For 12 days every late August through Labor Day, the Agriculture Horticulture Building at the Minnesota State Fair draws dense crowds. They come not just to look at prized apples or giant pumpkins, or to take a break from the scent of Sweet Martha’s Cookies and trips down the giant slide, but to witness one of Minnesota’s most beloved folk traditions since 1965: crop art.
At the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s community commons, the second annual “Cream of the Crop: The Second Harvest” features 30 works chosen by Mia curators from the 2026 state fair. Highlighting four “Hidden Gems at Mia” and one “Mia Favorite,” the exhibition gives all the pieces a second chance to shine beyond the fairgrounds.
Crop art involves the meticulous process of arranging native seeds, grains and other agricultural materials into intricate mosaics. The works are highly expressive in response to current events, often reflecting opinions and ideas as diverse as the seeds used to create them…