Sensory Friendly Sunday January 2025
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Sensory Friendly Sunday January 2025

A child with a yellow shirt and a face mask works at a desk with a light skinned adult with long brown hair and a facemask.
Sensory Friendly Sunday, 2024. Photo by Celia Fortney. Courtesy Walker Art Center.

Sensory Friendly Sunday is a monthly event designed for kids, teens, and adults with sensory-processing differences, autism spectrum disorder, or developmental disabilities. The galleries will be closed to the general public, allowing visitors to enjoy the museum in a calm environment with accommodations such as quiet spaces, fidgets, and sunglasses available. Experience a selection of current exhibitions, make art, or watch a short film. All friends and family members are welcome.

In January, explore the exhibitions Sophie Calle: Overshare, This Must Be the Place: Inside the Walker’s Collection, and Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon.

To support the health and safety of visitors at increased risk for COVID-19, masks are required at Sensory Friendly Sunday for visitors over age 2. Accommodations are available if someone in your party is unable to tolerate masking. Please email access@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7561 for more information.

This program was created in consultation with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and the University of Minnesota’s Occupational Therapy Program.

Vessels of Care Art-Making Activity, 8 am–11 am
Join artist and organizer Nicole M. Smith to create a healing scent vessel. Choose from herbs and salts. Sensory note: This activity has been created with sensory sensitivities in mind, but still has scent.

Sound Healing Exploration, 8 am–11 am
Join artist Kaya Luminous for a sound healing exploration as she shows you how to use rain sticks, singing bowls, and more. Sensory note: This activity has been created with sensory sensitivities in mind, but still has low sound.

Color Block Art-Making Activity, 8 am–11 am
Artist Stanley Whitney makes paintings that feature multiple squares of different colors. He puts a lot of thought into how the colors look next to each other. As you explore the galleries, add color to shapes to make your own art inspired by the artist’s work.

Short Film: Kuap by Nils Hedinger, 8 am–11 am
In this little story about growing up, a tadpole misses out on becoming a frog and is left behind, alone. But there is much to discover in the pond, and spring is sure to come again next year. The film is 8 minutes, and will loop between 8–11 am. This is a relaxed screening with sound reduced. Visitors are free to come and go, move, and make themselves comfortable in the space.

While walk-ins are welcome, we encourage you to reserve your space ahead of time. Sensory Friendly Sunday is typically less busy 8–9:30 am, and busier 9:30–11 am.

The short film will be captioned in English.

Content and Sensory Note: The exhibition Sophie Calle: Overshare contains mature themes, including sexuality, nudity, violence, suicide, and death. Videos on view may contain flickering effects or sounds that change in volume or pitch.

Sensory Note: The exhibition This Must Be the Place: Inside the Walker’s Collection includes two video rooms with reduced light levels. Some videos include flashing, flickering, or disorienting visual effects and sound that changes in volume, pitch, and tone.

Art-making activities in the Art Lab and Garden Terrace Room have scent and low sound, respectively. Participants are able to choose the level of scent and sound they are comfortable with in these activities.

To prepare for your visit, check out this Social Narrative.

For more information about accessibility, visit our Access page.

For questions on accessibility or to request additional accommodations, please call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.

This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

  • Logo: Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Family Programs are supported by the KHR McNeely Family Fund, thanks to Kevin, Rosemary, and Hannah Rose McNeely.

  • Logo: KHR McNeely Family Fund