Situated on the corner of Second St. and Warren St. lies the Emy Frentz Arts Guild, home to Twin Rivers Council for the Arts. Twin Rivers aims to connect the community to the arts and continue to grow the regional arts culture of Mankato for years to come. Noelle Lawton has served as the Executive Director for about two years now. The community can come to Twin Rivers for local arts information and to view rotating exhibitions. At the moment, the current exhibition on display in the gallery is Doors & Windows by Julie Johnson Fahrforth.
Her paintings depict scenes from around Mankato. Twin Rivers is probably best known in the community for putting on the City Art Sculpture Walk in partnership with the City Center Partnership. Mankato residents and visitors alike can take a walking sculpture tour around lower North Mankato and downtown Mankato.
Other public art made possible by Twin Rivers would be the flood wall mural along with the art adorning traffic signal boxes all across Mankato. Public art is important to the community because it allows for the city to take on a personality of its own and for people to go outdoors and appreciate art in unusual places. It provides a sense of inclusivity as anyone can enjoy art and interpret it in their own ways. As stated on the Twin Rivers website, “In addition to cultural enrichment, arts and culture create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, reduce crime, increase tourism, support economic growth, and promote a sense of civic pride in our citizens.”