Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation

2017 and the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation are just around the corner. Martin Luther College is planning to use the year to educate and celebrate the blessings God gave His church through Martin Luther and the Biblical truths restored at that time. W/ELS members are invited to join us in the kickoff event on Saturday, January 7 as we visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) special exhibit titled Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation.

According to MIA representatives, the exhibition has been OVERWHELMINGLY POPULAR to the point where they are now open on Mondays through it's close date to accommodate the huge demand. An overview (from the MIA website) gives the following description.

Five hundred years ago, one man took a stand that shook Europe and changed the world. Now you can see the story of Martin Luther and the Reformation brought to life through astonishing artworks and historical objects, traveling outside Germany for the first time ever. Luther used art and the newly invented printing press to challenge Europe’s leaders and spread a revolution of religious, cultural, and societal change. This exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, gold, textiles, and works on paper—as well as Luther’s personal possessions and recent archaeological finds—that shed new light on an explosive era and the man who ignited it.

MLC students, faculty, staff, and alumni have the option of taking a motorcoach from MLC. Those registering for the bus/lunch option on this site must pay with credit card. You may also register in the MLC Alumni Relations office and pay with cash or check to MLCAA. Please note that we do not provide refunds. You are certainly welcome to pass your reservation/ticket along to another eligible attendee if you can't go.

The bus will board by the MLC Chapel of the Christ at 10:45 (see full schedule below) and a sack lunch will be provided. Please enter the campus via Summit Ave & park in the chapel lot. Bus riders will take the 1:30 tour and can remain in the exhibit as long as they would like after the guided portion is completed. You'll also have the opportunity to view the permanent exhibits before we depart at 4:45.

A limited number of free tickets are also available to any W/ELS member who is able to meet us at MIA. You must register on this site and your tour will be at 3:00. The permanent exhibits are always free, but you need the ticket to enter the Luther exhibit. Once the guided portion is complete, you can remain in the special exhibit until MIA closes at 5:00. You are not allowed to leave and re-enter the special exhibit.

The entrance to MIA is on the east side of the building at 2400 3rd Ave S. Go in the main doors, then make a right into the MIA lobby. Steve Balza will be in a red MLC jacket near the information desk. You can meet him there to obtain your ticket between 1:00-1:10 or between 2:30-2:40. There is a complimentary coat check near the desk.

We've been told to expect huge crowds and to allow plenty of time to find parking, etc. You may find free parking on area streets or there is a lot and a ramp on the corner of S 3rd Ave and E 25th St, about 1 block from the MIA entrance ($7 for first hour and $1 per hour after that).

The schedule (below) includes time to explore MIA's permanent exhibits:

10:45 Bus loads by MLC Chapel of the Christ, 1995 Luther Ct, New Ulm
11:00 Bus departs from MLC with sack lunches
12:45 Arrive at Minneapolis Institute of Art,2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis
1:00-1:10 Distribution of tickets for bus riders and anyone from the 3:00 tour that would like to obtain their tickets early. You will meet Steve Balza in the MIA entry area near the Information Desk (watch for his red MLC jacket)!
1:30 Bus group takes 60-min guided tour of exhibit
2:30-2:40 Distribution of tickets for the 3:00 tour group. You will meet Steve Balza in the MIA entry area near the Information Desk (watch for his red MLC jacket)!
3:00 Those meeting us at MIA take 60-min guided tour of exhibit
4:45 Bus departs from MIA
5:15 Dinner stop at Eden Prairie Ctr, 450 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie
- food court options: Panera, Potbelly, Subway, Sbarro, DQ, Lee Ann Chin, Baja Sol
6:30 Depart from Eden Prairie Center
8:00 Arrive at MLC

Questions? Contact Steve Balza in the alumni relations office at 507-217-1731 or alumni@mlc-wels.edu