Walker Art Center’s “Free First Saturday” is perfect for college students

There’s something for all ages at the Walker

By Josephine Takeshima Allen

Free First Saturdays are perfect if you’re a museum loving broke college student like I am. The first section of the museum that was open was intended  for kids, but creativity has no age limit, so I proceeded. When we entered the area, a volunteer told us that a mythical creature had come to Minneapolis, and felt homesick. It was our job to make something that made us feel at home to welcome him. As an “adult”, I don’t feel like I get many opportunities to just sit and make something with no assignment requirements and no grade attached to it. Once I was finished, I hung up my masterpiece, made of scrap pieces of paper glued onto an old postcard, and moved onto the galleries.

Several of the galleries were open, including Five Ways In. That collection explored the blurring of genres of art, such as sculptures which were also landscapes. There was also a gallery on the nude body, a welcome surprise at an event that I assumed only catered to children. There was also a unique opportunity to snowshoe through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, allowing patrons to see a part of the museum that is rarely accessible during the winter.

Three short films were playing throughout the day: The Maid, Kohl, and Felt Tip. The first followed six sculptures sold to very different people. Kohl explores the effect coal has had on our society and hints that the power it has over us is still being used. Felt Tip showed that though women are advancing through the ranks of white collar work, they are still constricted and molded by a patriarchal society. The films were all uniquely captivating, and the opportunity to see them in a gallery was amazing. These events happen every first Saturday of the month, and it is a fun and free way to spend a Saturday afternoon.