WALKER ART CENTER LAUNCHES 75th ANNIVERSARY WITH ART AT THE CENTER: 75 YEARS OF WALKER COLLECTIONS OPENING OCTOBER 16th WEEKEND-LONG WALKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION OCTOBER 16-19 FEATURES FREE GALLERY ADMISSION, EXTENDED HOURS, BEER GARDEN, AND NONSTOP ACTIVITIES

Chuck Close, Big Self-Portrait, 1967-1968
Art Center Acquisition Fund, 1969
© Chuck Close, courtesy Pace Gallery

In the year 2015, the Walker Art Center will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding as a public art center with a series of WALKER@75 exhibitions and programs beginning with Art at the Center: 75 Years of Walker Collections. The exhibition launches October 16, 2014 with an opening-night party and weekend-long Walktoberfest celebration. Curated by the Walkers executive director Olga Viso and guest curator Joan Rothfuss, the exhibition looks at 75 years of collecting at the Walkera history distinguished by bold and often prescient acquisitions that challenge prevailing artistic conventions and examine the social and political conditions of the day. Many of the works collected breach the boundaries of media and disciplines and reflect the Walkers multidisciplinary programming, which includes film and video, design, visual art and performing arts. Art at the Center also traces how the collection was shaped by the respective visions and collecting philosophies of its five directors as well as the generosity of the Walker family and key patrons. On view through September 11, 2016, the exhibition will present many iconic works from the collection, including Edward Hoppers Office at Night (1940), Franz Marcs The Large Blue Horses (1911), Chuck Closes Big Self-Portrait (1967-68), Yves Kleins Mondo Cane Shroud (1961), Kerry James Marshalls Gulf Stream (2003), and Goshka Macugas Lost Forty (2011).

Art at the Center: Opening-Night Party
Thursday, October 16, 5 10 pm FREE

Join us for an evening of festivities, frolic, and nonstop fun in celebration of our momentous 75th anniversary. Get together on opening night of Art at the Center: 75 Years of Walker Collections for a mix of unique art-related activities. Walker members can enjoy a free drink on the house!

Walktoberfest: Celebrating the Walkers 75th Anniversary
Thursday, October 16 Sunday, October 19
Extended hours, FREE

The Walker Art Center opens its doors with extended hours and free gallery admission for all to celebrate its 75th anniversary as a public art center. Enjoy nonstop activities throughout the weekend, including the opening of the exhibition Art at the Center: 75 Years of Walker Collections. Celebrate the history of cinema with free screenings of films from the Ruben/Bentson Collection. The Grove at Open Field features a beer garden with local brews, bites, and live music all weekend long. Visit walkerart.org for full schedule and details.