Mission Statement
The Mission of the Milan Village Arts School is to engage people in the practice of traditional, contemporary and folk arts, fostering prosperity, community and culture in our region.
Founded in 1988, the Milan Village Arts School has grown and flourished in its rural, small-town environment. Modeled after the rural folk schools of Norway, the school was initially established to promote the folk arts of the early Norwegian settlers while providing income for local artists. Over the last 39 years, the school has grown to include many other art forms as it strives to cater to the artistic needs of the community.
Our 112 year old rural schoolhouse provides a comfortable and welcoming learning environment for our students while the old Milan school, which now serves as a vibrant community center, plays host to many of the arts school’s classes and artist studios.
MVAS is committed to providing a memorable learning experience for its students by combining the highest quality classes with the finest instructors in the best environment for learning. As a student of the school, you will enjoy:
- handpicked artists who are not only some of the best artists in their field, but are also excellent teachers.
- small class sizes that ensure individualized attention from the instructor.
- a private classroom that provides a quiet and comfortable learning environment.
- complimentary Arvid Nordquist Swedish coffee, tea, and cookies served throughout the class.
- an open invitation to become an MVAS member and the opportunity to share in thegrowth and development of our vibrant arts community in Minnesota.
All students are invited to become members and share in the school’s vision and mission. As
members, students receive a $15 discount on classes and have access to the school’s growing
portfolio of artist studios. MVAS realizes learning is a lifelong journey and is constantly
developing the facilities and studios that allow our students to grow as artists.
History of School
The idea of an arts school in Milan began at a 1988 community economic planning meeting hosted by Community Education Director, Bev Struxness. Milan was no different then many small rural towns in western Minnesota that were losing population to better economic opportunities elsewhere. Local businesses were closing as the economic realities of agriculture called for larger and fewer farms. But, Milan residents were determined to keep the quality of life they valued alive and flourishing.
Citizens throughout the region valued their Scandinavian heritage and the artists who practiced the ethnic folk arts that was a part of this heritage. A decision was made to help the many artists in the area by starting an arts school. The husflids or folk schools of Norway became the model for the Milan Village Arts School. Since 1988, the school has hosted classes for over fifty teachers, with student enrollments well into the thousands.
In 1995, Milan Village Arts School purchased the District 49 country schoolhouse built in 1915 for $50. The city of Milan generously donated land and the school was moved to its current location. Volunteers spent hundreds of hours helping to refurbish the old schoolhouse. Aaron and Arvid Swenson of Flom, MN, refurbished the school’s porches and bell tower in traditional Norwegian style. Dr. Frank and Linda Brathen donated the country school bell that adorns the building. Metal worker, Gene Sandau of Madison crafted the clapper. Area artists painted the building in its attractive Scandinavian inspired colors.
Through class tuitions, grants, memberships, donations and volunteer energy, the school has brought people to the community, helped to make it a better place to live, and made the appreciation of art an integral part of the community. The school offers a venue for local citizens and people from all over the United States to take classes. MVAS also participates in community events such as Syttende Mai in May to highlight the creative heritage of our community, and the Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl in the fall to build a market for our region’s arts.
Browse through this year’s list of classes, sign up and join in the appreciation of the prairie, its heritage and take the opportunity to learn and practice creative and artistic pursuits of all kinds.