Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Celebrates 25 Years

You’d be hard-pressed to scan a visitor’s site or look through photos from a trip to the Twin Cities and not see the inclusion of our iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which houses what has become a Minneapolis landmark, has drawn in more than 8 million visitors since its founding 25 years ago—I’d say that’s a cause for a summer-long celebration. And the garden is doing just that—beginning this month and lasting through September, look for performances, added attractions, and other events.

Photo by Ryan French

Fritz Haeg: At Home in the City (through November): Fritz Haeg, an artist-in-residence at the Walker Art Center, will work on a series of new projects throughout the Twin Cities, including gardens, events, and installations that reimagine our relationships to the land, city, and each other. At the Sculpture Garden he has created Foraging Circle, an area filled with wild plants native to Minnesota, as well as a dome structure that will house workshops, meals, and events related to local and urban gardening and food production.

Artist-Designed Mini Golf (opens May 23): Last seen in 2008, two seven-hole courses feature holes designed by Minnesota architects, artists, and designers. Look to encounter a game of golf twister, shoot around a swarming beehive, and make your way through a tiered Zen garden.  

First Free Saturdays (June-September): Each Saturday will host family-friendly events corresponding to a different theme, including At Home in the City (June 1), Urban Green (July 6), Grassroots (Aug. 3), and From the Garden with Love (Sept. 7).

Rock the Garden (June 15, 4-11 p.m.): This all-ages, rain-or-shine street party is put on in partnership by the Walker Art Center and 89.3 The Current. See new and established acts and sample from local food vendors.

Film Screenings (July 11, 18 & 25): See experimental and avant-garde films from the Ruben/Bentson Film and Video Study Collection, screened in the Sculpture Garden at dusk.

Momentum in the Garden (Aug. 3): Watch three choreographers, Kenna Cottman, Chris Schlichting, and Kaleena Miller, perform in the garden. 

Claes Oldenburg: The Sixties (opens Sept. 21): The largest exhibition to date showcases works from the artist who, along with wife Coosje van Bruggen, designed Spoonbridge and Cherry.

Avant Garden (Sept. 21): The Walker’s annual benefit transforms the garden into a place filled with music, art, food, and cocktails. Mingle, dance, and bid on auction items. A special after-hours party celebrates the opening of Claes Oldenburg: The Sixties.

Read about the garden and its rich history in “Secrets of the Garden.”