Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
2008-08-20

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Across from the Walker Art Center sits what many consider one of the boldest and most unique displays of art in the country, if not the entire world. Inaugurated in 1988, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is a showcase for more than 40 works of art including major sculptures by George Segal, Ellsworth Kelly, Jenny Holzer, Henry Moore and Franz Lipschitz.

The entrance to the 11-acre garden is bordered by Ampersand, a pair of colossal granite columns by Martin Puryear. During the warmer months, the 300-foot stainless steel arbor planted with a variety of blooming plants and colorful flowers is spectacular. The garden's centerpiece is the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture and fountain by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The 55-foot spoon topped by a 15-foot red bing cherry is the garden's most famous display.

The Garden is open year round. Even in the dead of winter, visitors make the trek to the Cowles Conservatory on the west side of garden to view the changing display of blooming plants. The small conservatory is also home to a Frank Gehry-designed giant fish with scales of glass that rests on its tail in a pond surrounded by orange trees. 

History

About 75 years ago, the area the Garden now occupies was called the Armory Gardens, which featured a large brick National Guard building and formal gardens. The building was torn down in 1933, but the elaborate garden remained under the management of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In the late 1960s, Interstate Highway 94 severed the connection between Loring Park and the garden, and eventually the acreage in front of the Walker Art Center became a playing field. In 1988 the Walker and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board collaborated to turn that playing field into the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. In 1992 it was expanded from 7.5 to 11 acres, making it the largest urban sculpture garden in the country at the time. There are more than 40 works on permanent view. Additional temporary installations keep the Garden experience continually fresh. 

About Spoonbridge and Cherry

Spoonbridge and Cherry was commissioned for the Walker Art Center in 1985. The work was installed in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in 1988. This work is one of two fountain sculptures created by Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. The other work, Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels, is installed in Miami, Florida. For the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the two artists considered a design connecting Minnesota's Native American or Scandinavian heritages by creating a Viking ship prow or canoe pulled up on the shore of the pond. They finally chose the spoon and cherry design, which was closely connected with Oldenburg's use of common objects for the central theme in his monumental art. Oldenburg has used a spoon as a motif or theme in drawings or studies since the early 1960s. He has commented that the spoon was his idea and the cherry was van Bruggen's idea. Spoonbridge and Cherry has become a landmark for Minneapolis and this whimsical sculpture is a favorite among visitors to the Walker Art Center.

Visiting Guidance

Look for these displays on your visit: 

¡ïThe colossal Spoonbridge and Cherry Fountain by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

¡ïThe Irene Hixon Whitney Footbridge designed by Siah Armajani that connects the Sculpture Garden with Loring Park and downtown Minneapolis. Walk across the bridge to visit the Loring Park Garden and to find a selection of cafes.

¡ïFrank Gehry's Standing Glass Fish located in the Palm Room of the Cowles Conservatory. This room features permanent and seasonal horticultural displays including, exotic orchids, palms, and other fragrant and beautiful species.

¡ïThe northern boundary of the Sculpture Garden features the Alene Grossman Memorial Arbor. Along the entire 300-foot length of the vine-covered stainless steel arbor are colorful plantings of perennial and annual flowers.


Open Hours
Admission to the garden is free.

¡ñThe Sculpture Garden:
               →Daily 6 a.m.-midnight

¡ñThe Cowles Conservatory:
               →Tuesday-Sunday l0 a.m.-5 p.m.
               →Closed Mondays