Welcome to the Art Barn!

The Flaten Art Barn plays host to a variety of activities. In addition to serving as a space for classes, the Art Barn is often utilized as a retreat center, all-day meeting space, and conference location.

The Art Barn, which opened in the fall of 2013 in its new location adjacent to the wind turbine, is a reconstruction of a 1932 building that served as the first home of the college’s Art Department. It is named after its designer/builder and the founder of what is now the Department of Art and Art History, Arnold Flaten.

The Art Barn was built using methods and materials designed to make the building as self-sustaining as possible, and as a result, it requires very little energy to maintain temperature and lighting.

Read more about the facility in this news story about its dedication…

In the spring of 2023, a sculpture entitled Striving for Peace On Horizon’s Brim was installed near the Flaten Art Barn. Created by St. Olaf Professor Emeritus of Art A. Malcolm “Mac” Gimse ’58, this kinetic, interactive sculpture serves as an emblem of hope for peace among humans, all living things, and the earth. Learn more