Heart Gallery
Objects gain prominence when installed on museum walls and in galleries, but the small items we collect and keep also hold meaning. Members of the 2024–25 Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council declare a globally dispersed museum that is nowhere and anywhere—a Heart Gallery—made of treasured belongings that comfort, memorialize, and transport. What objects in your life have a place in this communally held collection?
“A birthday balloon from when I turned 7 years old hangs in the corner of my room. At the time, I put it on my wall mindlessly and didn’t take notice as it deflated with passing weeks. When my eighth birthday came, I went to bed staring at the colored, crumpled bag and wished for it to inflate again in the morning. This did not happen. Now, I keep the balloon taped up as a reminder of the feeling of being a young kid and that whimsical wish of mine.”
Frances
“I was born in Hawaii. The culture is not a part of my ancestry; I don't share any connection by blood, but rather by heart. Something that has always been precious to me is my family’s Kukui nut necklace. My parents, who lived in Hawaii for more than two decades, explained the meaning of such a sacred adornment, causing me to admire it from a young age. The Kukui nut symbolizes protection and guidance, as it was said to be the light to guide those who travel. It has been challenging to find myself, as I’m biracial and born of a different place; nevertheless, this Kukui nut necklace gives me a sense of hope and familiarity. I feel part of something greater when I see the necklace in my home and look at it when I feel self-doubt. In a way, this special necklace represents my life, and how far I’ve come because of its guidance. It is without a doubt a part of who I am and who I’ve yet to become. I have grown up in St. Paul, but still harbor a strong connection to the islands, and I plan to return.”
Isla
“My item is a small Brachiosaurus toy that I got for my birthday a few years back. I went to a toy store in St. Paul with my dad, and he let me pick out a couple of things. For some reason, this small blue guy just caught my eye. I carried him around with me for weeks after I bought it. I just couldn’t set him down. I think I harbor maternal instincts for this dinosaur toy.”
Alex
“Acquired at a school carnival when I was 11 years old, these paper tickets were brought home and placed on my mirror, where they’ve lived and collected dust ever since. The tickets were snatched, signed, and distributed among myself and four of my elementary school companions. Different high schools and states led to a drift between us five, as Sid the Sloth might say, but with no nasty feelings. Their vibrant presence above my face in the morning serves as a reminder of little snippets of mischief from my past, and the promise of plenty more to come.”
Rowan
“Those nights when we need a little light.”
Osumare
“One of the traveling journals that me and my four friends use tostay connected when we’re apart, miss each other, or need a place to share and vent.”
Nora
“When I was little, a family member gave me this monkey in a Woody-from-Toy Story costume as a gift. I’ve kept it ever since. This monkey is super special to me because it reminds me of my childhood and my family.”
Bella
“This book is of significance to me. Ovid’s masterful work on reconfiguration was pulled from my Great Aunt’s library of books. She has never had much but always encouraged me to read by buying me books when I saw her. As she changes and grows older, she is a body that not even Jove could destroy with cancer or misfortune. Ovid’s Metamorphoses tells of many bodies changed, but always reminds me of how those human souls stay the same. My aunt’s ever exuberant soul lives on unchanged.”
Leo
“I chose my vinyl with astronaut cats because it represents me as an artist and my personality.”
Sara
“I used to move around all the time, and the one constant through all of that was this wooden crown that I’ve had ever since I could remember.”
Camila
“I made this pin from a magazine clipping at the University of Minnesota with the Youth Executive Board last fall. I remember seeing the scrap in a pile of assorted pictures and photos. Although simple, it became something meaningful to me. It reminds me that I’m at least a part of a community, and that the fight to better the communities around me is still within me no matter how hopeless I may become. Especially with what’s going on in our world today and the uncertainty that comes with that news, being able to ground myself and realizing the people I have in my life at least makes me certain that we can fight through any hardship, any uncertainty, and any adversity. Even if it’s just a pin, noticing it sometimes brings me peace and reminds me where I was when I made it, how I felt, and helps me to see the joy in people around me. Something that truly cannot be replaced.”
Nyanpal
“This is my gummy bear nightlight! I was obsessed with iCarly when I was younger, and my mom gave me this light as a reference to Carly’s iconic gummy bear lamp. I’ve held onto it since as a reminder of the show that shaped my young brain.”
Daisy
“This Power Ranger was meant for another person but gifted to me instead. It reminded me of someone from earlier in my life who first showed me Power Rangers and got me interested in them. They were no longer in my life when I got this Power Ranger, so I keep it for myself because of my own love of Power Rangers that grew without them.”
Muhammad
WACTAC 2024–25 members: Alex, Bella, Camila, Daisy, Frances, Isla, Jada, Kiara, Leo, Muhammad, Nora, Nyanpal, Osumare, Rowan, Sara
For high school students only. Student ID, government or tribal-issued ID, school email, class schedule, or peer vouching required for entry.
Interested in connecting with contemporary art and artists? Curious about what goes into running a museum? Want to create new ways for your peers to experience the Walker? You might be a future member of the Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC)!
Applications for the 2025–26 program open April 7 and close June 29. Click here to learn more.
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