Minnesota Center For Book Arts

Wandered in here killing time before a Guthrie performance — we had a good time looking at the letterpress on display and wandering through the gift shop. The classes sound great here — love that the MCBA & the Loft offer classes in the same building so you can really learn how to make a book soup to nuts from writing to physical book!
Have to confess that we mostly spent our time here sitting at the big table in the gallery space going through the North House Folk School offerings in their course catalog… can’t wait to register for one of those.

This place is incredible. I stumbled in here by accident one day. I’m not from Minneapolis, but I’m around occasionally. I had actually considered moving there and even attending this center. I didn’t know that much about the center though and the actual physical location of the place did not exist in my mind.
So, one day I came in early on a megabus, not realizing I was just a block from one of the most incredible discoveries I would ever experience. I began to explore, thinking I’d find a coffee shop to sit in while I waited for my ride.
I entered the coffee gallery and ordered a chai tea latte. Then I realized it was connected to what looked like a sort of craft-​book gift shop. Now, I LOVE bookmaking, so I was drawn to this place with the same strength that draws an insect to an enticing bug-​zapper.
Once in the shop, I loved life entirely. I thought nothing could be more wonderful than a place like this — a beautiful coffee shop connected to a sweet, very carefully planned and well stocked book arts store. I was wrong. The one thing that could be more wonderful than this was all of the above connected to two stories of book-​making studios and two more stories of book-​making class-​rooms.
Heaven.
Will I be having breakfast at Tiffany’s? no. Breakfast at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Every. Day.

I’ve never taken a class here, but have about 5 in mind for after I graduate. They have classes on screenprinting, letterpress, bookbinding, papermaking and more. Classes range upwards of $ 100 and open studios are about $ 30.
I love the shop at MCBA. They have the typical, kitschy gifts, but they also have supplies. I love waxed thread for jewelry making and a yard is only $.25! WAY cheaper than I’ve found on the Internet. They have carving tools, needles, paper, and much more. This place helps me get my craft on.