Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

On our recent trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul, we stopped by the fabulous Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.  It was a glorious, cool day, perfect for strolling around this wonderful, free park.  Here are a few of the sculptures which we particularly admired.

Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen is the most famous and most photographed sculpture in the park.  It is impressive.  And large! According to the park literature, the spoon is 52 feet long, and the cherry weighs 1,200 pounds!  That's a heck of a cherry!  In the background of my photo, you can see the dome of the Basilica of St. Mary.  I think that makes an interesting composition -- the old and the new.

Spoonbridge and Cherry

I think my favorite sculpture was this one by Henry Moore, Reclining Mother and Child, made in 1960-1961.  I love the simplicity of it.

Reclining Mother and Child

We always enjoy seeing the Barry Flanagan hare sculptures.  I had never seen this one, Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers from 1983, but there is another at the Toledo Museum of Art, which we have visited a number of times.

Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers

Without Words by Judith Shea (1988) was intriguing.  I love the empty coat.  I'm not sure I "get" the connection to the broken marble head, but still found the sculpture a fascinating one.

Without Words

Finally,  Molecule by Mark di Suvero, completed in 1983.  My husband thought it was too much of a Alexander Calder knock-off, but I liked it.  I especially liked seeing the red-painted steel against the bright blue fall sky.

Molecule