Navigating byzantinevery complex street-network in downtown Minneapolis was no less than a thorny commission and I did it while listening to an anomalous mix-tape made by Sue, my perky graphic designer friend. I missed my Interstate 94 exit while Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax masterfully interpreting Johannes Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano; made a wrong turn on Hennepin Avenue when Lester Young commandingly jamming on All of Me; almost got trapped in Target Center’s parking garage armed with only Sam Cooke’s Wonderful World and a jerrybuilt, half-eaten veggie wrap. When I finally got myself into the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden located right next to the Walker Art Center, I had few drops of grateful tears in my eyes while Etta James beautifully warbling out At Last like my personal guardian angel.

At Last
My Love Has Come Along
My Lonely Days Are Over
And Life Is Like A Song

“I made it.” I called Sue to report my maiden voyage. “With a little bit help from your mix-tape, I guess.”

“But,” she demanded nothing but the truth. “Did you remember to bring a spoon and a bag of cherries with you?”

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, with Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen as its centerpiece, currently features more than 40 sculptures on permanent display, showcasing works by notable artists such as Alexander Calder, Brower Hatcher, Mark di Suvero, Barry Flanagan, Siah Armajani, Jackie Winsor, Jacques Lipchitz, Tony Cragg, Dan Graham, George Segal, Deborah Butterfield, Sol LeWitt, and many others.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, located near the Walker Art Center, Loring Parking, and the Basilica of Saint Mary in downtown Minneapolis, was established in 1988 with Edward Larrabee Barnes and landscape architects Quinnel and Rothschild responsible for its initial design. The Garden was expanded in 1992 with designs by Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates, Inc. The Garden, operated by the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, replaced the Armory Gardens opened back in 1913.