Conversations with 93-year-old Aribert Munzner in his studio at the California Building are always inspiring and fascinating. Spending time with Ari is a rare privilege that leaves visitors feeling motivated to create new artwork. Born in January 1930 in Mannheim, Germany, to Jewish parents, Munzner’s early life was marked by upheaval and displacement. In 1937, his family fled Hitler’s Germany and sought refuge with a family friend in Baghdad. Eventually, in 1939, they secured visas to the United States and settled in New York City.
Originally, Aribert had aspired to be a lawyer. However, during his second year in law school, he found himself drifting into the world of art, and that’s when he began his journey as a painter. He fondly recalled his innate ability to perceive music as “colors and images.” Throughout his artistic career, he drew inspiration from the works of renowned artists like Monet, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and even the Beatles.
In pursuit of his passion, Munzner earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University in 1953, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1955. Shortly after, he embarked on a distinguished teaching career at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in 1955, where he remained a devoted professor until 1993. Over the years, he also took on various administrative roles at MCAD, contributing significantly to the institution’s growth and development. Even after his formal retirement in 2005, he continued to mentor graduate students, showcasing his commitment to nurturing new artistic talent.
Munzner’s mentorship has left an indelible mark on countless artists, and he considers mentoring to be an “energy exchange” where every individual becomes a teacher. To him, these interactions are precious human gifts that bring forth genuine moments and meaningful art. During his time at Cranbrook, Munzner himself was mentored by Professor Zoltan Sepeshy. Frederick Haucke, Buckminster Fuller, Allan Watts, and Roman Vishniak also make the list of people Ari considered his mentors. The list of artists from Minneapolis that were mentored by Ari includes names such as Aldo Moroni, Nathanael Flink, Mieko Yamazaki, Jim Gregory, Richard Bonk, and many more.
With a career spanning multiple decades and various studios, Munzner refuses to pick a favorite, cherishing each one for its unique significance. Yet, his latest studio in the Arts District at the California Building holds a special place in his heart. Even at 93, Ari remains committed to his craft, making regular visits to the studio to continue “schmearing paint across canvases to tell a story.” Within the walls of his studio, visitors not only find great art but also engage in thought-provoking conversations that ignite creativity and inspiration.
Munzner’s artistic journey has been shaped by passion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to embracing one’s authentic self. He encourages artists to trust in the world of truth, shedding preconceived notions, and fully immersing themselves in the act of creation. Emphasizing the importance of curiosity and play, Munzner believes that by remaining true to oneself, a world of visual magic unfolds.
For several decades running, Munzner has titled all of his paintings “Genesis”—because, he said, “each moment is a genesis.” Each moment, for Munzner, is a new creation and a surprise. “If it’s a surprise, I like it because I don’t know what I’m doing!” He doesn’t start with a plan; “I think my fingers start things.” In choosing his colors and making his marks, he said he is mindful not to paint from an intellectual or pedagogic presupposition, but rather to be fully immersed in the “transfer of energy” between the painting and himself. In this way, he said, “the paintings paint themselves.”
The same fresh attention Munzner brings to his creative process is reflected in the way he interacts with each new person he encounters. When asked a question, he often pauses and closes his eyes, considering it as if for the very first time. “In 60 years of teaching and mentoring, I have never used notes. Whoever I am talking to, whether one or 500 people,” he said, he deliberately avoids arriving with a preconception, instead asking himself “How am I reading them? What are the vibrations? What is the interaction?”
For Munzner, each interaction, each moment, and each painting balances somewhere in the space between the minute microcosm and the vast macrocosm of the universe. “We’re standing here on one part of the planet, which is going quite speedily around, and at the same time the galaxy is going around, a mosquito just bit a dog. Now to me that is mysterious and and the more mysterious, the more I rapture in it within my own being.”
As Ari’s story continues to unfold, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District invites others to share their experiences and connections with this revered artist and mentor. Countless individuals have been touched by Ari’s guidance, and their stories are sure to add further depth and richness to the legacy of this beloved treasure of the Minneapolis art scene. We want to hear your story. Use the comment box below.
Article by Lisa Roy and Katherine Boyce
Ari is a truly and deeply wonderful human being… and artist.
Yes, that’s what I discovered about six months ago when I started visiting the maestro across the hall. Now, the nights he’s in the studio are my favorite hours of the day.
Honored to have Ari as a mentor, friend and multi dimensional guide to the cosmos! His painting and presence is truly a celebration of life in each moment’s genesis. Much gratitude for the being that manifests as Ari…
Richard Bonk, happy birthday to you and you need to drop by the studio so that we can all celebrate it together. Jim Gregory .
It’s been a true Joy and Delight discovering Ari and spending time with him and his gorgeous artwork in his studio. I will be back to have more wonderful conversations again and again! What a gift and privilege to work upstairs in the same building as such a kind and generous master!
Ari has been an inspiration and guide to other ways of seeing this crazy planet we live on! His constantly optimistic take on all things great and small is uplifting and nurturing. He has a consciousness and collection of artist friends that give an overview perspective of all things art! I am proud to be a friend!
Thanks for your visit to the studio. We have enjoyed your presence and cheerful manner! You know about my art but I don’t know much about yours. I look forward to more visit to the studio and I’d like to get to know you art geography as well. Jim Gregory .
Yes Bradley, me too, do you have website, facebook or Instagram, were we can see what you do? -remo
I am deeply touched by this article on Ari and humbled to be a friend of Jim Gregory who has grown as a human being and artist though his connection with Ari. Ari, such a treasure to the art world and to humanity.
I am deeply touched by Ari’s story as well and find his art piece at the beginning of this article stunning. Ari mentored Jim Gregory who is a friend of mine; I would feel honored to spend time with Ari.
Ari Munzer is an inspiration to me as I age. His creative energy is still flowing strong. We had Shabbat at my home several years ago and unbeknown to me, he made a drawing of our dog, Mook, and gave to me when he left. I still cherish it today.
Ari sounds like an amazing and brilliant man and artist. I will be looking to see his art. His paintings look beautiful and his mind and heart as well. Happy birthday.
Thanks for the invite, Jim
I first met Ari at Homewood Studios and then again at the Vine Arts Center where we were both members. I’ve always found Ari to be supportive and inspirational. I most certainly consider Ari to be a mentor of mine as well.
Ari has sensational paintings! On the my next visit to the Twin Cities I’m hoping to stop by Ari’s studio.
An incredible human being who rose from tragedy to become a great artist, harmonica player and life enthusiast!
He has inspired my inner life as well as many others. Let’s all raise a glass and wish Ari a hearty Happy Birthday!
I wouldn’t be who I am without Aribert, grateful that my path led to his when I was a young person
As much as Ari escapes all categorizations, you have created a wonderful way to point to the “bundle of joy/spirit/“creativity” that Ari, the artist and the human being, embodies! I have known Ari for 40 years, since the year I resided in Mpls while a visiting artist at MCAD. I have been touched, and continue to be touched by what Ari represents and does, in every realm! This kind of magician is unique, and as an ex-Twin Cities resident, I wish that Minneapolis would: as in Asian cultures, name him a “Living Treasure.” Some kind of honorific title should be bestowed to him. He has mentored too many students to count… Or name a particular day, Aribert Munzner Day. Or give him some kind of lifetime achievement- he is 94! The mayor’s office has a space for “Proclamations” that maybe can be tweaked to apply to individuals. He is a giant, the equivalent of a local “Picasso/da Vinci figure.” My friends in Mpls, what can be done? Thank you!