Museum of Northwest Art — Attraction in La Conner

What can I say about MONA? I love it. It’s small but the world within is expansive and full of life. Each quarter their exhibits are carefully curated to highlight the phenomenal artists of the Pacific Northwest and those of the Northwest School of Art. MONA is actively working to include the indigenous art of the Pacific Northwest and the modern day indigenous artisans. MONA is a major part of its community and the city of La Conner is proud to have it.

Entrance is FREE. That’s right, FREE. That’s huge for a museum. It’s all because of a generous donor whose goal is to make art available and accessible to all. Please throw a couple bucks in the donation bin so this fantastic local treasure can continue to be a staple in our community.

MONA is working hard in the education department. MONA has a program called MONA Link which connects teachers in the Skagit Valley with the museum and trains teachers in the scientifically proven method of art education of Visual Thinking Strategies. The teachers learn how to use art to promote critical thinking, something not valued as much in curriculums. The students come to the museum every quarter to visit and practice observing art and using their words to tell their volunteer guide what is going on. The volunteer guides are trained in VTS and work hard to make sure all the kids are speaking up, heard, and understood. Kids come out of the visit having spoken up and hearing their words summarized and affirmed. The kids learn how to do various art projects which connect with the artists featured and the mediums the artists used. It’s a truly rewarding and valuable program.

I’ll admit that I’m biased as I am a volunteer guide and I work closely with the museum education department but the MONA is truly a place I go to to relax and refill my energy and spirit. It helps that I’m very proud to be from the Pacific Northwest.

If you’re PNW Proud then get your butt out to La Conner and visit MONA. You...

This is a fantastic and very accessible art museum. Because of its small scale and its specific focus on Pacific Northwest Artists, the exhibits are very close in proximity affording one the ability to feel a connection to the art. The docent at the desk was very knowledgeable and willing to engage in conversations about the exhibitions showing currently and about art (and Pacific Northwest Art) more generally. Note that I did refer to artists of the Pacific Northwest, not to Pacific Northwest Art as a specific genre of art. Though there are elements and examples here of what could be considered examples from within such a genre, that is not the focus of this museum with its mission to "...connect people with the art, diverse cultures and environments of the Northwest." It is so obviously true to this mission as it spans all art genres in terms of medium, form, expression, or era, as long as the art is visual in its expression (as opposed to performed, or written, or lived, etc.) and it is geographically, or historically, or culturally connected to the Pacific Northwest in its creation. This is exactly what makes this such an invaluable resource to those of us who live here, and an absolute must on the route of those who are visiting our part of the world who would like to understand it better. This museum offers valuable and unique perspectives of the many cultures of the...

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here at the MoNA. I have been dealing with Chronic Fatigue for the past year, so the idea of any museum at this point makes me incredibly nervous. I was able to engage with the art on both the smaller-sized/medium sized first and second floor without feeling exhausted. The art itself was so engaging and relevant that I almost forgot I should probably sit down soon. I'm grateful to have experienced such a beautiful gallery as I haven't been to many museums in quite a while. This is definitely a place worth checking out. It's free, but donations are welcome, and the lady at the check-in desk was quite a lovely soul as was the lady on the shop side. When visiting LaConner, I recommend making 40 minutes of room in your schedule for this...