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May 11, 2008 11:02 pm US/Central
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Finding Minnesota: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
It may be hard to believe but the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden will celebrate its 20th anniversary this summer. It's the product of a unique partnership between the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Department.
If you haven't been to the Sculpture Garden, you're likely still familiar with its most recognizable image.
"When people think of Minneapolis, the Spoonbridge and Cherry is sort of an iconic symbol that people have grown to love over the years," said Peter Eleey, Visual Arts Curator for the Walker Art Museum.
The Spoonbridge and Cherry, by Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen, is the centerpiece of the 11-acre parcel that sits adjacent to the Walker; a place where art and the outdoors come together.
"This is sort of like a little mini Central Park for Minneapolis, don't you think," asked WCCO-TV's Jeanette Trompeter.
"That's an interesting way to describe it," said Eleey. "I mean I think it functions that way for a lot of people."
What is now the Sculpture Garden was once a swamp. The city took ownership of the land in 1893 and built a large armory. The swampland it stood on led to decay and eventual demolition.
It was in the 1980s when leadership at the Walker Art Center decided to expand to the outdoors right next door.
"When it was founded I think the idea was to unite the two things Minneapolans care the most about which is their public spaces and their cultural offerings in the city," said Eleey.
The Sculpture Garden is a marriage of art and activity; part park and part museum. Many of the pieces planted there were created by world-renowned artists. Some were commissioned specifically for the space they occupy while others were purchased from other galleries or collectors. All 40 are worth a long, lazy look.
The Sculpture Garden is always a draw for tourist and tour groups. Some six and a half million people have visited it since it opened. This time of year it becomes a stage for outdoor activities.
"For a number of years, we've organized movies and music in Loring Park ... And that begins in June. We'll be doing that again, as well as offering a full calendar of performing arts programs out here," said Eleey.
And this year it will offer even more than usual to celebrate the 20 year anniversary. So if all you've seen of the Sculpture Garden are pictures of Spoonbridge and Cherry, now would be a good time to check it
all out for yourself.
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