2008 Special Exhibitions
We recommend that teachers preview Walker exhibitions before visiting with their students. For free teacher preview passes, call 612.375.7614.
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.
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.
TextMessages: Books by Artists
December 18, 2008–April 5, 2009
The Walker Art Center’s significant collection of books by artists and book-based works are featured in this major exhibition. While literature is frequently a point of departure, artists’ books often bear little resemblance to conventional volumes. Many are sculptural, multidimensional, or made of material other than paper—some have no pages at all. Even in today’s digital age, artists’ continued engagement with books—as medium, material, and subject—is evidence that this is an area of artistic invention alive with ideas and possibilities. (Grades 1–12)
*Tour Ideas: Open up the world of artists’ books in its many forms for your students. Tour the exhibition and participate in an art lab experience designed to “turn the page” to new ideas for books.
*Workshop for Teachers
Text/Messages: Book Arts in the Classroom
Saturday, January 10, 10 am–4 pm. Free*
Visit the Walker and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) to explore books by artists and books as art.
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.
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.
TextMessages: Books by Artists
December 18, 2008–April 5, 2009
The Walker Art Center’s significant collection of books by artists and book-based works are featured in this major exhibition. While literature is frequently a point of departure, artists’ books often bear little resemblance to conventional volumes. Many are sculptural, multidimensional, or made of material other than paper—some have no pages at all. Even in today’s digital age, artists’ continued engagement with books—as medium, material, and subject—is evidence that this is an area of artistic invention alive with ideas and possibilities. (Grades 1–12)
*Tour Ideas: Open up the world of artists’ books in its many forms for your students. Tour the exhibition and participate in an art lab experience designed to “turn the page” to new ideas for books.
*Workshop for Teachers
Text/Messages: Book Arts in the Classroom
Saturday, January 10, 10 am–4 pm. Free*
Visit the Walker and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) to explore books by artists and books as art.
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.
