Eagan: a Place for the Arts
When Mayor Maguire took office in 2007, he began advocating for public art as part of Eagan’s identity — promoting art installations in parks and displays in public spaces. He maintained that a city serious about community has to make room for art and creativity.
For years, we’ve worked towards a vision of Eagan as a place where art lives and creativity has a home. The new Art House is the culmination of a vision in place long before that ribbon was cut.
In 2013, the permanent preservation of the Caponi Art Park’s amphitheater and sculpture garden drew regional attention. The Minneapolis Star Tribune noted that “Eagan is working to grow art in the community, and advocates say residents are excited by the possibilities.” Parks Director Juli Johnson put it plainly: “Public art supports community engagement and identity.” Mayor Maguire agreed — and took action.
In 2017, Mayor Maguire was a central advocate within City Hall for selling Eagan’s former Fire Administration Building to Art Works Eagan (AWE), a fledgling nonprofit dedicated to cultivating and supporting local artists.
The $500,000 sale solidified a partnership between the city and the creative community. When AWE later dissolved and sold the building, proceeds were, in part, directed to an arts endowment administered by the Eagan Foundation — making grants and supporting Eagan artists and others across Dakota County and in the south metro for years to come.
In 2025, on the same site as the 2,000 sq. ft. rambler that was the original Art House, Eagan opened the doors of the NEW Eagan Art House — a 10,000 sq. ft. sustainably designed, permanent home for the arts in Eagan. It’s the latest chapter in a two-decade-long story of the arts in Eagan and it’s a milestone worth celebrating.
