Walker Art Center allows creative expression by the community

The Walker Art Center allows creative expression and focus on the visual, performing and media arts of the current time. The center offers programs to artists and the community to express their artistic style and to discover what shapes us as individuals and communities.

The museum was established originally in 1927 and was the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest. The museum started to focus on modern art in the 1940's, after a gift from Mrs. Walker made it possible to acquire works by artists such as Picasso and Henry Moore. In the 1960's ambitious exhibitions were organized by the museum, which traveled the states and the world. Permanent exhibits at the museum during this time expanded to reflect examples of contemporary art such as performing arts, film and education programs. The museum in known internationally today as a model of multidisciplinary arts and a leader in creating innovating approaches to engage a wider audience.

The new Walker Art Center opened in April 2005 and is nearly double the size of their previous location. The center now includes more indoor and outdoor facilities, which allow visitors to take advantage of the resources available at the museum. More pieces of art are able to be displayed; more books are available in the library to allow visitors to see the artist's creative process. There are more than 11,000 works of art at the museum, which cover a diverse range from painting, sculpture, film, photography and works on paper. The permanent collection also includes over 1,200 artists books, working drawings, models and other materials used in the preparation process in the Visual Arts Study Collection. The diverse range of items at the museum reflect the multi-disciplinary offerings of arts today.

The museum is located across from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which is one of the nations' largest sculpture parks. The garden plays a vital role in attracting more visitors to the museum and introducing more of the community to contemporary art. For the Art Center's 15th Anniversary over 15,000 people attended the Walker's Rock the Garden concert. The design of the center is a `town square' with a sequence of spaces, which draw visitors to an informal conversation, participate in interactive learning and community programs.

Dining at the center is available at 20.21 Restaurant & Bar by Wolfgang Puck, which serves fine dining with modern cuisine for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, Sunday is a lunch serving only. The modern cuisine is Asian-influenced Californian cuisine. Gallery 8 Cafy offers dining in a casual setting with a selection of seasonal soups, salads and sandwiches. The cafy is open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch. Wolfgang Puck specialty coffees, beverages and snacks are available from the Coffee Cart in the Bazinet Garden Lobby.

Many classes and workshops are offered to visitors of the museum, these may include lectures for teaches, camps for children or lectures for visitors who are interested in specific art topics such as art in the 60's or a movement workshop. The exhibits on show at the museum include works from various eras, abstract works and collections relating to modern day themes such as reality television. Tours are available for specialist exhibitions or for the public gallery. All tours are guided with conversation encouraged; they are thematic and will cover a range of topics.