Give truth a place to be seen
This is not a slogan. It is a commitment.
In a world saturated with images — manipulated, algorithmically curated, politically weaponized, and increasingly generated by machines — truth still matters. And it deserves a place to stand.
The Minnesota Center for Visual Literacy exists to create that place.
Our Mission
The Minnesota Center for Visual Literacy strengthens public understanding of how images shape culture, memory, and collective perception. Through community education and public programming, we equip people with the tools to see clearly, question critically, tell their own story with dignity, and preserve their own visual truth.
We believe that visual literacy is not a luxury — it is a civic skill. The ability to read images critically, to understand who made them and why, and to recognize how they shape belief and memory is as essential as the ability to read words.
We serve curious adults, creative communities, educators, and anyone who has ever felt unseen, misrepresented, or overwhelmed by a world full of images they were never taught to question.
Our Vision
We envision a Minnesota where visual literacy is recognized as an essential civic and cultural skill — where communities have the tools to see clearly, tell their own stories with dignity, and protect their own visual truth.
We envision a world where the question of who gets to be seen — and how — is asked openly, answered honestly, and acted on with care.
We envision an organization that outlasts its founder: a permanent, community-rooted institution that grows with the people it serves and stays true to the conviction that gave it life.
The images are already shaping you. We exist to make sure you can see how.
Empowering Visual Understanding
Our Core Values
At The Minnesota Center for Visual Literacy, we believe in the power of visual communication. Our mission is to enhance understanding through truth, accessibility, and community engagement. We prioritize representation and act with a sense of urgency to meet the needs of our community while maintaining depth in our programs.
Truth over comfort
We don't soften what images are doing in the world. We look at it clearly and talk about it honestly — because understanding requires honesty, even when honesty is hard.
Access for everyone
We don't soften what images are doing in the world. We look at it clearly and talk about it honestly — because understanding requires honesty, even when honesty is hard.
The right to be seen
Every person has the right to be witnessed with honesty and dignity. Every community has the right to tell its own story, preserve its own record, and be represented on its own terms.
Join Us
Your voice matters in the mission for visual literacy. Together, we can empower our community through education and public programming. Let’s create a space where everyone can learn and grow.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
Get to know the people who drive our mission and learn how we support our community together.
Giliane Mansfeldt
Program Director
TBD
Community Educator