Winter at the Walker
Target Free Thursday Nights
February 7, 14, 21 & 28
On each Thursday this February, get together at the Walker to celebrate winter with art-making, storytelling, poetry readings, snowshoeing, sledding, s’mores, and more. Galleries are free and open late (5–9 pm), so bring a friend, invite a date, come solo or with a group, and join us for Winter at the Walker.
EVENTS EACH THURSDAY:
S’mores and Hot Toddies at the Outdoor Winter Patio
5–9 pm
During February, the Esker Grove patio transforms into an Outdoor Winter Patio, complete with firepits and fairy lights. Free s’mores will be shared, and hot toddies will be available for purchase.
Sledding in the Upper Garden
5–9 pm
Have you ever looked at the Walker’s snow-covered hillside and thought, that would be great for sledding? Hay bales will be added for safety and plastic sleds will be available. Pick one up from the Winter Bar or bring your own.
Fireside Crafts in the Main Lobby
5–9 pm
Each week join a local artist in the Main Lobby for art-making by a “projected fireplace” (think crackling TV fire). There will be a new activity every week, and all are welcome to BYO crafts too.
Moonlight Snowshoe Tours
6 and 7:30 pm
Trek through the park and reacquaint yourself with sculptures under wintery moonlight and the glowing city skyline. Meet a tour guide in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and strap on a pair of snowshoes, courtesy of the Center for Outdoor Adventure at the University of Minnesota.
SPECIAL EVENTS ON SELECT THURSDAYS
Winter at the Walker: Fat Bike Night
Thursday, February 7
Walker Art Center, 5–9pm
You’ve seen them, but have you tried them? Ride a fat tire bike, courtesy of the Loppet Foundation. Demonstrations will be led by junior Loppet students each hour. Then, warm up inside with art-making designed by skier, artist, and Loppet instructor Allie Rykken.
Fat Bike Tours
5:30, 6:30 & 7:30 pm
Learn from the experts about the techniques behind fat tire biking. Instructors from the Loppet Foundation and youth from the Loppet will lead you in a short tutorial and gear you up for moonlit ride around the sculptures in the Upper Garden.
Allie Rykken, one of the instructors from the Loppet Foundation, coordinates and coaches youth programming in cross-country skiing, mountain biking, trail running, and paddling.
Courtesy of the Loppet Foundation and the Center for Outdoor Adventure.
Art-Making: Trail Pass Art
5–9 pm
Create your own trail pass! Watercolor pencils and materials provided. Design your own trail pass to take with you or bring to Theodore Wirth Park for half-off trail passes during the month of February.
Music: Say Darlin’
7:30–9 pm
Enjoy the sweet tunes of local folk group Say Darlin’ as you cozy around our crackling digital fireplace and make art.
Winter at the Walker: Be My Walker Valentine
Thursday, February 14
Walker Art Center, 5–9pm
Bring a date, come solo, or meet a friend—this is your low-commitment Valentine’s Day night out! Celebrate the opening of Five Ways In and Chalk with special SweetheART tours. You can also listen to readings by local poets, try speed dating in French, and jam to DJ Douala Soul spinning tunes all night, or catch Love Tapes by Wendy Clarke in the Bentson Mediatheque.
SweetheART Tours
7 & 8 pm
Tour the newly opened exhibition Five Ways In and learn about the history of love in art.
Music: Douala Soul Collective
5 & 7:15 pm
Get loose with Douala Soul Collective, two DJs whose music choices are influenced by the city of Douala, Cameroon. Check out their eclectic vinyl collection while vibing to their poetic set list.
Readings: Graywolf Press Poets
6:30 pm
Treat yourself to some love poetry from some of the fiercest local poets around. Hear readings by Heid Erdrich, Roy Guzman, Gretchen Marquette, and Jim Moore, cohosted by Graywolf Press.
Art-Making: Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul
5–9 pm
Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche. Mourir d’amour. Filer le parfait amour. Amour, vous avez dit amour? Learn some key phrases en français and speak the language of love. Also, design your own poems or déclaration d’amour through some French classic novels from the Alliance Française library.
Film: Love Tapes
5–9 pm
What does “love” mean to everyday individuals? Beginning in the late 1970s, experimental video artist Wendy Clark invited people to answer this question. Love Tapes plays throughout the evening on loop in the Bentson Mediatheque, located in the Main Lobby.
Esker Grove will offer a special Valentine’s Day menu with three dinner options, dessert, and a specialty cocktail. Reservations available.
Winter at the Walker: Winter Stargazing
Thursday, February 21
Walker Art Center, 5–9pm
Our sky looks a lot different in the winter—and not just because of the snow. Come learn about winter star knowledge, observe the constellations safely with telescopes, and explore astrology legends through art-making and tarot card readings.
Bell Museum: Constellation Demonstration
5–9 pm
Relax and gaze up at the constellations on the big screen courtesy of the Bell Museum travelling planetarium. Explore the universe and discover the beauty and history of winter constellations. Telescopes from the Bell Museum will be available between 7 and 9 pm on the sidewalk along Vineland Place (weather permitting).
Art-Making: Constellation Gallery Tour
5–9 pm
Constellations helped ancient civilizations track a constantly changing sky and later allowed for navigation across the oceans. Create your own constellation map with Leia Wambach using an artist-inspired star chart, then let it be your guide as you explore the galleries.
Art-Making: The Future
5–9 pm
We’re all made up of star dust—learn about your astrological chart in the zodiac reading room with Lacey Prpic Hedtke, artist, astrologer, and founder of The Future. Find guidance from the stars and divination tools, then explore which artists in the galleries your stars align with.
Winter at the Walker: Cozy Art-Making with Maggie Thompson
Thursday, February 28
Walker Art Center, 5–9pm
Art-Making with Maggie Thompson
5–9 pm
Settle into the cozy main lobby warming house and make something beautiful with local artist Maggie Thompson.
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) was born and raised in Minneapolis. She received her BFA in textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2013. As a textile artist and designer she derives her inspiration from her Ojibwe heritage, exploring family history as well as themes and subject matter of the broader Native American experience. Thompson had her first solo exhibition Where I Fit at All My Relations Gallery in 2014 and has since exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Plains Art Museum. In 2015, she received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board Cultural Community Partnership Grant and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Regional Fellowship.
OTHER FREE EVENTS IN FEBRUARY
Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Shop
Saturday, February 2
Walker Shop, 11am
Find the perfect piece for your special someone! Join us in the Walker Shop to mingle with four local makers: Helen Wang, Madison Holler of Rubinski Works, Emma Carroll of EMdsign, and Meghan Nelson of Dottir Jewelry.
Proceeds support the Walker’s award-winning artistic and educational programs. Visit shop.walkerart.org.
Gallery Tour: Mario García Torres
Thursday, February 7
Galleries A & B, 5:30pm, Free
Dive deep into Mario García Torres: Illusion Brought Me Here with a special tour presented by the exhibition’s curator, Vincenzo de Bellis, and artist García Torres. Then stay for the live performance of the artist’s monologue The Causality of Hesitance.
Performance
Mario García Torres: The Causality of Hesitance
Thursday, February 7
Walker Cinema, 6:30pm, Free
The Causality of Hesitance is a meditation on time and the relationships between events and the things that cause them to happen or exist. The monologue is inspired by Seth Siegelaub, an independent curator, gallerist, collector, and publisher who was influential to the emergence of Conceptual art in the 1960s. His life and work continue to have an impact on today’s artists and cultural thinkers. Centered on Siegelaub’s interest in theories about time, this thought-provoking performance spans a range of topics, from the psychology of hesitating to the contradictory aspects of economic progress. Cowritten by Alan Page. Directed by Gabino Rodríguez and performed by Francisco Barreiro. World Premiere. Presented as part of the exhibition Mario García Torres: Illusion Brought Me Here. Program length: 35 minutes.
Teen Workshop: Picture Yourself Pop-Up
Saturday, February 9, 12pm
Walker Art Center, Free
Ever thought your photos should be hung in the museum? This is your chance! Take photos in our mini-portrait studio, then display them in the adjoining exhibition space, with expert advice from photographer Galen Fletcher. Come and see what your photos look like off the ‘gram and in the gallery.