Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to get 21st-century redesign

The final proposal for what staff are describing as a 21st century redesign of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden will be unveiled next month.

The proposed transformation includes both practical updates to address storm water runoff in the garden and aesthetic changes to make the area more usable, according to Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board project manager Dana Murdoch.

"They're respecting the formality of the original sculpture garden design, but then bringing the remainder and the entirety of the garden into the 21st century," Murdoch said.

The proposed design will maintain the garden's four square room-like areas nearest to the Walker Art Center, but would soften the outer edges of the garden through use of native plants.

"There is this idea to embrace and frame the garden with more natural grasses that might be in the 1- to 2-foot height and provide a little color and interest through all the seasons," Murdoch said.

Other parts of the garden will be designed to better channel water runoff. Murdoch said a meadow on the northern edge of the garden will be designed to funnel excess water into the pond surrounding the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, which itself will be cleaned up to restore some of the "splendor" of its original installation.

Although the area near the rooms and the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture would remain a manicured lawn, other parts of the garden will be planted with more ecologically-friendly native grasses, Murdoch said.

The redesign is funded by $8.5 million allocated by the state Legislature last year to improve access around the garden's facilities, update the conservatory and add drainage and $1.5 million from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization for construction of a storm water control system.

The land is owned and mostly maintained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, although the sculpture garden is a partnership with the Walker Art Center.

The proposal will be considered at the final meeting of the appointed citizen advisory committee on at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Walker Art Center. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will likely consider final approval of the proposal in early March. Residents interested in the project's progress can sign up for email updates online.

Construction could start as early as August and will last until the fall of 2016. During the construction, the garden will be closed and most sculptures will be put into storage, although some will be loaned out temporarily to other art institutions in the area.