| Minneapolis claims to have the highest per | | | | Aquatennial, held in mid-July. The |
| capita attendance at theater and arts events | | | | Aquatennial display is reportedly the |
| outside of New York City and Chicago. The | | | | fourth-largest annual fireworks show in the |
| region is reportedly the third-largest | | | | nation. |
| theater market in the country, attracting | | | | |
| major performances. The Guthrie Theater is | | | | Arts education is also strong in the |
| the most famous theater in the city. | | | | Minneapolis area with schools like the |
| Minneapolis also supports two Tony Award | | | | Perpich Center for Arts Education, an |
| winning theater companies: the Children's | | | | arts-oriented charter high school, in Golden |
| Theatre Company and Theater de la Jeune Lune. | | | | Valley, the Minneapolis College of Art and |
| In order to help revitalize the downtown and | | | | Design, an arts college adjacent to the |
| warehouse district areas of Minneapolis, | | | | Minneapolis Institute of Arts, playing a |
| which had declined in the mid to late 20th | | | | central role in the city's visual, music and |
| century, the city purchased and renovated a | | | | literary scenes, and the Art Institutes |
| few theaters on Hennepin Avenue to create the | | | | International Minnesota, located in downtown |
| Hennepin Theatre District, including the | | | | Minneapolis on the corner of Hennepin Ave. |
| State, Orpheum, and Pantages venues. | | | | and 9th Street, is an arts college which |
| | | | focuses more on computer arts, such as |
| In 2004 with an attendance of 50,197, | | | | graphic design, animation and media graphics, |
| Minneapolis's Minnesota Fringe Festival was | | | | photography, and interactive media design. |
| the largest non-juried performing arts | | | | |
| festival in the United States and the third | | | | Throughout the city are scattered various |
| largest Fringe festival in North America. In | | | | sculptures and murals. |
| 2005, the Minnesota Fringe ran 11 days, | | | | |
| August 4-14 with 44,630 paid tickets. In | | | | Minneapolis was home to the "Minneapolis |
| 2004, 1,100 artists produced over 800 | | | | Sound" in pop music in the 1980s. Prince is |
| individual performances and events. | | | | Minneapolis's most famous musical progeny. |
| | | | His 1980 album Dirty Mind, features a song |
| The most extensive museum in the city is the | | | | called "Uptown", dedicated to his favorite |
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Modern art is | | | | neighborhood in the city, and several other |
| displayed in the Walker Art Center. The | | | | songs include references to the city. |
| Walker includes an outdoor sculpture garden | | | | Arguably, producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis |
| with "Spoonbridge and Cherry," which has | | | | have also been as or more influential as |
| become a symbol of the city. | | | | Prince in creating the Minneapolis Sound. |
| | | | |
| The Warehouse District adjoining downtown was | | | | Alternative rock groups such as Hüsker |
| a hub of studio and gallery activity in the | | | | Dü and The Replacements were a force in |
| 1980s, but most artists have been driven out | | | | the 1980s, and Paul Westerberg (of the |
| by high rents. Today the Northeast | | | | Replacements) still lives and works in |
| Minneapolis Arts District is the most vibrant | | | | Minneapolis. Popular acts from the 1990s |
| visual arts community in the city, though the | | | | include The Jayhawks, Semisonic and pop group |
| largest art event (one of the largest in the | | | | Information Society. In recent years |
| nation) is the annual Uptown Art Fair. | | | | Minneapolis has garnered a significant hip |
| | | | hop community with labels such as Rhymesayers |
| Numerous festivals are held across the city | | | | Entertainment and Doomtree. |
| during the year. Many are small, although | | | | |
| others can attract visitors from across the | | | | It is also interesting to note that one of |
| region. Fireworks displays occur several | | | | the most replayed songs of the past fifty |
| times a year, although the largest is not on | | | | years, Funkytown, came out of the Minneapolis |
| July 4th as in most American | | | | scene. It was recorded by the disco group |
| cities—that is reserved for one night | | | | Lipps, Inc. and former Miss Minnesota |
| during the official city celebration, the | | | | finalist Cynthia Johnson. |