When Scott Pollock became executive director of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) in 2022, he didn’t know the museum’s magnificent collection, on loan from its owners, would be withdrawn, and he would have the opportunity to reinvent the organization. Since then, he has led the development of inventive new programs that animate the Winona museum’s stunning galleries and grounds on the banks of the Mississippi. MMAM is emerging as the centerpiece of a new wave of interest in southeastern Minnesota. The region is increasingly recognized as one of the state’s most beautiful landscapes and most active cultural scenes.