Friday, May 6, 2011

If They Build It, They Will Come

image courtesy Walker Art Center
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is among the nation's most celebrated contemporary art museums, with one of the largest urban sculpture parks in the U.S., filled with works by leading American and international artists.

How could it possibly get any better?

Last summer, a team of more than 30 architects,  designers, and artists crowdsourced the design of the four-acre "Open Field,"  a grassy community commons where the public is invited to create and schedule their own events.

Residents can teach a class, create experimental art, play music, or simply spread out some blankets and host a book club meeting. There's free wireless, and food and beer are available for purchase.

The Center enabled the community to self-organize and schedule events using a combination of Google apps and Wordpress software. The Center also creates its own programming -- the crowdsourced events ensure that the public gets exactly what it wants, too.

Last year was Open Field's first events season, but not the last. It returns in June.

Thanks to Utne Reader for the tip-off.

2 comments:

Cathy Walker said...

Art is an all embracing notion (music, painting, theatre, literature and so on). Art had the most important role in the development of the mankind. The first were found on walls of ancient caves. So we can guess that painting was the first way of art. Painting is the most understandable way of art, because it gives us the most full and vivid impression.
Seneka once said: “All art is bur imitation of nature”. I don’t agree with him. I think that art has many functions and it’s hard to overestimate the role of art in one’s life. Art has great influence on our souls, feelings, forms our moral values. Art forms our outlook and enriches our inner world.

Cathy Walker
Private Teacher

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