Art You Can Play: Walker Art Center Unveils New Artist-Designed Mini Golf Hole by Ifrah Mansour at Skyline Mini Golf
MINNEAPOLIS, APRIL 23, 2026—This summer, the Walker Art Center invites visitors to experience art in motion with Skyline Mini Golf, an artist-designed course where every hole is an artwork. The newest hole, Indhaha Dayaxa – Eyes of the Moon by Minneapolis-based Somali artist Ifrah Mansour, brings a sense of wonder to the rooftop course. The sculptural mini golf installation—composed of woven bamboo lattice and East African fabric, each encased in a resin finish—explores memory, celestial rhythm, and shared cultural belonging.
Skyline Mini Golf features 10 immersive installations by local artists; the course transforms play into a creative encounter—blending sculpture, storytelling, and community collaboration into an interactive outdoor experience. Designed to emphasize that contemporary art can be approachable, tactile, and fun, the project encourages visitors of all ages to engage directly with the work. At the same time, the course invites visitors to connect with the cultural narratives and communities that help shape Minnesota’s artistic landscape.
Skyline Mini Golf also highlights some of Minnesota’s diverse cultural traditions and communities. Dream Catcher and Turtle Pond incorporate Ojibwe symbols chosen by the artists to share Native cultural themes and positive energy. These installations were created in partnership with the Native Youth Arts Collective (NYAC), underscoring the course’s emphasis on collaboration and community-driven storytelling.
Accessibility and inclusivity are central to the experience. The course is designed for all ages and abilities, with each hole playable from the perimeter for guests who cannot step onto platforms. Popular as a seasonal destination, Skyline Mini Golf encourages visitors to pair their round with gallery exhibitions, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, and on-site dining—offering an inviting engagement with contemporary art through play, culture, and community. Alongside artist-designed mini golf, the Walker offers plenty to discover in its galleries this summer. Exhibitions on view include Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night, Suzanne Jackson: What Is Love, Sculpture Court, Rosy Simas: A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind), Collection in Focus: Martine Syms, and Olalekan Jeyifous: Hydricosmic Litanies.
New Installation: Indhaha Dayaxa – Eyes of the Moon by Ifrah Mansour
The newest addition, Indhaha Dayaxa – Eyes of the Moon by Somali artist Ifrah Mansour, brings a sense of wonder to the rooftop course. The sculptural mini -golf installation —composed of woven bamboo lattice and East African fabric, each encased in a resin finish— explores memory, celestial rhythm, and shared cultural belonging. “Growing up in rural Somalia, the moon was a constant presence—bright, immense, and shared,” says Mansour about the inspiration for her design. “In Minneapolis, the moon serves as a gathering point across many communities—including Somali, East African, Southeast Asian, and Muslim communities—marking lunar calendars, Eid celebrations, harvest cycles, and moments of collective renewal.”
The design features four handcrafted moon forms representing phases of the lunar cycle: crescent, half, gibbous, and full. Arranged in a sequence, the moons appear to unfold through space. As sunlight shifts throughout the day, overlapping shadows merge, separate, and reappear, creating fleeting impressions of wholeness. The work evolves with time, light, and the movement of the sun—making the sky an active collaborator. As the artist describes, Indhaha Dayaxa – Eyes of the Moon reflects the lived experiences of immigrant communities shaped by adaptation, memory, and the carrying of culture across new skies.
THE COURSE
Right on Cue
by Kevin Weeden
This long-time favorite is back on the green. Unconventional thinking can lead to great rewards! The game of billiards was invented as a form of indoor golf. To play, turn your club on its head and transform your putter into a pool cue. Aim for the hole but avoid the corner pockets—they’ll cost you a stroke. Move to the green for your final shot.
Indhaha Dayaxa – Eyes of the Moon
by Ifrah Mansour
Wherever you are in the world, the moon is a constant presence—bright, immense, and familiar! Designed by Somali refugee artist Ifrah Mansour, this hole celebrates shared cultural belonging and celestial rhythm. The artist shaped four phases of the moon by combining colorful East African fabric and woven bamboo lattice. To play, choose a wonderful moon and drop your ball into the tube. Then putt your way across the sky, back to the cup. Where will the moon lead you?
Color Wheel
by Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman
Up to four players can putt at the same time on the Color Wheel. Pick a color, step up, and race to see who can get the ball in first. The winner subtracts one point from their score!
Dream Catcher
by Brenna White
A familiar symbol of Native culture, this dreamcatcher was designed by Brenna White (Ojibwe). It catches bad dreams, like a spider’s web, then releases positive energy. To play, tee off at the top of the net and see which feather guides your path. From there, hit your ball into awaiting catchers. Created in collaboration with Native Youth Arts Collective (NYAC).
Putt-Pong
by Trevor Anderson and Barry Kudrowitz
The fast pace of ping-pong and the careful strategy of putt-putt come together here. It’s up to each golfer to decide how to play: are the paddles an advantage or an obstacle? Launch your ball over the net and into the hole to score.
Reflection of Choices
by Chris Crammer
When the unexpected happens, decisions must be made quickly! Drop your ball onto the ramp, then consider all your choices as you hit some bumps and surprises along the way.
Let’s Be Frank
by Yousif Del Valle, Tom Loftus, Andrew MacGuffie, Meena Mangalvedhekar, and Amy Toscani
Step back in time with an all-American favorite.
Be a Sculpture!
by Nicola Carpenter, Bryan Carpenter, Susanne Carpenter, and Sean Donovan
Place your feet on the footprints and become a sculptural obstacle for your fellow golfers to navigate.
Turtle Pond
by Aiyana Kline
Turtles are a sacred animal and symbol in the Native creation story of Turtle Island. The story inspired this design by Aiyana Kline (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians). Tee off at the turtle’s tail and choose an option: will your ball go up across the shell or through the pond? Either way, aim for the eye! Created in collaboration with Native Youth Arts Collective (NYAC).
Piece of Cake
by Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman
Play with your food! Use the bumpers to help get your ball to the top of the ramp to find the sweet spot. Is it as easy as pie?
Wednesday, May 20–Sunday, October 4
$12 ($10 Walker members and ages 6–18), Free for ages 5 and under with paid adult
TICKETS
Ordering tickets is easy: visit walkerart.org/tickets or call 612-375-7600. Box office is open Wednesday–Sunday and one hour before performances.
ACCESSIBILITY
For more information about accessibility, visit our accessibility page. For questions on accessibility or to request additional accommodations, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
About Ifrah Mansour
Ifrah Mansour is an award-winning Somali refugee multimedia artist, self-taught Indigenous weaver, archivist, and educator. She transforms lived experiences of displacement into spaces of belonging through sculpture, installation, performance, film, puppetry, textiles, and written forms.
Before the age of 10, Mansour lived through civil war, famine, drought, and refugee camps. Her grandmother’s oral storytelling became her first artistic inheritance, shaping a practice grounded in imagination as survival, resistance, and renewal.
Rooted in Somali nomadic traditions and ecological care, her work brings together storytelling, archival listening, and material transformation. Across projects such as How to Have Fun in a Civil War, I Am a Refugee, Healing Aqal, and Weaving Abundance, she creates what she describes as an architecture of care—art that activates space as a site of repair for both people and the planet. Through her work, Mansour explores memory, migration, resilience, and what it means to become good ancestors.
About the Walker Art Center
The Walker Art Center is a renowned multidisciplinary arts institution that presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Guided by the belief that art has the power to bring joy and solace and the ability to unite people through dialogue and shared experiences, the Walker engages communities through a dynamic array of exhibitions, performances, events, and initiatives. Its multiacre campus includes 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, the state-of-the-art McGuire Theater and Walker Cinema, and ample green space that connects with the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The Garden, a partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States and home to the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Recognized for its ambitious program and growing collection of more than 16,000 works, the Walker embraces emerging art forms and amplifies the work of artists from the Twin Cities and from across the country and the globe. Its broad spectrum of offerings makes it a lively and welcoming hub for artistic expression, creative innovation, and community connection.