River Arts Alliance

Beginner Watercolor Workshop | Winona Arts Center
2026-02-24 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Winona Arts Center, 228 E 5th St., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
The Winona Arts Center (228 E 5th Street) is excited to host Miranda Lomeli-O’Reilly Beginner’s Workshop: Learn the Magic of Watercolor THREE-PART SERIES on February 10,17,24 2026. Join our three-part weekly workshop, perfect for absolute beginners or anyone looking to refresh their foundational skills! Gain the confidence and techniques necessary to start your own watercolor practice.
Join us Feb 10,17,24 from 5:30-7:30pm. Class fees are $135 for members or $150 for non-members. One time $20 material fee. Scholarships are available.
Register with Jen at jsbenson50+WAC@gmail.com.

Call to Artists: Between the Bluffs Plein Air
2026-02-24 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-25 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-26 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-27 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-28 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-01 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-02 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-03 18:00 - 21:00 and 1 more date | MN
Demonstrations: Sat. Oct 11 9 – Noon
Show: Oct 17, 18, 19
Betweenthebluffs.com
Colleen Shore is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.

Frozen River Film Festival Celebrates 20 Years with New Film Series
2026-02-25 - 2026-03-04, 2026-02-26 - 2026-03-05, 2026-02-27 - 2026-03-06, 2026-02-28 - 2026-03-07, 2026-03-01 - 2026-03-09, 2026-03-02 - 2026-03-10, 2026-03-03 - 2026-03-11, 2026-03-04 - 2026-03-12 and 1 more date | MN
frff.eventive.org
This year the Frozen River Film Festival (FRFF) will be celebrating 20 years of bringing documentary films and filmmakers to Winona. The festival begins Sunday, February 9, (You can still get home in time to watch the Super Bowl!) and runs through Sunday, February 16. This year’s event will feature the World Premiere of FRFF’s self-produced documentary, Beneath the Ice: The Frozen River Film Festival Story. Learn more.

Forecast Webinar Series 2026
2026-02-26 12:00 - 13:30 | MN
Register Now—Creative Power, Civic Purpose: How Artists Strengthen Democracy

We’re excited to launch Creative Power, Civic Purpose: How Artists Strengthen Democracy, a six-part virtual series supported by the Educational Foundation of America (EFA).
The series explores how artists and culture bearers strengthen civic health, deepen democratic participation, and help renew the civic fabric of communities across the country.

Unwind Fridays Return to Blooming Grounds
2026-02-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Blooming Grounds Coffee House, 50 E 3rd St., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
H3O Jazz Trio kicks off their Unwind Friday series for the 4th year on Friday February 27, 2026, from 6 to 8 pm at Blooming Grounds main location, 50 E. 3rd Street, Winona, MN.

Murder in the Vault: Secrets of the Past
2026-02-27 18:30 - 21:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson St, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
Murder in the Vault: Secrets of the Past! A live mystery-themed fundraiser on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 6:30-9:30 PM at the Winona History Center. Guests enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar, then interview suspects hidden throughout the museum to solve a “who-done-it” mystery with prizes for the best detectives. Tickets are $30 pre-sale / $40 week of the event.

Sugarloaf Community Theatre Presents Winnie the Pooh and the Birthday Surprise!
2026-02-28 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-28 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-03-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Bluffview Montessori School, 1321 Gilmore Ave, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
If you’re seeking an affordable audience-interactive theatrical experience for all ages, Sugarloaf Community Theatre’s original production of Winnie the Pooh and the Birthday Surprise, written by local playwright Ash Wicka, delivers. Tickets make a great Valentine’s gift for family, friends or yourself and the experience is sure to deliver laughs, a gentle heart massage and a “be kind” message.

Weary Ramblers Concert | Winona Arts Center
2026-02-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Winona Arts Center, 228 E 5th St., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
The Winona Arts Center is excited to welcome the Weary Ramblers in concert on February 28 at 7:00. Doors open at 6:00 for gallery viewing and coffeehouse. Ticets are $20/adv and $25 door. Tickets can be purchased at Music Mart (115 E 3rd St) with no fees or on Eventbrite.

“Grand Panorama Rewind” at MMAM is Closing
2026-03-01 11:00 - 17:00 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Dr., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum’s popular exhibition, A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World, will be closing on March 1 at 5pm.
Painted in 1848 and at 1275 feet, the Grand Panorama is the longest painting in the United States. The panorama is stored on four large rolls. Due to their size, and time it takes to change these rolls, MMAM curators and staff must change them while the museum is closed. But before they can be changed, the rolls must be rewound back to the beginning. On Sunday, March 1 at 11am, MMAM is inviting the public a behind-the-scenes viewing of the panorama in motion as the final of the four rolls is rewound.

Sarah Ghazal Ali | The Laureate Writers Series
2026-03-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Blue Heron Coffeehouse, 162 W 2nd St, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
The Laureate Writers Series program for Tuesday, March 3 will feature Sarah Ghazal Ali, an American poet, essayist, and literary editor who is currently an Assistant Professor at Macalester College in St. Paul. The event will take place at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Winona Community Sing | Healing Through Song
2026-03-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Central Lutheran Church, 259 W Wabasha St., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
On Wednesday March 4, 2026, at 7 pm (following the Holden Evening Prayer service), Central will host a Community Sing led by local musician and music educator, Dr. Colleen Chester. The concept is simply to facilitate a space for people to gather as a community, sing, feel joy and togetherness, and hold space for one another as we move through this time.

Water Music: Chamber Music at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
2026-03-05 16:30 - 18:30 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Dr., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
November 13, December 11, March 5, April 16
4:30 and 7:00 each day
Minnesota Marine Art Museum
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is pleased to announce the return of Water Music: Chamber Music at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, presented in partnership with the Winona Symphony Orchestra. Now entering its fifth season, Water Music brings together art and music through a series of four chamber music concerts performed in an intimate setting within the museum’s galleries. Each performance is designed to highlight both the visual treasures of the MMAM and musical masterworks connected by a shared theme.
New for the 2025–26 season, each concert evening will feature two performances, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Between the two performances, guests are invited to enjoy a reception in the MMAM atrium, featuring a treat prepared by the museum’s new Waterbar Café + Provisions inspired by the evening’s program, included with the ticket price. A cash bar will also be available. Guests are encouraged to come early or stay late to enjoy food, drinks, and conversation surrounded by art and music.
The Water Music season begins on Thursday, November 13, 2025, with Water Music: Epic Journeys, paired with the exhibition A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World. The program will include Shostakovich’s Two Pieces for String Octet and Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, featuring guest violin soloist Nash Ryder and musicians from the Winona Symphony Orchestra and Apollo Chamber Music.
The second concert, Water Music: Christmas Concertos, will be presented on Thursday, December 11, 2025, paired with Alexis Rockman: Oceanus. The program will include Torelli’s Christmas Concerto, Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on “Greensleeves”, and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, performed by musicians from the Winona Symphony Orchestra.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, MMAM will host Water Music: Quince Ensemble, paired with the exhibition Fluid: What is Marine Art and What Can it Be? This program will feature Zohn-Muldoon’s Destierros and Night and McKinley’s Ten Medieval Songs, performed by guest artists Quince Ensemble and violinist Erik Rohde.
The season concludes on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with Water Music: The Coast and the Sea, paired with the exhibition The Coast and the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America. This program will include new chamber works written for baritone Alan Dunbar, featuring Dunbar and guest musicians.
Single concert tickets are $30 for general admission, $25 for MMAM members, seniors, and active military, and $10 for students. Tickets may be reserved online at https://mmam.org/water-music. The Water Music series is presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and the Winona Symphony Orchestra, and is supported by Your Classical MPR.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is a nonprofit art museum that creates meaningful art experiences that explore our relationship with water. Located in Winona, Minnesota, the purpose-built museum is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and boasts six galleries, an educational and events space, and a destination retail shop on its seven-acre riverside campus. It is through this surprising diversity that MMAM is not only describing what marine art is, but pushing the boundaries of what marine art can be.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is an organizational member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.
Image credit: Previous Water Music concert at MMAM, surrounded by the immersive art of Anne Labovitz, featuring Liz Pearse, soprano, and musicians of the Winona Symphony Orchestra.
