When it comes to viewing artwork, you might not immediately think of Fargo, North Dakota, but you’d be surprised at the quality of local galleries and museums that highlight pieces of art created by local and national artists. If you’re in the market for some new pieces of artwork for your home or just want to view some stunning works of art, make sure you visit one of these places. Many of these locations have rotating exhibits, so even if you’ve visited any location once, you’ll likely see new pieces created by other artists.
Dakota Fine Art
11 Eighth St. S.
Operated by a collective of artists, Dakota Fine Art sells art from the first floor of the historic Dakota Business College in downtown Fargo. In 2018, nine local and regional artists created this gallery, which gives you a first-hand look at how artisans create their artwork. It also hosts the work of guest artists on rotation so fresh work is abundant constantly.
Stop in from Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and you can see completed works of art created by local artists. You might also be able to watch these artists working directly in the studio, creating paintings, jewelry, and sculptures as well as developing photography prints.
Gallery 4
Founded in 1975, Gallery 4 is the longest consecutive-running artist cooperative gallery found in the United States. This cooperative gallery-owned and operated facility, which sits in downtown Fargo, showcases artwork from professional local artists who have varying backgrounds and use different mediums. These artists all take turns working the gallery showroom, so you can stop in and speak directly with some of these talented artists. Also, to keep artists involved, the gallery boasts an artist membership program that gives local artists a chance to publicly display their works.
The gallery recently remodeled a room within its facility so it can better support emerging and veteran artists who are seeking a location to display their artwork. This room is named after Matilda Roberts, one of the founding women who settled in Fargo. She also has the street named after her in which the gallery sits. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and admission is free.
Plains Art Museum
704 First Ave. N.
When it opened in 1965 in the former Moorhead post office, the Plains Art Museum was known as the Red River Art Center. It changed its name to the Plains Art Museum in 1975 but remained in Moorhead until 1996. That’s when it moved into a warehouse in downtown Fargo and opened to the public the following year. It now boasts 56,000 square feet of space, of which 9,000 have climate, security, and light-control security. Since its inception, the museum has collected, exhibited, and preserved thousands of pieces of artwork, and its permanent collection contains about 4,000 works.
Each year, the museum offers approximately 12 special exhibits along with numerous smaller collections. Many of these exhibits highlight artwork from the 20th and 21st centuries. The museum is open daily except on Sundays. General admission is free, but for a small fee, you can opt for a 60-minute guided tour led by the museum’s educators. Reservations for these tours are required.
The Rourke Art Gallery and Museum
521 Main Ave. in Moorhead
Opened in 1960 by brothers James O’Rourke and Orland J. Rourke, The Rourke Art Gallery and Museum has played a unique role in expanding the cultural landscape of the area. The building that houses the gallery and museum served as the area’s post office until 1960 when it became the Moorhead City Office Building. It later housed Red River Art Center, the Plains Art Museum, and now The Rourke Art Gallery and Museum. Throughout its history, the facility has highlighted the local talent and is home to permanent collections that include more than 5,000 works of art.
The gallery and museum currently serves as one of the elite sales venues in the Midwest. The permanent collections found within the gallery include important regional art from 20th- and 21st-century artists who represent global cultural traditions that date back more than 1,000 years ago until today. Most of these pieces have been acquired over time, but a vast amount came directly from a lifetime of collecting from the late James O’Rourke. Public viewing hours are from 1 until 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission is free.
Underbrush Gallery
1450 25th St. S.
Underbrush Gallery originally began in Fergus Falls in 1981, moving to its current location in the Market Square Mall just four years later. It highlights local, regional, and national artists by displaying their artwork. Its curators are always on the hunt for new and unique works of art, so they’re busy traveling across the country throughout the year to various art shows. After visiting each show, these curators can make connections with artists and share their artwork with the Fargo community. As a result, you can view vast collections of sculptures, ceramics, and paintings.
What sets the Underbrush Gallery apart from other local galleries is that it’s billed as a full-service art gallery. This means that the gallery can also custom-frame your originals and prints. Its experienced framers delicately handle each piece of artwork to best preserve them. You can also choose from among hundreds of frames in almost any finish and style. It’s open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
What do you think of this list provided by the Rydell Auto Group of the best art galleries and museums to check out in Fargo? Did we mention all the important ones or did we miss one of your favorites? If we missed one, make sure to reach out to us so we can add it to our list. After focusing on galleries in Grand Forks to visit, we want to mention all the best ones near Fargo so you can view stunning pieces of art and perhaps pick up a few for your home.
Connect with us
