“Why do you live in Minnesota?” is a common question for natives of the state, like myself. Tourists and transplants are often traumatized by our long winters, short summers, and constant construction. They are so distracted that they don’t always take the time to explore all that Minnesota has to offer.  A good example of this is our booming arts scene. Whether it be theatrical, culinary or gallery art, Minnesota is experiencing something of a cultural renaissance and people are definitely beginning to take notice.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area holds the record for most theater seats per capita, the only exception being New York City. From the Hennepin Avenue Theater District to the iconic Guthrie Theater and classical Minnesota Opera House in Minneapolis, we can definitely boast a sense of variety fit for any theater buff in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Theater geeks aren’t the only happy campers in Minnesota; foodies have also grown exceedingly impressed by our culinary standards. This year, nine Minnesota restaurants were nominated for James Beard Awards. Among those are St. Paul’s own Meritage and Heartland. The influx of top chefs to Minnesota and the public recognition in print and television have made it hard not to notice that the culinary standard in Minnesota has set a new bar.

However, an art explosion wouldn’t be complete without gallery art. Recently, USA Today voted Minneapolis’ Northeast Arts District the best in the country. Northeast famously plays host to “First Thursdays in the Arts District” and the ever popular Art-a-Whirl (May 20th-22nd). Minnesota is also home to many art museums including the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), The Walker Art Center, and Weisman Art Museum (WAM). In addition, when it comes to gallery art, small venues can often be a collector’s gold mine. This is proven with galleries such as Kolman & Pryor, Instinct and City Wide Artists, who have been stealing the show with their exhibits that seek to break the mold.

The Minnesota art scene can credit many in its recent success, including an eclectic community, generous financial contributions, the largest skyway in the world, and even our extreme weather. According to Acta Psychologica, the International Journal of Psychonomics, cold weather has been shown to allow people to think more abstractly and to enhance one’s ability to interpret metaphorical meanings.

As our non-Minnesotan fellow students drop their jaws in disbelief, answering their question, “Why do you live in Minnesota?” just became a lot easier to answer.