events taking place November 6–8. From colorful paintings and experimental multimedia installations to a juried showcase of Minnesota artists, the lineup offers several ways to discover local creative talent. Whether you’re interested in meeting artists, exploring new galleries, or catching an exhibition before it closes, these seven events are worth adding to your weekend plans.
Friday Receptions Bring New Art and a Final Exhibition Celebration
Friday evening offers two different ways to experience the Twin Cities art scene. At Hair + Nails Gallery in Minneapolis, artist Kaz K Sherman opens Aflutter Aflame Adrift, a solo exhibition that brings together her interests in dance, visual art, writing, and hands-on craft. Visitors can explore hand-carved electrical outlets, objects connected to dance, photographic prints, and videos showing abandoned or damaged spaces. The opening reception takes place November 6 from 7 to 10 p.m., with the exhibition remaining on view through December 30. Across the city, Modus Locus hosts the closing reception for Hilary Greenstein’s Disaster Femmes from 6 to 9 p.m. Greenstein’s paintings reinterpret feminine bodies through vivid colors, collage, textured surfaces, and surreal imagery. Drawing on queer femme identity and the history of found images, her work presents women as powerful, independent figures rather than passive subjects. The November 6 reception is the final opportunity to experience the exhibition at the gallery.
Lowertown First Fridays Opens Studio Doors Across St. Paul
Rather than visiting a single gallery, art enthusiasts can explore an entire neighborhood during Lowertown First Fridays. The November gathering takes place Friday, November 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., when artists across Lowertown open their studio doors or join local venues for temporary pop-up displays. The monthly event encourages visitors to meet working artists, discover new pieces, and see the creative spaces where some of the neighborhood’s art is made. Galleries and museums in the district also take part, with additional venues sometimes organizing performances, special activities, and interactive experiences. The event is spread across multiple locations rather than held in one central building, so visitors can plan their own route through the neighborhood. Lowertown’s restaurants and shops provide additional stops for anyone who wants to make an evening of the visit. It is a particularly useful opportunity for people interested in discovering artists and creative spaces they might not normally encounter.
Saturday Openings Introduce New Paintings and a Juried Minnesota Art Exhibition
Saturday brings two exhibitions with different approaches to presenting visual art. At Vine Arts Center in Minneapolis, Miho Libbey’s Life: What Blooms Within invites visitors into a colorful, flower-inspired world. Her paintings are described as conveying kindness, peace, warmth, and the strength and beauty of life. The exhibition runs November 7–22, with an opening listed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 7. The gallery’s event information also lists evening opening hours from 6 to 9 p.m., so visitors should confirm the schedule before attending. Later in the afternoon, Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale hosts the artists’ reception and award presentation for its 31st Extremely Minnesota Minnesota Artists’ Fine Arts Juried Exhibition. Running from November 6 through November 29, the show features work selected from artists who live and work in Minnesota. The November 7 reception runs from 2 to 5 p.m., and cash awards totaling $1,000 are scheduled to be presented. Together, the events offer a chance to see both an individual artist’s vision and a broader selection of creative work from across the state.
Saturday Evening Receptions Highlight Painting and Experimental Multimedia Art
Two Saturday evening receptions offer visitors a closer look at artists exploring very different forms of expression. At David Petersen Gallery in Minneapolis, Natalie Mazorol presents Funreal, her first exhibition with the gallery. The opening reception is scheduled for November 7 from 6 to 8 p.m., and the exhibition remains on view through January 10, 2027. Mazorol’s paintings combine figurative imagery and abstraction, using layered, scraped, and repeatedly reworked paint to create expressive bodies and unconventional faces. The same evening, Soo Visual Arts Center hosts the closing reception for New Experimental Work by Sarah Abdel-Jelil, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition is part of SooVAC’s Front Space Residency, which gives artists room to develop projects both inside and outside the gallery. Abdel-Jelil’s multimedia practice combines film, soundscapes, textiles, and interactive sculpture. Her work explores repetition, mirroring, movement, collective presence, and the relationship between people and their environments. The reception offers a final opportunity to experience the residency project before the exhibition closes on November 8.
