Watch now: As the Coordinator of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Christopher Atkins describes himself as "a curator without a collection." While the encyclopedic museum boasts pieces that are decades to centuries old, the work that falls within Atkins’ purview comes from artists who are actively at work creating new pieces to exhibit within the MIA’s storied walls.

In the Spring of 2015, Atkins worked with Aaron Dysart to create “Surprise Party,” an installation in the MIA’s Fountain Court celebrating the museum’s 100th birthday, and with Pao Her on “Attention,” a 10-photograph exhibition in the MAEP gallery. Local artists are selected for the MAEP by a 7-member panel with knowledge of the Minnesota arts community and contemporary art.

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