The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden has long been one of my favorite places, and as with any place I have my favorite things within the garden.
The garden was just being developed when we moved to the Twin Cities in 1988 and I remember the excitement as the famed Spoonbridge and Cherry fountain (1985-1988) by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen became an iconic symbol of Minneapolis and one of the most photographed sites in the city. It continued to develop over the years, and now with 19 acres Minneapolis Sculpture Garden has become one of the largest urban sculpture gardens in the US.
I still love that fountain but I also have three other favorite places at the garden, the first being the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge (1987), designed by Siah Armajani. It connects the sculpture garden to Loring Park and it is one of my favorite ways to enter the park… with poetry as part of the bridge and views connecting it with the city and an overview of the whole park.
The garden has expanded over the years, and another one of my favorite places is across the street from the main garden, built into the hill by Walker Art Center. Sky Pesher, 2005 by James Turrell is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. Climb the stairs on the west side of the Walker and follow the path into what looks like an underground passageway. It leads to underground room with a 14 foot aperture to the every-changing sky. I have always loved looking at the sky, and this framing “brings the sky down” so it feels closer… a great spot for sitting and taking a pause.
The ever-changing garden was closed for reconstruction of the infrastructure and reconfiguration of the works of art about 20 years after it opened. When it re-opened in 2017 one of the new art works was the eye-catching Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch. It is actually one of two she created, the first for Trafalgar Square in London (that one is now in the National Gallery in Washington, DC).
I love this giant blue rooster that stands tall and proud, visible throughout the garden and also from the roadways surrounding the garden. The artist calls it “a feminist sculpture, since… I, a woman, am depicting something male. Historically it has always been the other way around. Now we are changing the roles. And a lot of men are enjoying that.”
It always gives me a smile as I pass by on the freeway… and it amazes me how its brilliant color never fades!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com