Cafesjian Art Trust Museum comes to Shoreview this fall

A new art museum with a focus on studio glass is under construction in Shoreview, bringing a late businessman and philanthropist’s private collection all under one roof.

Driving the news: The Cafesjian Art Trust (CAT) Museum, a 20,000-square-foot museum supported by a foundation of the same name, will display nearly 3,000 pieces of contemporary and modern art from Gerard Cafesjian’s private collection when it opens this fall.

Flashback: Cafesjian, who lived in St. Paul for many years and made his fortune selling his publishing company, funded local and international art projects for decades before his death in 2013.

• In 2000, he donated over $1 million to save the Minnesota State Fair historic carousel from auction and restore it; “Cafesjian Carousel” now resides in Como Park.

What to expect: Contemporary architecture with sculptures suspended from the ceiling, rotating exhibits alongside permanent collections, a reading room/library and a garden, curator Andy Schlauch tells Axios.

• The inaugural exhibition will showcase large blown glass pieces by Dale Chihuly, a friend of Cafesjian.

Yes, and: Unlike most Twin Cities museums, the CAT will be free to everyone.

• “We wanted it to be as accessible as possible to everyone, for as long as we’re financially able to. It seemed like the right thing to do,” said CAT trustee and Cafesjian's daughter, Kathie Cafesjian Baradaran.