Weisman Art Museum

On a breezy April day, take your clients to the Weisman, where the museum’s shimmering stainless-steel exterior reflects the sky above the Mississippi. Inside, the museum is celebrating the 100th birthday of artist Jon Schueler with Clouds, Temporarily Visible, an exhibition of Schueler’s Scottish cloud paintings, as well as cloud studies by photographer Edward Weston, an interactive sculpture constructed of thousands of light bulbs and chicken wire, and other work. Afterward, welcome the arrival of spring at Restaurant Alma with a bottle of sparkling cava brut and the chef’s seasonal tasting menu, an ethereal feast for the senses.
Weisman Art Museum, Mpls., weisman.umn.edu; Restaurant Alma, Mpls., restaurantalma.com

Walker Art Center

If you have clients saddened by the recent passing of Ellsworth Kelly, they’ll be delighted to find his spirit alive and well at the Walker, where his work is in the museum’s permanent collection. Take a spin through Art at the Center, 75 Years of Walker Collections, which also includes the iconic Big Self-Portrait by Chuck Close and Mondo Cane Shroud by Yves Klein. Once you’ve had your fill, walk across Siah Armajani’s Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge to Loring Park and secure a table at the Third Bird and enjoy live music and a spring dinner of trout with capers, fennel and lemon, and rice pilaf with fresh herbs.
Walker Art Center, Mpls., walkerart.org; the Third Bird, Mpls., thethirdbirdmpls.com

American Swedish Institute

Clients who are fascinated by local Scandi culture will appreciate the juxtaposition of the turn-of-the-century American Swedish Institute and its contemporary Nelson Cultural Center. Spend an hour browsing Watercolor Worlds, an exhibition of the monumental paintings of Lars Lerin, a contemporary Swedish artist. Find a table in the institute’s sleek Fika Café and order a bottle of Vouvray and a Nordic-style repast of colorful salads, artfully composed smorgasar (open-faced sandwiches) and house-made desserts.
American Swedish Institute, Mpls., asimn.org; Fika Café, fikacafe.net

Minneapolis Institute of Art

For an only-in-Minneapolis experience, invite your out-of-town clients to MIA to see American Modernism: Selections from the Myron Kunin Collection of American Art, one of the world’s most important privately held collections of American art. On loan from the family of Kunin, the late founder of Regis Corp., the exhibition features 80 portraits, nudes, abstractions and other works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Andrew Wyeth, Stuart Davis and others. Afterward, head over to Nighthawks on Nicollet Avenue—a contemporary riff on the urban diner. Start with the Hopper (as in Edward), a zesty grapefruit cocktail with a frisson of Surly Furious, followed by the Minnesoter, a foot-long hotdog embellished with potato salad and pickled herring; finish with a slice of pie.
MIA, Mpls., new.artsmia.org; Nighthawks, nighthawksmpls.com

Minnesota Marine Art Museum

Clients who love the water will enjoy a trip to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Located on the banks of the Mississippi in a historic brick building, the museum’s six galleries are filled with a priceless collection of marine and maritime art. Browse the current exhibition, 150 Years of Marine Art, before marveling at paintings by Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Wyeth and other masters. On your way back to the Cities, cross over to the Wisconsin side of the river and stop at Harbor View Café for haute home-cooking and painterly views of Lake Pepin.
Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona, mmam.org; Harbor View Café, Pepin, Wis., harborviewpepin.com