Free January Programming at the Walker
Kick off the new year with free, creativity-packed programming at the Walker Art Center. From hands-on art workshops and family fun to inspiring conversations shaped by Dyani White Hawk: Love Language, January is filled with ways to make, explore, and get inspired together.
FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS
Camdentown Chess Club at the Walker
Thursday, January 8, 5–8 pm
Cargill Lounge
Camdentown Chess Club returns for a series of monthly pop-ups inviting visitors of all ages to connect and engage in playful strategy through the timeless game of chess. Launched in North Minneapolis as a welcoming community space for BIPOC players, Camdentown brings that same spirit of accessibility and belonging to the Cargill Lounge.
Inspired by the Show & Tell exhibition, which celebrates curiosity and exchange as forms of expression, Camdentown Chess Club invites visitors to see chess as both a game and a social practice—one that values patience, dialogue, and the beauty of thinking together. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, all are welcome.
Join us for Chess Club on Thursdays, December 11, January 8, February 5, March 12, and April 2, 5 to 8 pm. Chess boards and game clocks provided, supplies limited.
Art Club: Guest Artist Maggie Thompson
Thursday, January 8, 5–8 pm
Art Lab
This evening’s Art Club welcomes guest artist Maggie Thompson (Ojibwe), founder of the local Native-owned textile studio Makwa Studio. Thompson will guide visitors through a textile-based project using unconventional materials.
An Evening with Layli Long Soldier
Thursday, January 15, 7 pm
Walker Cinema
Renowned writer, visual artist, and activist Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota) presents an evening lecture at the Walker. A contributor to the exhibition catalogue for Dyani White Hawk: Love Language, Long Soldier is known for her powerful writing style. Her poetry collection WHEREAS (Graywolf Press), a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award for Poetry, explores the historical and ongoing impacts of the US government’s systematic violence against Indigenous peoples. Long Soldier was also featured as a writer and narrator of the Emmy Award–winning documentary Lakota Nation vs. United States (2023).
This event requires a free ticket, and seating is first-come, first-served. Registering online in advance is recommended and holds your seat until 15 minutes prior to the event start.
Thursday, January 15, 5–8 pm
Art Lab
Using the first photographs of snow from 1885, visitors will trace snowflakes onto translucent vellum to make a winter lantern.
Winter Storytelling with Black Garnet Books
Thursday, January 22, 6 pm
Cargill Lounge
Join us for an evening of storytelling and reflection with Black Garnet Books. Settle in for an immersive experience as Twin Cities poet and educator LM Brimmer reads aloud while you create your own collage. In an evening exploring Black liberation, Brimmer’s poems and essays invite participants to reflect on themes of action, rebellion, and possibility. Each guest will use collage to design a page exploring what liberation means to them, which will later be gathered into a collective book of ideas and expression. Draw inspiration from books, magazines, literature, and your own imagination; let your feelings flow onto the page. The evening concludes with an optional share-out and exchange of ideas.
Seating is first-come, first-served; space and materials are limited.
Art Club: Embellished Patchwork Embroidery
Thursday, January 22, 5–8 pm
Art Lab
Explore texture, color, and stitchwork this week inspired by works in the gallery. Make your own vibrant, embellished patchwork piece—no experience necessary.
Love Language: Behind the Beadwork
Thursday, January 29, 6 pm
Mediatheque
Dyani White Hawk’s monumental beadwork paintings and sculptures emerge from a careful balance of individual vision and collective effort. Join us in the Love Language galleries for an inside look at the processes that bring these detailed works to life. White Hawk’s studio assistants will have a conversation about shared practice, the personal stories behind their beadwork designs, and the communal labor embedded in large-scale artmaking. Hear directly from the bead workers as they reveal the materials, methods, and collaborative processes that shape these intricate and immersive artworks.
Space is limited. Gallery admission is free on Thursday nights, 5 to 9 pm. Admission tickets are available online or at the Main Lobby desk.
Art Club: Futuristic Accessories
Thursday, January 29, 5–8 pm
Art Lab
Make futuristic accessories using foils, neon fabric, and scrap materials. Bring your own designs or use the templates provided.
FREE FIRST SATURDAY
Saturday, January 3, 10 am–5 pm
Walker Art Center
Some artists transform everyday objects into incredible masterpieces, hiding the materials they used in plain sight. Join us as we tap into our creativity and use found objects to make artwork.
Free First Saturday features free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month. Gallery admission tickets are available in advance online and on-site on the event day from the Main Lobby desk. Free admission, 10 am to 5 pm; activities, 10 am to 3 pm.
SENSORY FRIENDLY SUNDAY
Sensory Friendly Sunday January 2026
Sunday, January 11, 8 am–11 am
Walker Art Center
Sensory Friendly Sunday is a monthly event designed for kids, teens, and adults with sensory-processing differences, autism, or developmental disabilities. The galleries will be closed to the general public, allowing visitors to enjoy the museum in a calm environment with accommodations such as quiet spaces, fidgets, and sunglasses available. Experience a selection of current exhibitions, make art, or watch a short film. All friends and family members are welcome.
To support the health and safety of visitors at increased risk for COVID-19, masks are required at Sensory Friendly Sunday for visitors over age 2. Accommodations are available if someone in your party is unable to tolerate masking. Please email access@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7561 for more information.
This program was created in consultation with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and the University of Minnesota’s Occupational Therapy Program.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS
Friday, January 9, 10 am–1 pm
Gallery B
Come to the Walker for storytelling and art-making every second Friday of the month and Spring Break April 1-3 during the exhibition Show & Tell: An Exhibition for Kids! Show & Tell is on view through April 5.
Storytelling will take place in the exhibition Show & Tell at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, and enjoy art-making activities in the Cargill Lounge from 10 am – 1 pm.
While walk-ins are welcome, we encourage you to reserve your space ahead of time. Caregivers and relatives of kids receive free admission to the galleries at this event. Ages 18 and under always visit for free.
Activity instructions are available in English and Spanish. Materials will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; supplies are limited.
Teen Maker Break: January 2026
Friday, January 23, 2–5 pm
Art Lab
Another school break means another maker’s sesh! Come hang out and make art with other teens at the Walker. Then, check out our latest exhibitions—all for free.
No advanced registration required—just stop by. Free snacks provided while supplies last. Can’t make it this time? No problem! The Walker is always free for anyone 18 or under.
Follow @walkerteens on Instagram or email teenprograms@walkerart.org for more info.