Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
I went on a weekend getaway to Minneapolis and had the opportunity to visit the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. Newly renovated in June 2017, the Walker Art Center welcomed back guests to experience modern and contemporary art in the setting of an urban park. I love spaces like this where people can walk through and see the art up close.
Spoonbridge was the first work commissioned for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in 1988 and is now a familiar and iconic symbol for the Twin Cities. What is Contemporary Art? "The answer is simple: contemporary art is art made today by living artists. As such, it reflects the complex issues that shape our diverse, global, and rapidly changing world. Through their work, many contemporary artists explore personal or cultural identity, offer critiques of social and institutional structures, or even attempt to redefine art itself. In the process, they often raise difficult or thought-provoking questions without providing easy answers. Curiosity, an open mind, and a commitment to dialogue and debate are the best tools with which to approach a work of contemporary art." -walkerart.org
The Spinner
ALEXANDER CALDER
1966
Woodrow
DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD
1988
X with Columns
SOL LEWITT
1996
Black Vessel for a Saint
THEASTER GATES
2017
"The bricks of its curved walls were custom-made using leftover materials from the brick-making process. "
Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers
BARRY FLANAGAN
1983
For Whom ...
KRIS MARTIN
2012
Dawn Tree
LOUISE NEVELSON
1976
Arikidea
MARK DI SUVERO
1977-1982
"The gigantic steel beams have been carefully and safely balanced, so a simple touch or a passing breeze will cause its elements to sway."
Hahn/Cock
KATHARINA FRITSCH
2013/2017
LOVE
ROBERT INDIANA
1966–1998
Spoonbridge and Cherry
CLAES OLDENBURG AND COOSJE VAN BRUGGEN
1985-1988
La soledad
KCHO
1999/2005
Hephaestus
MATTHEW MONAHAN
2013
Bronze Woman IV
THOMAS SCHÜTTE
1998/2000
Back of Snowman
GARY HUME
2001
Rapture
KIKI SMITH
2001
Level Head
TONY CRAGG
2007
September Room (Room with Two Reclining Figures and Composition with Long Verticals)
MARK MANDERS
2017
Untitled
JIM HODGES
2011
"The bold colors form a smooth, continuous surface connecting the natural with the artificial. The glossy finish both captures and casts sunlight, creating a light and buoyant effect."
The beautiful weather made for a great day with great company. I had so much fun and I hope to return soon! To read more about the modern and contemporary sculptures visit walkerart.org.