The Walker is now offering virtual opportunities for K–12 classrooms to engage with art from the Walker’s galleries and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Whether your school is open or you are meeting with students virtually, these interactive presentations are a great way to incorporate contemporary art into your curriculum this school year!
Format
Virtual tours take place over Zoom and are led by a Walker Educator. A typical tour experience is 25–30 minutes, but we ask that you reserve 45 minutes in your schedule to allow ample time for set up and introductions. Walker staff will set up a Zoom meeting room for your designated date and time and will share this link in advance via email.
Content
Our virtual tours are led by professional Educators, who have extensive experience working with students in museums and classrooms. The Walker Educator facilitating the tour will use Zoom’s screen-sharing feature to show high resolution images and videos of 3–4 preselected works of art from the Walker’s collection as they guide students through observation and interpretation exercises and discuss the context behind each piece. Additional Walker staff will be present to field questions in the chat throughout the tour, and there will be a few minutes at the end to reflect and discuss as a group. Student participation is highly encouraged!
What are the options?
K–5: ART INVESTIGATORS
In this tour, students will explore 3 works of contemporary art from the Walker’s collection, investigate their content and context, and react to them thoughtfully. Students will gain tools for appreciating and responding to contemporary art while sharing their responses with each other and, of course, having fun!
Cost: Free!
Length: 30 minutes
6–12: MAKING MEANING
In this tour, students will practice observing contemporary artworks, considering their context, and making informed and well-reasoned evaluations of the work, gaining the tools to become expert museum-goers and appreciators of contemporary art.
Cost: Free!
Length: 30 minutes
6–12: DESIGNS FOR DIFFERENT FUTURES
In this tour, students will explore four pieces from the Walker’s current exhibition, Designs for Different Futures, learning about speculative design and analyzing how designers address social and environmental issues through their work.
Cost: Free!
Length: 30 minutes
K–12: CONTEMPORARY BLACK ARTISTS
In this tour experience, students will explore works by contemporary Black artists and will analyze ways these creators address some of the most pressing social issues of our time.
Cost: Free!
Length: 30 minutes
CUSTOM TOURS
Looking to make specific connections to your classroom curriculum? The Walker Educators can design a custom program plan connecting contemporary art to the topics that you’re exploring with your students.
Cost: K–5: $80 | 6–12: $100
Length: 30–45 minutes
K–12: CONTEMPORARY AAPI ARTISTS
In celebration of AAPI heritage month, this tour experience features works by contemporary Asian American and Pacific Islander artists who work in a variety of mediums. Students will analyze ways these creators address their AAPI identities in their practices. This virtual tour will be available May 1.
Cost: Free!
Length: 30–45 minutes
9–12: ART BY LGBTQ+ ARTISTS
Students will explore four artworks from the Walker collection by LGBTQ+ artists. Students will analyze the formal elements of the artworks as they consider the themes that they explore and the social and political contexts they were created in. This virtual tour will be available May 1.
Cost: Free!
Length: 30–45 minutes
When do virtual tours take place?
Tours are typically booked Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM, although we may be able to accommodate requests for times outside of this window. Standard tours must be booked at least 1 week in advance. Custom tours must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.
Who are the Walker Educators?
Our tours are designed and led by professional, trained museum Educators, most of whom are licensed teachers. All of our Educators have extensive experience working with children and youth of a variety of ages in both classrooms and museum spaces.
What is required to participate?
Students will need access to a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone or other device with audio and video capability. A Zoom account is not required.
How do I book a virtual tour?
Please email tours@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7609 to book a virtual tour.
Are there other ways to explore the art at the Walker Art Center?
A range of free online resources including lesson plans, videos, creativity prompts, and slideshows are available for teachers on our Resources for Learning page.
Onsite tours of the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden are not currently being offered. Please contact tours@walkerart.org or visit walkerart.org for the latest visiting information.
