When was the last time you said, “Whoa, you’re totally awesome!” to a plant? Wait. Never?! Join us for a plant and green thumb appreciation day—Free First Saturday style—with interactive activities, art making, and performance inspired by plants, the people who help them grow, and this month of abundant harvest.
Free First Saturday also features free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month. Gallery admission tickets are available on-site on the event day from the Main Lobby desk; quantities are limited.
Activity Information
Family Dance Party with DJ Michel.Be, 10–10:45 am, 12 noon–12:45 pm, and 2–2:45 pm
Stretch, wiggle, dance, or chill to tunes spun by DJ Michel.Be.
Pollinator Flash Mob, 11–11:30 am, 1–1:30 pm
What’s that buzz in the air? Watch as pollinators of all kinds assemble in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to celebrate summer blooms and voice their shared struggles. Then sync up with the hive and dance it out!
Art-making Activity: Color Magic! Play with Plant Inks, 10 am–3 pm
Join teaching artist Vatina Cangelosi McLaurin to paint with colors made from plants. Experience the surprising pigment power of some common vegetables and foraged forest plants, including red cabbage, onion, sumac, and goldenrod. Next, add vinegar or baking soda to your artwork and watch as colors change!
Art-making Activity: Super Vine, 10 am–3 pm
Create a paper flower, leaf, root, or stem inspired by a real or imaginary plant. Add your creation to a collaborative super vine that will grow and fill with new blooms all day!
Guided Tour of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, 12 noon
Join a Walker educator for a family friendly tour of artworks in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Tours meet outside of the main entrance on Vineland Place, five minutes before the tour start time. Tour size is limited to 20 participants. Find more information here.
About the Artists
DJ Michel.Be comes from the power of jazz, 1960s and 1970s revolutionary funk, hip-hop, house, and music of the African diaspora. Michel.Be evokes spiritual power through music and creates positive dance spaces for trans, gender nonconforming, and queer people of color.
Led by artist Terry McDaniel, Pollinator Flash Mob was created as a community building interactive performance for the 2022 Art Shanty Projects. McDaniel aims to expand pollinator awareness through art, music, dance, and play.
Vatina Cangelosi McLaurin is an artist living on Dakota land in Minneapolis. She works in hand paper-making, felting, sculpture, and video. Her artwork is about friendship, connection, and chosen family. McLaurin teaches art to middle schoolers at Friendship Academy of the Arts in Minneapolis and leads art workshops with students in preschool through high school.
Accessibility
For visitors who need to plan accessible transportation to the Walker, please email access@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7564 to inquire about reserving timed admission.
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is wheelchair accessible. Assistive listening devices are available upon request for guided tour participants.
To request accommodations for this program or for more information about accessibility, visit our Access page, call 612-375-7564, or email access@walkerart.org.
Outdoor Performance and Event Guidelines
Mask-wearing is recommended for outdoor performances and at any time when 6 feet of physical distancing is not possible between people not in your group. Lawn furniture and smoking are not allowed.
Attendance Requirements
Masks are strongly encouraged inside the museum for all visitors ages 2 and older regardless of vaccination status. On Free First Saturdays and Sensory Friendly Sundays, we require visitors ages 2 and older to wear face masks inside the building to support the safety and comfort of families and attendees.
If you have questions or require additional assistance, please email orders@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7600.
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