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