You’re originally from the East Coast. What brought you to Minnesota?

Amy

David and I met as undergraduates at Brown University in Rhode Island, but 10 years later he was in graduate school and I was dancing with Lucinda Childs’ company in New York. David landed a position at Macalester College in St. Paul right when Lucinda folded her company, so I decided to check out the Twin Cities. On my first visit to Minnesota I taught a class downtown, then asked how to find the Walker. I intended to walk, but it was February and everyone told me I was crazy. So, I said I would take the bus and they still thought I was crazy. I eventually got there and loved it. In fact, the existence of the Walker Art Center—a cultural institution with a forward-looking vision—made this an attractive place to live. Ultimately, the Walker helped me decide to move to Minnesota.

Your family spends a lot of time at the Walker. What are must-sees when you visit?

Peter (age 9)

In the summer we like to play on Open Field.

Alex (age 7)

Especially in the Turrell.

Peter

At the holidays, we go to the shop and that is always fun.

Amy

I was delighted to discover that there was so much dance here. When the performing arts calendar arrives, we read it separately and mark it up with a rating system we devised.

David

One star means “I could be convinced to go,” two stars means “I am interested,” and three stars means “I must go—with or without you!” We all enjoyed Merce Cunningham’s Ocean in the quarry. But it’s true, if we weren’t together, we wouldn’t see half of what we do. As a professor of international studies, I specialize in Africa, so I’m always keen on seeing the Walker’s performances by African artists, especially anything coproduced with the Cedar.

What are some Walker events that your whole family enjoyed?

Alex

Benches and Binoculars!

Peter

Oh, and the guy with the lines…

Alex

…Sol LeWitt!

Amy

The exhibition on art books upstairs was like a little treasure.

Alex

The moving piece of tinfoil. That was cool.

Peter

Free First Saturday makes the Walker a place you can remember in the Twin Cities. Like, when we used newspaper and colored tape to make superheroes.

Alex

I liked the one when we built cars, then raced them down a track on the hill outside.

David

There is so much that the boys can interact with at the Walker that they don’t even realize they’re consuming art. Peter asked for months to go back to the drums.

Amy

Sometimes we come with a blank drawing book. The boys lie on their stomachs and draw right there in the galleries. The guards here just smile, but at other museums they’ve been told to get up.

David

We visit a lot of museums when we travel. Just recently, we’ve been to MoMA, Dia:Beacon, and the Met in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. The boys are well-prepped to see art in these other places, thanks to our experiences at the Walker.