The Walker’s annual summer celebration of film and music returns to the hillside at sunset on Thursday, August 14. This year’s free Sound for Silents event features a collaboration between acclaimed filmmaker/musician Philip Harder (Prince’s “Cinnamon Girl,” Cue the Strings—a film about Low) and roots country singer/songwriter Matt Arthur and his ensemble.
Arthur, who is blind and revered for his retro style and Johnny Cash-meets-Nick Cave vocals, premieres new music for films selected by Harder. His ensemble of noted Twin Cities musicians includes Tim O’Reagan of The Jayhawks (drums), Bill Patton (guitar, vocals), Channy Leaneagh of Poliça (vocals), Nick Salsbury (bass), Faith Escola (violin), Jacqueline Ultan (cello), Phala Tracy (harp), Jake Johnson (violin and guitar), Allison Labonne (vocals), and Brian Tighe of The Hang Ups (vocals, guitar).
The program will feature excerpts from The Wind (1928) by Victor Sjöström, starring Lillian Gish; Jean Epstein’s The Fall of House of Usher (1928); Allan Dwan’s Stage Struck (1925), with Gloria Swanson; “Black and White Ghost” by X; and from the Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection, Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery (1903) and Hans Richter’s Ghosts Before Breakfast (1928).
The event begins at 7 pm with a DJ set from The Current’s Bill DeVille. Film screening and live performance begin at 8:30 pm. Sound for Silents will take place rain or shine. In the event of rain or extreme weather, the show will be moved to the McGuire Theater with limited capacity.
Sound for Silents 2025: Film + Music on the Walker Hillside
Thursday, August 14, 7 pm
Free
Wurtele Upper Garden
ABOUT PHILIP HARDER
Philip Harder is a commercial and music video director famous for iconic spots for Apple’s iPod, Gap, and Target, and music videos for artists including Prince, Foo Fighters, and Cornershop. His debut 2020 feature film Tuscaloosa (starring Natalia Dyer, Stranger Things, and Tate Donovan, Argo) brought to life the novel of the same name—a southern gothic story set in 1973 Alabama. Harder’s latest feature documentary, The Claw (2024), tells the Jekyll-and-Hyde story of one of the greatest supervillains in wrestling history, and his recent film Cue the Strings—a film about Low (2023), follows the 30-year career of the Duluth band Low.
ABOUT MATT ARTHUR
Matt Arthur learned to sing by listening to gospel records by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Johnny Cash. His first band, Prest Asbestus, played throughout the Twin Cities in the 1990s and shared stages with bands ranging from Babes in Toyland, Run Westy Run, and Soul Asylum to Vic Chesnutt, Tad, and the Afghan Whigs. He later wrote and recorded a solo album of folk-gospel songs, which unleashed his taste for songwriting that has produced over 50 original tunes to date. His new EP Runnin’ showcases more expansive and cinematic songwriting, rowdy humor, and a depth that only comes with a life lived through music and sound.
ABOUT THE WALKER ART CENTER
The Walker Art Center is a renowned multidisciplinary arts institution that presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Guided by the belief that art has the power to bring joy and solace and the ability to unite people through dialogue and shared experiences, the Walker engages communities through a dynamic array of exhibitions, performances, events, and initiatives. Its multiacre campus includes 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, the state-of-the-art McGuire Theater and Walker Cinema, and ample green space that connects with the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The Garden, a partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States and home to the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Recognized for its ambitious program and growing collection of more than 16,000 works, the Walker embraces emerging art forms and amplifies the work of artists from the Twin Cities and from across the country and the globe. Its broad spectrum of offerings makes it a lively and welcoming hub for artistic expression, creative innovation, and community connection.
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Major support to preserve, digitize, and present the Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection is generously provided by the Bentson Foundation.
Sound for Silents: Film + Music on the Walker Hillside is supported by the Bentson Foundation.
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