Rock The Garden Completes Its Run

Sep 28, 2022

Walker Art Center and The Current turn focus to new initiatives

The Walker Art Center and Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current announce the summer music festival Rock the Garden will retire following a lauded final installment this past June. In a joint statement, Walker Executive Director Mary Ceruti and MPR President Duchesne Drew shared, “Rock the Garden has always been focused on bringing people together through music. We are grateful to go out on a high note as a team. This is now a fresh opportunity to conjure up new ways to serve ambitions that drive each institution in new ways.”

“It has been a tremendous pleasure to work so closely with the staff of The Current since our first Rock the Garden together in 2008,” said Philip Bither, McGuire Director and Senior Curator, Performing Arts at the Walker. “This much loved event benefitted greatly from their dedication, musical knowledge, connections, good taste and remarkable reach. The 13 festivals we co-produced together held so many memorable moments and brought joy and inspiration to many. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with MPR and The Current in new ways and new projects in the future.”

Walker Art Center launched the music festival in 1998. The Current first partnered with the Walker to re-launch the music festival in 2008, after Rock the Garden was put on hiatus in 2004. The two organizations will continue to partner on initiatives in the future.

“The Current remains committed to crafting unique experiences and inspiring our audiences through music discovery,” said David Safar, Managing Director, The Current. “Over the years, Rock the Garden empowered connections across the community, and now MPR and the Walker will dream up new events that enable those connections.”

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About Walker Art Center

Known for presenting today’s most compelling artists from close to home and around the world, the Walker Art Center features a broad array of contemporary visual arts, music, dance, theater, and moving image works. Ranging from concerts and films to exhibitions and workshops, Walker programs bring us together to examine the questions that shape and inspire us as individuals, cultures, and communities. The adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States, holds at its center the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen as well as some 60 sculptures on the 19-acre Walker campus. Visit walkerart.org for more information on upcoming events and programs.

About The Current

The Current is an all-music, noncommercial, member-supported station from Minnesota Public Radio®. Since it began broadcasting in 2005, the award-winning station has grown into a far-reaching community, boasting members and online listeners from around the world. From local to legendary, indie to influential, The Current plays the best new music next to the artists you already love. Part of The Current’s mission is to champion emerging artists, support civic and cultural organizations, and give a platform to important voices that shape our community and make the Twin Cities a great place to live. Learn more and listen at thecurrent.org.