Southeast Minnesota Visual Arts Gallery

An impressive shopping corridor runs underneath downtown Rochester, and you'll find classy clothes, pretty accessories, coffee, chocolate and gift items there. But above ground, Semva Art Gallery shines because all of the handmade pieces reflect inspiration from the local landscape. You'll find note cards, photography, watercolors, sculptures, paper collages, fiber arts, rosaries, wool scarves and much more in this shop located across the street from the Kahler Grand Hotel and just outside the University Place shopping mall. The artists take turns working the front desk and are eager to share the stories behind the pieces, whether you happen to admire one of their own or just linger over something created by one of their colleagues. Prices range from a few dollars for a handmade note card to hundreds of dollars for painted and framed landscapes. In a city grappling daily with treating ill visitors, the shop brims with a welcome nature-inspired vitality that we found most welcoming.