Walker Art Center — Attraction in Minneapolis

Walker Art Center: Come for the cherry spoon, stay for the existential dread.

So, I went to the Walker Art Center—famous for its bold, weird, and deeply "what am I looking at?" kind of art. And let me just say: mission accomplished. I walked in expecting inspiration. I walked out needing a hug, a snack, and possibly a support group.

Most of the exhibits leaned heavily into themes of abuse, sex, or historical atrocities. And while I fully respect the importance of truth-telling through art, I didn’t expect to feel like I was walking through a visual trauma minefield. I wanted to be moved, not emotionally steamrolled.

There were a few pieces that did catch my eye—but by the time I saw them, I was too emotionally numb to appreciate them, much less take a photo. Honestly, it felt less like an art experience and more like a dare. "Bet you won’t make it to the end without losing faith in humanity."

BUT there was one bright spot—an interactive section where visitors could draw something meaningful and explain why. I loved that! The coloring pencils were so dull you could use them as stress sticks, but I got resourceful and carved some life out of them with my nails (yes, I arted like a gremlin). Then I went home and recreated my doodle digitally, because my soul needed closure.

And let’s not forget the real MVP: the outdoor sculptures. The iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry is still amazing. So amazing, in fact, that my boyfriend and I came back a second time before leaving. It’s whimsical, it’s weird, and best of all—it didn’t scream historical despair at me.

Would I go back? Maybe… but only on a free night, and only...

The art on display was great! and the look of the building is really interesting and fun to walk around in. However, if you're going as a teen (In jeans and a plain shirt mind you) be aware of the fact that you will be stopped on multiple occasions. One piece of art I saw appeared to have water inside but it was so still that it seemed it may just have been a clear top piece. I didn't want to touch the piece so I blew at it very lightly (Stupid? yes, but at least I didn't touch it) it did move slightly but we ended up both having to move on as one of the employees told us to knock it off. On another occasion I was stopped and asked if I could change how I was wearing my small bag so it didn't look like a backpack (as the rules dont allow backpacks) this however was no big deal and was easily changed. The third and last occasion was inside a gallery that was dedicated to the kind of sarcastic witty art I love. One piece had words so small I came within a foot of the piece. An employee made their way over and told me to stay one foot from the piece, I wasn't leaning in so I believe they meant I should not point at it too closely either. After my first mistake I made ever effort to not do anything inappropriate but whether it was our age or just that particular set of staff we were always watched, and at points followed, through the gallery. The staff did approach us quietly though which I appreciate. All the same it's hard to enjoy art...

Very impressive collection of art, I think. Was nice to be outside, and they do a good job of blending it within the landscape. Found it odd they didn't want people to even touch the art. There was a kid that dared to climb on the cherry 🍒 spoon 🥄. A voice came over the loud speakers saying they were security, they were watching, and they would be dealt with accordingly if they didn't discontinue their behavior immediately. It's very dystopian if you ask me. Nobody asked me, so I didn't say it, but you better believe I'm gonna type it in this here Google Maps review. Cause I keep it 💯. Real talk . Yuh, feel me. Had my rating at a 5, but I'm gonna drop it to a 4 because of the incident over the load speakers. I didn't really realize how ridiculous and unnecessary that was until I started typing out this review. Other than that, it was pretty cool, and overall, a worthwhile experience. If they're that worried about it, maybe have someone walk the grounds and interact with people instead of a dehumanizing robot voice over a load speaker. I didn't go inside, me and the fam just walked the outside sculpture garden. Hope this doesn't come off as being too negative cause it wasn't. Just a slight critique on the garden and kind of society as a whole.You can miss me with that whole disconnected, dehumanizing, dystopia stuff. All in...