FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS
Explore the latest exhibitions, grab a drink, get creative, and enjoy special programming at the Walker’s Free Thursday Nights. Public tours are offered at 6 pm weekly. The Walker’s library is open to the public during Free Thursday Nights from September-May, and the Museum Shop, Idea House 3, and Cardamom are also open late.
Gallery admission is free on Thursday nights, 5–9 pm. Save time and reserve your gallery admission tickets online. Please note: Individual events during Free Thursday Nights are first-come, first-served.
Bard African Night: A Showcase of Works Exploring the Queer African Mind
Thursday, May 1, 6–8 pm
Symbolizing the empowerment of Black queer individuals as authors of their own narratives, Bard African Night explores the concept of “bard” in two ways: the way many Nigerian-Americans adapt their West African accents by incorporating rhotic Rs to make bad into bard, and the modern Shakespearean notion of the Bard.
The evening includes a live excerpt from Bad Africans, a play written and performed by Ibimina Dominique Thompson, followed by a screening of the short film Love is Like. The evening concludes with an artist talkback with Dominique and co-collaborators Ashe Jaafaru and Mariah Hanson.
Collage as Communication: Exploration of Kandis Williams
Thursday, May 15, 6–8 pm
Join us for an evening exploring the exhibition Kandis Williams: A Surface with Taylor Jasper, the Walker’s Susan and Rob White Assistant Curator of Visual Arts. The night begins with a curatorial discussion on the technique and medium of collage that holds power for artists like Williams as a tool of subversion and activism, and an exclusive viewing of a short film by Williams. Following the talk and screening, you’re invited to create collage works sparked by curated prompts and materials.
Hmong Filmmaker Showcase
Thursday, May 22, 7 pm
In making the feature film Bitterroot, filmmaker Vera Brunner-Sung and producers Kazua Melissa Vang and Yeej used an apprenticeship model to bring Hmong community into various aspects of production. Though Bitterroot was shot in Missoula, people from the Twin Cities Hmong community were featured both in front of and behind the camera. Curated by Vang and Yeej, this screening showcase features local Hmong artists, highlighting the different ways they are using film to tell their own stories.
FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS: ART CLUB
Join us for Art Club, a standing invitation to explore and create across our campus. Stop by the Art Lab for drop-in artmaking with Walker educators. Every week is a chance to experiment with a new medium, idea, or muse.
Materials are provided and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; supplies are limited. Activity instructions, available in English and Spanish, are designed for all ages. No prior registration is required for Art Club. The more you visit, the more you’ll discover.
Art Club: Canvases & Cocktails
Thursday, May 8, 5–8 pm
Experiment with color with Art Club’s open-studio painting workshop, hosted by Walker educators who specialize in painting, while music invites you to mingle under the setting sun. Light refreshments are provided, with a cash bar available. Enjoy a drink while you channel your inner painter.
Art Club: Weaving
Thursday, May 15, 5–8 pm
Learn the basics of weaving on a mini-loom. Make a bookmark, mini tapestry, coaster, or just experiment with color, texture, and design.
Art Club: Local Guest Artists
Thursday, May 22, 5–8 pm
In connection to the Minnesota premiere of film Bitterroot, join us for a special art-making workshop hosted by local Hmong artists. Activity instructions, available in English, Spanish, and Hmong, are designed for all ages.
Art Club: Destructive Handmade Filmmaking with Tetsuya Maruyama
Thursday, May 29, 5–8 pm
Join visiting artist and filmmaker Tetsuya Maruyama for a workshop exploring the potential of destruction to create moving images. Participants will use tactile elements from our lived environment and ecosystems to destroy/create on 16mm film strips. From burning, scratching, marring, and affixing to puncturing and reflecting on our ecological circumstances, we generate anew.
Visitors are welcome to drop in and work on their 16mm film strips throughout the evening. Individual segments created by participants will then be spliced, or joined, to create a movie that will be projected on 16mm at the workshop’s conclusion.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
Free First Saturday: What We Collect
Saturday, May 3, 10 am–3 pm
Trading cards, books, stickers, and photos—explore how the things we collect reflect who we are. Join us to make art that expresses what makes you unique and share the stories behind the items you cherish.
Free First Saturday features free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month. Gallery admission tickets are available online in advance and on-site on the event day from the Main Lobby desk. Free admission 10 am–5 pm; activities 10 am–3 pm.
Teacher Appreciation Night 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 5–8 pm
Are you a teacher in the Twin Cities area? You are invited to the Walker’s 2nd-annual Teacher Appreciation Night celebrating local educators as they finish up the school year. Teachers will have the opportunity to explore the galleries, pick up resources to help connect themes in current exhibitions to the classroom, and enjoy a free drink on us.
Doors open at 5 pm, and the program begins at 6 pm.
Teacher Appreciation Night is free and open to K–12 teachers across disciplines. Educators may bring one additional guest.
Refreshments and parking validation will be provided. We would love to see you there! For more information, email lakayla.williams@walkerart.org.
Sensory Friendly Sunday May 2025
Sunday, May 11, 8–11 am
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.
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.
FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS ARE SPONSORED BY
FREE FIRST SATURDAY IS SPONSORED BY
FAMILY PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE KHR MCNEELY FAMILY FOUNDATION, THANKS TO KEVIN, ROSEMARY, AND HANNAH ROSE MCNEELY.
THIS PROJECT IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES.
EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE PATRICK AND AIMEE BUTLER FAMILY FOUNDATION AND SUSAN AND ROB WHITE.