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We encourage and celebrate the creative and performing arts that enrich the human spirit

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Arts Center.


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Owatonna Public Schools K-12 student art show
March 3-31

March is a very important month, including both National Youth Art Month and Women’s History Month.

The Arts Center is honored to show the art created by K-12 students of the Owatonna Public Schools in March. The exhibition is an excellent opportunity to see their work, what they are thinking, and the curriculum. This is a must-see show.



Thursday Musical - April 7 at 2 PM

The Thursday Musical is sharing with us the “FluteSpiration Quartet.” They will perform Sunday, April 7, at 2 PM. The concert is open to the public. The quartet uses the members of the flute family - piccolo, soprano, alto, and bass flutes.

Flutists include Trudi Anderson, Mark Brudevold, Peggy Doerrie, and Sandra Sheih.

The Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Tchaikovsky will be one of the pieces in the program. The musicians will share information about each instrument and composer.


OAC Golden anniversary

It has been just a short fifty years since the concept and first exhibition, classes, and musical performances started the Owatonna Arts Center in 1975. To celebrate its golden anniversary, the OAC would like to feature an exhibition of the talented individuals and artists of Steele County - from the past to the present in 2025. If you are one of those artists or have a work from one of the artists who is no longer with us, we would like to include it in the 2025 exhibition. Please contact the OAC if you have some art to share.


The Owatonna Arts Center was awarded a $5,000 general operating support grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC). Read more about it here:

https://www.southernminn.com/owatonna_peoples_press/news/arts-center-receives-semac-grant/article_2c38824c-798b-11ee-b5c1-4fc5b941028d.html


I was honored to have Al Smith draw my portrait. There was an unveiling at the Art Center and a celebration of my 75th birthday. Thank you to all the beautiful people who attended . I am honored and humbled by all the love the community gave me. A very special Thank You to Al Smith for the extraordinary portrait he drew of me. I am honored.

- Silvan Durben


OAC Recommendation

We had my daughter's 14th birthday party at the Arts Center doing pottery on the wheel. Christa was the instructor and she did an outstanding job with the girls. She was very patient and knowledgeable and explained each thing step by step for the girls and gave reasoning behind some of the techniques. She was willing to help individual girls when needed. Christa was willing to glaze and fire the pieces for us and when they were finished, called me to come pick them up! She gave the girls a little tour of the pottery area including where the kiln is. She also brought the girls upstairs to look at the mural after the class and explained the different pictures in it. I would highly recommend the Arts Center - not only did they do a fantastic job, it was reasonably priced as well!


Maxine Ronglien, co-founder of the State School Orphanage Museum, wrote about the beautiful stained-glass windows in the Owatonna Arts Center (former Children's Dining Hall).

The windows were installed in 1878 in the original Methodist church on Main Street. It took four years to construct and ship the glass. Coincidently, this was the church of State School Superintendent Galen Merrill and his family.

The legend goes that when the church was being torn down in 1974, Marianne Zamboni Young (one of OAC’s first Board members) threw herself in front of the wrecking ball and stopped the demolition for two days so the windows could be carefully removed. The newly formed Owatonna Arts Center wanted them!

Wenger Corporation constructed the metal frames that hold them now. Thanks to Mrs. Young, the windows were saved and became the iconic symbol of the Owatonna Arts Center.