2008 Special Exhibitions
We recommend that teachers preview Walker exhibitions before visiting with their students. For free teacher preview passes, call 612.375.7614.
Richard Prince: Spiritual America
March 22 - September 14
Nobody cannibalizes an image like Richard Prince, who has carved his place in contemporary art by recycling, reflecting, and reframing photographs, cartoons, advertisements, and other images already existing in the public sphere. It’s a practice cut from 1970s and ’80s SoHo—Cindy Sherman, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, and Sherrie Levine are among his contemporaries. But more than his peers, Prince sees himself as a funnel rather than a filter: he pilfers freely from the vast image bank of pop culture and recasts these appropriated images in a new light, embracing and at the same time critiquing a distinct American sensibility.
Recommended for 9-12 grades. This exhibition contains mature content. Teachers are recommended to preview this exhibition before bringing their students.
Journeys to Nowhere: Selections from the Collection
August 14 – November 23, 2008
This focused gathering of works from the Walker’s collection revolves around the ideas of adventure and discovery, dreams and imagination, as well as nature and environment. The centerpiece is the ambitious video installation “A Journey That Wasn’t” (2005) by Pierre Huyghe (born 1962, Paris), which takes viewers on an expedition to Antarctica in search of a lost island and its elusive inhabitant—an albino penguin. Journeys to Nowhere also features works from the Walker’s collection that literally and symbolically explore the realities and fictions of far-off places. Recommended for grades 1 – 12.
* Tour idea: Journeys to Nowhere can provide a rich catalyst for poetry, narratives, and descriptive writing through a Writing through Art tour.
Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future
September 13, 2008 – January 4, 2009
The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts jointly present this retrospective of architect Eero Saarinen, one of the most celebrated, unorthodox, and controversial masters of 20th-century architecture. His work spanned many different areas of architectural practice, including the design of airports, corporate and academic campuses, churches and private residences, and furniture, resulting in such masterpieces as the soaring Gateway Arch in St. Louis; the sweeping concrete curves of the TWA Terminal (1956–1962) at New York’s JFK Airport; and the iconic Womb Chair and Ottoman (1946–1948) or the innovative Pedestal (1954–1957) series of tables and chairs.
In this collaborative presentation, the Walker Art Center will feature Saarinen’s furnishings and residences as well as his designs for churches and academic and corporate campuses, while the Minneapolis Institute of Arts will present his designs for airports, memorials, and embassies, as well as his early work within the context of its modernist design collection. Recommended for grades K-12.
*Tour idea: Combine a Saarinen tour with a hands-on art lab activity for students to creatively design buildings, furniture, and more.
Eero Saarinen Teacher Workshop: Teaching by Design
Saturday, October 25, 2008
10 am – 3 pm
Free. Registration is required. Contact susan.rotilie@walkerart.org for more information.
Tetsumi Kudo: Garden of Metamorphosis
October 18, 2008 - January 11, 2009
The first solo U.S. museum exhibition of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo’s work includes some 70 works of diverse media and scale—objects, sculpture, installation, drawing, and painting. Deeply concerned with the fate of humanity in the wake of nuclear attacks on his native land and the dawn of the global arms race, Kudo sought to develop a universal humanist language of creativity and regeneration until his untimely death in 1990. Recommended for grades 9-12. Due to mature subject matter, teachers are encouraged to preview this exhibition before bringing students.
Richard Prince: Spiritual America
March 22 - September 14
Nobody cannibalizes an image like Richard Prince, who has carved his place in contemporary art by recycling, reflecting, and reframing photographs, cartoons, advertisements, and other images already existing in the public sphere. It’s a practice cut from 1970s and ’80s SoHo—Cindy Sherman, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, and Sherrie Levine are among his contemporaries. But more than his peers, Prince sees himself as a funnel rather than a filter: he pilfers freely from the vast image bank of pop culture and recasts these appropriated images in a new light, embracing and at the same time critiquing a distinct American sensibility.
Recommended for 9-12 grades. This exhibition contains mature content. Teachers are recommended to preview this exhibition before bringing their students.
Journeys to Nowhere: Selections from the Collection
August 14 – November 23, 2008
This focused gathering of works from the Walker’s collection revolves around the ideas of adventure and discovery, dreams and imagination, as well as nature and environment. The centerpiece is the ambitious video installation “A Journey That Wasn’t” (2005) by Pierre Huyghe (born 1962, Paris), which takes viewers on an expedition to Antarctica in search of a lost island and its elusive inhabitant—an albino penguin. Journeys to Nowhere also features works from the Walker’s collection that literally and symbolically explore the realities and fictions of far-off places. Recommended for grades 1 – 12.
* Tour idea: Journeys to Nowhere can provide a rich catalyst for poetry, narratives, and descriptive writing through a Writing through Art tour.
Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future
September 13, 2008 – January 4, 2009
The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts jointly present this retrospective of architect Eero Saarinen, one of the most celebrated, unorthodox, and controversial masters of 20th-century architecture. His work spanned many different areas of architectural practice, including the design of airports, corporate and academic campuses, churches and private residences, and furniture, resulting in such masterpieces as the soaring Gateway Arch in St. Louis; the sweeping concrete curves of the TWA Terminal (1956–1962) at New York’s JFK Airport; and the iconic Womb Chair and Ottoman (1946–1948) or the innovative Pedestal (1954–1957) series of tables and chairs.
In this collaborative presentation, the Walker Art Center will feature Saarinen’s furnishings and residences as well as his designs for churches and academic and corporate campuses, while the Minneapolis Institute of Arts will present his designs for airports, memorials, and embassies, as well as his early work within the context of its modernist design collection. Recommended for grades K-12.
*Tour idea: Combine a Saarinen tour with a hands-on art lab activity for students to creatively design buildings, furniture, and more.
Eero Saarinen Teacher Workshop: Teaching by Design
Saturday, October 25, 2008
10 am – 3 pm
Free. Registration is required. Contact susan.rotilie@walkerart.org for more information.
Tetsumi Kudo: Garden of Metamorphosis
October 18, 2008 - January 11, 2009
The first solo U.S. museum exhibition of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo’s work includes some 70 works of diverse media and scale—objects, sculpture, installation, drawing, and painting. Deeply concerned with the fate of humanity in the wake of nuclear attacks on his native land and the dawn of the global arms race, Kudo sought to develop a universal humanist language of creativity and regeneration until his untimely death in 1990. Recommended for grades 9-12. Due to mature subject matter, teachers are encouraged to preview this exhibition before bringing students.
Education Resources Online
schools.walkerart.org offers Walker Art Center services and resources to schools and teachers. Click on the tabs to find out what you need to know for attending events for teachers, planning tours, using classroom resources, and learning more about upcoming exhibitions. Receive quarterly e-mail updates by sending your e-mail address to mailing.list@walkerart.org with the words “teacher email” in the subject line.
Tour Guide Bus Fund
Schools may apply for bus transpor-
tation support through the Walker Art Center Tour Guide Bus Fund. Applications are taken in October for winter/spring tours and in April for the following fall. Click here to download an application form or contact education.resources@walkerart.org for details.
tation support through the Walker Art Center Tour Guide Bus Fund. Applications are taken in October for winter/spring tours and in April for the following fall. Click here to download an application form or contact education.resources@walkerart.org for details.
Walker Members Access More
Educators save $5 on Individual, Dual/Household, or Friend-level memberships to the Walker. Benefits include free gallery admission, shop and dining discounts, and savings on event tickets. To join, call 612.375.7600 or visit membership.walkerart.org.
ArtsConnectEd is your online resource for interdisciplinary teaching and learning through the arts. This exciting Internet-based gateway offers teachers, students, and parents access to the combined collections and resources of the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
