Soo Visual Arts Center is a non-profit 501 c3 arts organization that has shown a diverse cross section of over 2800 under-represented artists since opening in June 2001, with approximately 10,000 visitors a year. As a leader in discovering new talent and with a strong focus on emerging artists from Minnesota, SooVAC offers free year-round exhibition programming coupled with educational support, artist talks, workshops, events, printed publications and online programming. Our curatorial focus promotes contemporary artists whose work challenges and expands conventional notions of aesthetics and ideology, never emphasizing “salability” over the content. SooVAC prides itself on the service and support it offers to exhibiting artists, acting as an advocate for career development and growth.

Curatorial Practice

Since 2011, a panel of rotating Minnesota artists/arts professionals has curated our exhibitions. We believe that the engagement of Minnesota’s experienced arts community members in the presentation of exhibitions at SooVAC adds diversification to our programming, enhances our relevance to expanded audiences, and gives voice to a broader spectrum of Minnesota artists. Our current panel consists of Betsy Carpenter, Pao Her, Carolyn Payne, Gregory Rose and Megan Vossler.  SooVAC’s free and open call for exhibitions invites artists working in any medium and at any stage in their career to apply. Annually we receive approximately 300 submissions and select artists for solo and group exhibitions from the applicant pool.