The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences. Focusing on the visual, performing, and media arts of our time, the Walker takes a global, multidisciplinary, and diverse approach to the creation, presentation, interpretation, collection, and preservation of art. Walker programs examine the questions that shape and inspire us as individuals, cultures, and communities.
As a part of the Arts program’s strategy to provide targeted project support for large organizations, McKnight is a primary funder and co-founder of Mn Artists, the Walker’s digital platform for Minnesota artists and organizations of all disciplines. Launched in 2001, Mn Artists is home to art, writing, opportunities, and conversation — online and off — by, for, and about Midwestern artists working in every discipline. As mainstream local media outlets for arts journalism have withered in recent years, Mn Artists’ steadfast commitment to local arts writing is a valuable resource. The recently re-launched website now boasts over 2,700 articles engaging with a variety of artistic and cultural topics and responding to artwork of all disciplines.
“Providing opportunities for local artists to speak to and influence programming at the Walker creates a crucial connection between the Walker and Minnesota’s artistic community.” —NISA MACKIE
Walker staff are currently working on a new Mn Artists program series at the Walker that will give Minnesota artists an opportunity to guest curate an evening program that examines an issue or idea pertinent to their practice or Minnesota arts and culture — Mn Artists Presents. The Walker will stage four of these programs a year with calls for applications facilitated by the mnartists.org submission portal that was developed and launched in 2014. You can see our first call out for the program here. “I am thrilled to move ahead with this new guest curator program,” says Nisa Mackie, the Walker’s Director and Curator of Education and Public Programs who oversees Mn Artists. “Providing opportunities for local artists to speak to and influence programming at the Walker creates a crucial connection between the Walker and Minnesota’s artistic community.”
The Mn Artists program is dedicated to improving the quality and national visibility of regionally-rooted art, artists, and cultural dialogue. In addition to numerous articles, the website showcases over 3,200 artist pages, 380 organization profiles, and nearly 44,000 works of art.
The Walker Art Center ranks among the five most-visited modern/contemporary art museums in the United States and, together with the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, attracts more than 500,000 visitors per year.
