Crafts are favorite items in Minnesota, with many craftspeople creating and plying their wares across the state. Historically important crafts, such as basketry, quilting and other textile arts, and pottery remain popular. Travelers will find plenty of places to enjoy crafts, from prestigious centers to crafts festivals.
Native American Crafts
For the Ojibwe and Dakota tribes of Minnesota, everyday objects were considered works of art. The Ojibwe were especially well-known for their abstract flower motifs, which they used to decorate everything from baskets to moccasins. Their moccasins also bore a distinct design that was well-suited to life in snowy regions. Instead of having a seam around the moccasin's edge, the soles of Ojibwe moccasins wrapped up over the foot, with the seam sewn under the ankle. The material on the moccasin's top puckered at the seam, giving the shoe its characteristic style.
To create everyday objects, the Ojibwe used many different materials. Birch bark provided the basis for items such as baskets, cradle boards, and canoes. Sweet grass was another common basket-making material, but is rarely used by today's basket weavers. Earlier generations of Ojibwe used porcupine quills and moose hair embroidery to decorate things like baskets and clothes; however, these skills also mostly died out, replaced after European contact with intricate beadwork.
While the Ojibwe were primarily a woodlands culture, the Dakota lived mainly in the prairies. Rather than birch bark, the Dakota fashioned containers from clay, decorating their pottery with painted designs. But like the Ojibwe, the Dakota created decorative beadwork. Their patterns were also abstract, but more geometric in style. The Dakota people carved pipes from pipestone - a soft, red stone found in the area of Minnesota which is now Pipestone National Monument. They often decorated their t-shaped pipes with carvings, fringed wraps, and beaded bands. Today, Native Americans are still allowed to quarry at Pipestone National Monument, though obtaining the stone is difficult enough that only a handful of intrepid souls still undertake the task. Visitors to the monument may be able to watch pipe-making demonstrations.
Unlike some other regions of the country, like the Pacific Northwest and the desert Southwest, Minnesota doesn't prominently display native arts and crafts. However, visitors interested in Ojibwe and Dakota crafts can still find them at a few places, like the gift shop at Pipestone National Monument and at the trading post across from the Mille Lacs Indian Museum, which features works from a number of Native American tribes. Powwows provide another opportunity to see native arts and crafts, or possibly connect with a craftsperson to commission your own unique piece.
Spotlight on Scandinavia
Minnesota's Scandinavian heritage shows in its crafts as well. Immigrants who came to Minnesota from Scandinavia found conditions similar to those they left behind. Birch bark had been an important material for making containers in their homelands, and carrying on the tradition in Minnesota was easy. Swedes often decorated their birch-bark boxes with stamped motifs. Carved wooden handles adorned the lids, and both the lids and the bottoms were painted with linseed oil and colored pigments. More simple, streamlined birch bark boxes were made by Scandinavians as well. In addition to boxes, Scandinavians used birch bark to make many other items, such as bread baskets and knife sheaths. Norwegians contributed rosemaling, a folk style of decorative painting, to the state's crafts culture.
Perhaps the most ubiquitous Scandinavian craft travelers may see are Dala horses, which originated in Sweden in the early 18th century. These simple, hand-carved wooden horses are painted in bright colors, with flowery patterns representing a saddle, bridle, reins, and mane. One of the best places to see Dala horses is in Mora, the sister city to Mora, Sweden. The town even boasts a giant Dala horse along the roadside. Measuring 22 feet high and made of fiberglass, the horse has become quite an attraction. In Scandia, Gammelgården Museum features a large collection of Dala horses, as well as other immigrant crafts. After learning about historic items, stop by the museum's gift shop to browse their selection of modern Scandinavian crafts and other gifts.
Visitors will find Scandinavian crafts at both ethnic and crafts festivals. For instance, the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival in Moorhead features numerous Nordic crafts vendors, as well as other cultural delights. Museums and cultural centers are other places to look. Scandinavian shops and gift shops may also carry either Minnesota-made or imported Scandinavian crafts. FinnStyle in Minneapolis and Nordic Living in Nisswa are two such stores, both of which carry items like renowned glass maker Oiva Toikka's beautiful, contemporary glass birds.
Textiles
With Minnesota's long, cold winters, skills like quilting, weaving, knitting, lace-making, and spinning were important to create necessary textile items. Quilting remains incredibly popular, with numerous quilting guilds, shops, and shows throughout the state. In fact, travelers come from all over the world to visit top stores like Gruber's Quilt Shop in Waite Park and the Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee. Organized "shop hops" provide quilters with a fun way to visit a number of shops, while also collecting special gifts, patterns, and prizes. Quilt Shops on the Prairie is one such day-trip in July, while the Quilters Bus Safari in April is an overnight affair. Those interested in genuine Amish quilts should stop by the Village School in Harmony.
Several major quilting and textile shows take place in Minnesota annually. The Minnesota Quilters' Show and Conference is held in a different location each year, but as one of the foremost quilt shows in the country, it always draws international attendees. The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Minneapolis includes other fiber arts on its roster, such as knitting and embroidery. In Duluth, Quilting on the Waterfront is another big event. All three events take place over several days and include workshops, lectures, vendors, and exhibits. In addition to these large events, many smaller quilting and textile shows can be found across Minnesota.
An excellent resource for those interested in the fiber arts is the Textile Center in Minneapolis. Housing a gallery, library, auditorium, classroom space, dye lab, and offices, the center supports fiber artists working in all forms. A number of organizations make their home at the center, such as the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and Minnesota Quilters. Others, like the Minnesota Knitters Guild, hold monthly meetings there, which visitors may be able to attend. Gallery exhibits range from the traditional, like Mexican shawls, to the innovative, such as textile goods made from recycled materials.
Clay Creations
Pottery enthusiasts will find plenty of places offering clay wares. Fans of collectible Red Wing Pottery can pay a visit to the company's workshop to see potters in action, as well as browse its large shop for dinnerware, vases, and other pottery products. Today's Red Wing Pottery eschews large-scale factory techniques, having gone back to its roots as a handmade, skilled trade. It produces the two types of pottery it became known for, its salt-glazed stoneware and Bristol glazeware.
The Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis maintains a sales gallery of works by leading regional and national potters. Its two exhibition spaces feature 10 to 13 shows per year, with pieces from all over the world. Studio space, classes and workshops, and grants all help clay artists develop and hone their craft. Every September, the center hosts the three-day American Pottery Festival.
Many pottery studios operate throughout Minnesota, and they're often included in studio tours. Or take the specialized annual Pottery Studio Tour sponsored by the Minnesota Potters of the Upper St. Croix River. This May event is a self-guided tour of six pottery studios, and it also features the works of visiting pottery artists from other states.
Festivals and More
While textiles and pottery are favorite crafts in Minnesota, wood work, metal work, and glass are common also. Among the state's many arts and crafts festivals are the spring and fall shows at Canterbury Park Racetrack in Shakopee. Boasting more than 500 artisans, visitors will find everything from stained glass to folk art. For a more specialized crafts fair, check out the Land of the Loon Arts & Crafts Festival, a celebration of the culture and customs of Northeastern Minnesota's settlers. It's held each June in the town of Virginia.
Travelers in search of a more hands-on experience may want to enroll in a class at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. The school offers classes in traditional North Country crafts, such as pine needle baskets, birch bark canoes, and Viking jewelry. Most classes last between one and three days, though boat-building classes can cover more than two weeks. Each February and March features an annual "Craft in the Spotlight," a themed exhibit of a particular craft, as well as related courses, speakers, and gatherings over the weekends.
When it comes to crafts, the Land of 10,000 Lakes offers a wide variety of opportunities for travelers. Whether you want to learn more about one particular craft form or just browse a local crafts fair, you'll find it in Minnesota.
