Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Sunday we took a little stroll in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

If you are ever in the Twin Cities area, you have to go there!

We felt a little dorky being the only people around in church clothes, but we just had to go!

You see, in the whole past 6 weeks we have been Minnesota residents, we have looked out the window and seen this, 

And this...

And sometimes this.

I really, honest and truly, don't remember seeing 

This or anything close to it in the whole past 6 weeks.  

We went to a special meeting in Oakdale where we had the privilege of listening to Jeffery R. Holland speak.  He even joked about the weather here in Minnesota.  He said, "We always saw Minnesota on the news and heard the weather man talk about how bad it was here for all you Minnesotans."   Then laughing because of our sudden instance of fabulous weather, he said, "I don't know what those guys were talking about!  I think the weather here is marvelous."  

I am glad he was able to be here for the first perfectly clear sunny, non-humid day we have had this year ;0)

That said, once we left the church building I just couldn't stomach going back home with all this sun and richly colored scenery to enjoy!!!

We looked up the sculpture gardens and drove there straight away.  The Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens are  off of 35W right near downtown Minneapolis.  They are nestled across the street from Walker Art Center and are free to walk through.  You do have to pay for parking if you want to park right there, but we were able to find a spot down the road a way and enjoyed the shady walking path that led right to the gardens.  

I have been waiting 8 years to see this sculpture in person!  

I have to tell you, these are all pictures taken on my phone.  I cannot get over the crazy blue skies and green spaces in the city!  I am guessing that all that rain wiped the atmosphere totally clean and left us with amazing colors to look at.  

Most of the structures are just amazing to look at and examine.  It was really fun to talk to the kids about art and perspective.  I got to impress upon their moldable minds that art isn't something you can just decide yes I like it or no I don't.  You have to look at it from different angles and think about what the artist might have been thinking or feeling, think about the difficulty of working with the particular medium, and what feeling was the artist trying to portray.  Don't just look and decide you don't care for it, but think about what you don't particularly like and why, or why you are drawn to certain pieces.  It all makes you a better artist.  I particularly enjoyed giving that lecture since each of my kids is quite the budding artist and it was fun to see their minds work over the things I told them and equate it all to their own projects.

Ah, just another moment I have loved about motherhood.

Empty clothes

{sorry about my finger in the picture}

Flattened woman.  

I feel like that sometimes.

Behind the flat woman was this random, very long brick wall.  Kinda weird, very cool!

This one was a crazy one.  I didn't notice from far away, just thought it a couple pillars...

But when you come here you will see all the fun and different shapes, animals, etc up in the roof of the dome.

I LOVE this picture!

I can't even express how much I love this picture!!!

I love the angles and levels and layers.  I love the bit of city in the background.  Mostly I think I am just amazed at the blue, BlUe, BLUE sky and the green, GrEen, GREEN grass.

I never knew such colors existed in a city.  I guess I have become so used to the smog of Phoenix, and the grey, overcast skies that surrounded my family ever since we left Phoenix, I just marvel at the sight.

This was Emmalee's favorite.  It is as if Cinderella made this snowman herself.  

This sculpture has a big swing underneath it.  It was a hot spot for that very reason.

Here is Emmers making a snake face.  

What a fun pit stop!  

We didn't stay too long with it getting hotter in the sun and us all in our church clothes, but it was worth the trip a thousand times over.  We will be going back and we will be going through the Walker Art Center as well.  Next time I think we will have to play the mini-golf course they have set up for their 25th anniversary.

Be sure to put the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden on your list if you plan to visit any time soon!!!