Minneapolis Art Museums Close in Solidarity With Anti-ICE Strike

6 hours ago7 min read

In a powerful act of institutional solidarity, two of Minneapolis’s most prominent cultural landmarks—the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art—will close their doors on January 23. They join a wave of hundreds of local businesses participating in a citywide strike, a direct protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the agency’s killing of Renee Macklin Good.This isn't merely a day of closure; it's a profound statement about the role of public institutions in social justice. Museums, often seen as neutral bastions of culture, are consciously rejecting that passivity, aligning themselves with a community in grief and anger.The strike, organized by a coalition of labor and activist groups, centers on demands for accountability and systemic reform, highlighting how immigration enforcement has become a deeply local crisis. By shutting down, these art centers are leveraging their economic and social weight, transforming from venues of observation into platforms for action.This move echoes historical precedents where cultural institutions have taken stands during civil rights or anti-war movements, though it remains a rare and contentious step. The decision will undoubtedly spark debate about the politicization of art spaces, but it also redefines their civic contract. It asks: who are these spaces for, and what responsibilities do they hold to the people who live around them? The closure is a tangible, disruptive gesture that makes the political personal, forcing patrons and the public to confront the human cost of policy far beyond the gallery walls.

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#Minneapolis

#art museums

#ICE protest

#solidarity strike

#Renee Macklin Good

#business closures