In 1993 The Minneapolis Institute of Arts formed a joint committee made up of educators and curators to produce this document, which formed the foundation for planning and interpretation during a reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses over 80,000 objects from diverse cultural traditions spanning 4,000 years of world history. In preparation for a museum-wide reinstallation of the permanent collection, the Interdivisional Committee on Interpretation was formed, made up of representatives from the Curatorial and Educational divisions. The committee worked for over a year to produce this document, which serves the foundation for planning and interpretation within the museum.
    The museum’s interpretive program grows directly from an understanding of our visitors’ needs and is intended to promote viewers’ engagement with works of art. This approach emphasizes creating opportunities for discovery and critical thinking rather than simply imparting facts. We are committed to the view that learning is a process, both for ourselves and for visitors to the museum. All forms of interpretation should provoke, stimulate, inform, and delight our visitors.

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