Four willing parents–Lori Fhima, Marcus Harcus, Pamela Johnson, and Shannon Steven–took time to reflect on a few of their most cherished memories of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
What’s a favorite moment you’ve had in the Garden?
Marcus: I brought my three-year-old daughter to Arty Pants last year and tried to walk her through some exhibitions, but she didn’t want to be inside, so we had a good time walking, running, and feeling the sunshine in the Garden. We also enjoyed walking over the poetry bridge (Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge by Siah Armajani).
Pamela: We played restaurant on Belvedere (by Jackie Ferrara). There’s even a drive-thru window for take-out orders!
Shannon: My favorite memory of the Garden was the magical realization that the horse (Woodrow, by Deborah Butterfield) is not actually wood but an amazing trompe l’oeil effect due to the patina treatment on the bronze.
Pamela: Seeing the Merce Cunningham Dance Company perform in the Garden during the 10th-anniversary celebration. Merce was there, seated near the stage under the shade of a parasol. Dancers in red, Mylar pillows, sun sun sun, a perfect spot on the grass. Unforgettable.
Your favorite sculpture?
Lori: Woodrow. A favorite to share with my children is Prophecy of the Ancients (by Brower Hatcher) as we lie back and look up into the dome and play I Spy, and then the game carries throughout the Garden.
Pamela: It ranges from Arikidea (by Mark di Suvero) to Hare on Bell (by Barry Flanagan) to Spoonbridge and Cherry (by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen) to Ampersand (by Martin Puryear) to Nautilus (by Charles Ginnever) to Standing Glass Fish (by Frank Gehry) to the Henry Moore piece, depending on the day. Or maybe I like too many of them to really have a favorite?
How often does your family visit the Garden?
Shannon: Several times a year through the warmer months, and sometimes we stop into the Cowles Conservatory in the colder months to check out the Sarah Sze sculptures and Frank Gehry’s fish (Standing Glass Fish) in the warm humidity. That is nice.
What were you doing 20 years ago?
Marcus: I was 9 years old and in elementary school.
Pamela: Before the Garden opened, while the site was still under construction, a couple friends and I snuck over to get a closer look at the Spoonbridge and Cherry. It was massive there in the night, in the dirt. It was so dark and quiet–we whispered, then we took off our shoes and ran.
Lori: 20 years ago! Yikes! Just graduated from college, living in Los Angeles and beginning to see the world!
Shannon: Twenty years ago I was just moving into my first apartment near Loring Park. As a young art major I was so glad to live up the street from the Walker!
What have you noticed has changed in the Garden in the last 20 years?
Shannon: The most significant change that I have noticed about the sculpture garden is the trees. When it was first open you could see into the other rooms’ but now there are distinct galleries formed by the growth of these tree walls.
How many times have you gotten your picture taken in front of the Spoonbridge and Cherry?
Lori: We’ve had at least 20-30 pictures in front of Spoonbridge and Cherry. We’ve also drawn a few!
Pamela: Have I ever been the subject of that photo? I’m always taking the pictures!
Marcus: Never have. Good idea.
Top: Marcus Harcus and his daughter Akili, photo by Gene Pittman
Bottom: Shannon Steven with sons Calvin and Everett, photo by Ashley Duffalo
For 20 years I brought fine arts students to the Walker sculpture garden, walked across Siah Armajani’s bridge, and had them write response papers to their own choice of work. They most often chose pieces they could touch or with which they interacted directly. But the crowning day came when we took our Thai student from Bangkok, whom we hosted for five years while he got his B.A. in Music from St. Olaf College, and his Masters in Music from the U of Minnesota into the garden. He is blind but he felt his way through the pieces with great sensitivity, asking many questions about each work. How big is it? What is the overall form? Why is it textured? What is the title…who made it? What makes it aesthetically pleasing?
We of course asked permission of the Walker to do this, and we were thrilled with his response to the sculpture, something he had never done before. Today he is a member of the board of the International Society for the Blind and a Senator in Thailand. Every time we visit him, he talks about the day he can bring his sighted daughter to the Walker sculpture garden and “show her around.”
Thank you for this cultural treasure for both the sighted and those who see through their touch.
Mac Gimse, Professor Emeritus of Art
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Comment by mac gimse — August 17, 2008 @ 1:21 am
That’s a great story! Thanks for sharing Mac. It makes me want to hear more of peoples’ Garden memories…anyone want to add?
Comment by Ashley — August 19, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Mac — I’m pleased to hear that your host student had such a memorable and multi-sensory experience at the Walker several years back. Touch tours, guided tours in which visitors engage with selected sculptures from the collection through touch, are a dynamic way to learn about the works in the galleries and garden. The Walker has specially trained tour guides who aptly lead visitors through touch tours, offering visual description and encouraging discussion along the way. In fact, in celebration of Art Beyond Sight Awareness month in October, we’ll be offering two public touch tours. The tours will happen on Friday and Saturday, October 3 and 25 at 2pm. They’re open to anyone, but can only accommodate the first 12 people, so arrive early for a spot. Private touch tours can also be arranged with at least 4-weeks notice. For more information visit http://learn.walkerart.org/tour.wac.
Comment by Courtney — August 20, 2008 @ 9:38 am