Meet Me in the Forest

Meet Me in the Forest features 21 contemporary works of art across media, including paintings, textiles, mixed media, glass, ceramics, photography and installations. Drawing upon the CAT’s collection, new acquisitions, and regional and national loans, the exhibition includes work by leading artists Carrie Mae Weems, Ebony G. Patterson and Ana Mendieta, alongside work by other nationally recognized and emerging new talent. 

"Meet Me in the Forest invites visitors to experience the many ways artists place visual narratives in natural worlds,”  says Jill Ahlberg Yohe, co-curator of the exhibition and the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art. "Many of our programs happen in the exhibition space and offers visitors the opportunity to experience Meet Me in the Forest through  conversation, music and shared discovery."

Throughout the season, visitors can explore the exhibition through after-hours curator-led tours led by Ahlberg Yohe or Linnea Seidling, co-curator of Meet Me in the Forest and the Cafesjian Art Trust Museums assistant curator of glass. The intimate tours will be offered Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 5, and Jan. 14. Tickets are $30.

"Our goal is to make every visit to the museum feel different," Seidling says. "Whether someone attends a concert, brings an infant to Baby Time, joins us for an artist conversation, or returns for a curator tour, each program offers a new way to experience the exhibition and connect with the artists' work."

The museum's popular family programming also returns this fall. Baby Time, a free program for infants and their grown-ups, will be offered Sept. 19, Oct. 24, Nov. 21, and Dec. 19. Designed as a welcoming first museum experience, the program introduces babies and caregivers to art in a relaxed, judgment-free environment. No reservations are required.

Preschool Pals, created especially for children ages three and four, is a free program and combines an exhibition tour, story time and hands-on art project on Oct. 7 and Nov. 18. Advance registration is required, with tickets available approximately one month before each program.

Music also takes center stage during the fall season through two special Concerts at the CAT taking place in the gallery. On Sept. 24, the museum will partner with the Minnesota Opera for an evening of vocal performances inspired by works featured in Meet Me in the Forest, followed by a private viewing of the exhibition. On Oct. 29, violinists Taichi Chen and Sally Dorer, violist Leslie Shank, and cellist Catherine Schubilske will perform selections from Beethoven’s Opus 130 and 132 and celebrated female composers Augusta Read Thomas and Elizabeth Maconchy. Tickets for both concerts are $30.

During Minnesota's MEA weekend, the museum will offer extended free drop-in hours Oct. 15–17 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, giving families additional opportunities to explore the galleries without reservations.

The season concludes with a special Artist Conversation featuring Kansas City-based artist Kate Clements and CAT curator of glass art Linnea Seidling on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 6–8 p.m. Clements, whose kiln-fused glass works are featured in Meet Me in the Forest, will discuss her artistic practice and the themes behind her work before guests enjoy an after-hours viewing of the exhibition. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale beginning at $10, with standard admission at $15 and a $30 pay-it-forward option. This conversation is presented as part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative led by Craft in America to celebrate American craft during the nation's Semiquincentennial. Through the program, the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum joins museums, artists, and cultural organizations across the country in recognizing the enduring significance of handmade artistic traditions.

For more information on all events, as well as for tickets to select experiences, visit The Cafesjian Art Trust Museum’s website.