For the inaugural show, Cruise presents the wild life prints of George Shiras III. Described as "the father of wildlife photography" by National Geographic, Sirras III pioneered the use of nighttime flash photography. Using magnesium flash triggered by a tripwire, Shiras captures images of white-tailed deer, lynx, raccoons, and more. Eerie and clear, these portraits offer traces of spontaneous meetings of human and animal.
Cruise is a hybrid contemporary art space and multipurpose retail gallery that reflects a “Third Coast” perspective connecting Minneapolis to other cities along the Mississippi River and the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes more broadly. Exhibitions are the backdrop for experiential art making. Cruise’s “art gym” model provides arts-and-crafts much like a fitness center. This increasingly common business model de-emphasizes traditional fine arts mastery and emphasizes skill sharing and social connection.
Cruise is a 2025 Awardee of the Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts Program, a Minneapolis-led funding opportunity to enhance creative opportunities in Downtown, Uptown, and other parts of the city, aiming to boost vibrancy, innovation, and sustainability.