December Free First Saturday features South Indian Festival, Ragmala Dance Company Performances, and Art-Making
Free First Saturdays feature free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month, plus performances, games, art-making, and kids’ films from 10 am to 3 pm. Family friendly food options are available or bring something from home to snack on in the lounge or in the garden.
Free First Saturday: Celebrate!
Saturday, December 1
10 am–3 pm
This season, experience Navarathri Kolu—a South Indian festival in which families welcome neighbors into their homes for a celebration rooted in the sharing of art. Join us as Ragamala Dance Company transforms the Walker into a South Indian home with a large-scale, traditional Kolu display, community performances, dance, yoga, and kolam (rice flour design) workshops, and more.
Free First Saturdays feature free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month, plus performances, games, art-making, and kids’ films from 10 am to 3 pm. Family friendly food options are available or bring something from home to snack on in the museum’s public spaces.
Experience: Kolu Display
10 am–3 pm
The centerpiece of South Indian Navarathri celebrations, the Kolu display is a vibrant, large-scale display of traditional dolls and figurines. See the beautiful handcrafted dolls and learn more about Navarathri Kolu celebrations in both Minnesota and India.
Workshop: Yoga
10 am–3 pm
Join Srividhya Radhakrishnan of Yogavaram for an all-ages workshop of ancient yoga practices rooted in classical Hatha Yoga—a system that uses the body to elevate consciousness. No experience required.
Workshop: Bharatanatyam Dance
1 pm–1:30 pm
A senior dancer of Ragamala Dance Company leads an all-ages workshop of Bharatanatyam dance in the Pandanallur lineage, which focuses on the rhythmic, gestural, and expressive vocabularies that are the hallmarks of the form. No experience required.
Art-Making: Kolam Rice Flour Designs
10 am–3 pm
Try your hand at creating traditional kolam designs with rice flour. Participants will learn to draw several kolam designs on paper and then create them with rice flour to experience the traditional method.
Story Time: Goddess Power Brought to Life
12:30 pm
For many, Navarathri is a celebration of female power and motherhood. Enjoy a dynamic storytelling session inspired by powerful female deities in Hindu mythology presented by Rupa Parekh, founder and creator of Jai Jai Hooray by Umani Studio. Find them on Facebook and on Instagram @jaijaihooray.
Community Performances
11:30 am–12:15 pm
1:30 pm–2:15 pm
Experience the art-sharing spirit of Navarathri Kolu by watching a showcase of community performances—professionals and amateurs, youth and adults, performers of all mediums and styles.
Call for Performers (deadline 11/25): Ragamala is looking for performers of all abilities, skill levels, and mediums. If you would like to perform as a part of Ode to Navarathri, please fill out this form.
Sensory Friendly Sunday
December 9
8–11 am Free
Starting in December, Sensory Friendly Sunday will be moved to the second Sunday of each month.
At December Sensory Friendly Sunday, create a collage inspired by the exhibition Siah Armajani: Follow the Line. This month’s art making activity is designed and facilitated by Marrie Bottelson and Candice Simpson, an artist and the Art Director at Partnership Resources Inc., respectively. Then, explore the exhibition Siah Armajani: Follow This Line and I am you, you are too.
This recurring event is designed for kids, teens, and adults with sensory processing differences or autism spectrum disorder. 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, noise-canceling headphones, and sunglasses available. Experience the Walker’s exhibitions, participate in a new art-making activity, or watch a short film.
While walk-ins are welcome, we encourage you to reserve your space ahead of time. Registration is available online.