Nikolai I. Obrynba, 1913-1996
Before the Storm, 1957
Oil on canvas, 60 3/8 in x 100 1/2 in
Private American Collection

Be the first to explore Monumental Soviet Paintings at this festive preview night! Enjoy live music, light bites—plus special remarks from TMORA’s Curator and Executive Director.

Join us for the premiere of Monumental Soviet Paintings, an evening filled with extraordinary art and celebration as we mark the opening of this stunning exhibition. Be among the first to explore fifteen colossal works from the 1950s to the 1980s, unearthed from private American collections. These rare canvases portray Soviet workers—collective farmers, loggers, construction workers, and even an occasional waitress or artist’s wife—some depicted as heroic figures, others as quiet and contemplative. Displayed in public spaces like factories and administrative buildings, these paintings reflect the prominence of the working class in Soviet art.

This preview event, held the night before the official opening, gives you the first chance to experience these striking works up close.

The evening will also celebrate the exhibition Chemiakin’s Worlds, featuring thirteen works by Mikhail Chemiakin, one of the Soviet Union’s most prominent nonconformist artists. Known for his public sculptures and experimental art, Chemiakin’s work challenges the conventions of Soviet artistic norms.

Event Highlights:

• Light bites provided by Crave Catering.
• Live music by Twin Cities Hot Club.
• Shopping in the Museum’s renowned TMORA Shop.
• Special remarks by the Curator and Executive Director at 8:00 PM.

Beverages will be available for purchase. Advanced registration is encouraged but not required.

Friday, April 11  |  7:30 – 9:30 PM

TICKETS:
Adult $19 | Adult (65+) $17 | Student $5 | Children 0-13 FREE
TMORA Members – FREE

REGISTER

Please note, you will need to enter your Member number if you are RSVPing as a TMORA Member. This number can be found on your Member card. All Member tickets are reviewed to confirm membership status. 

Need help? Contact Allison Simms (Membership): [email protected] or Michelle Massey (Programming): [email protected]

BECOME A MEMBER

This event is presented in partnership with Crave Catering

ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONS

MONUMENTAL SOVIET PAINTINGS

This exhibition presents some of the largest paintings from the Soviet era that TMORA could unearth in private American collections. These rare canvases are inhabited by collective farmers, loggers, construction workers, and an occasional waitress or an artist’s wife, some of them tough and mighty proletarian superheroes, while others pensive and demure. The theme of the working class was raised high in the hierarchy of official Soviet art, presenting the Soviet worker as the country’s ruling class. Inspirational and finely executed, these enormous canvases decorated public spaces in Soviet factories, administrative buildings, and other institutions. The Soviet art market knew only one customer, the state itself, and this unique condition of the production of art continues to inspire curiosity and a desire to explore.

The exhibition includes fifteen monumental paintings from the 1950s-1980s. Several important works come from the collection of TMORA founders, Raymond and Susan Johnson. A few smaller canvases are also on view.

Monumental Soviet Paintings will be on view in the Main Gallery April 12 – September 21, 2025.

Nikolai N. Baskakov, 1918-1993
The Fisherwoman, Lyuba Porbina, 1960
Oil on canvas, 47 1/4 in x 31 1/4 in
The Raymond and Susan Johnson Collection

CHEMIAKIN’S WORLDS

The exhibition Chemiakin’s Worlds brings together thirteen works by Mihail Chemiakin, unfolding a striking variety of styles and techniques. Drawn entirely from the TMORA collection, this is Minnesota’s first solo show of the prominent nonconformist artist who opposed the power of the Soviet artistic establishment and was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1971 for his experimental art. Chemiakin first settled in Paris, later moved to New York, and now resides in France. He explains his identity, “I am an American citizen, a resident of France, and a Russian artist.” Chemiakin is widely known for his public sculpture, found in St. Petersburg, London, New York, Paris, Venice, and Moscow.

Chemiakin’s Worlds will be on view in the Robert J. Brokop Gallery March 15 – June 22, 2025.

Mihail Chemiakin, b. 1943, Moscow; lives and works in France
Still Life, 1968
Gouache on paper
Gift of Larry Freels