The Walker Art Center empowers people to experience the transformative possibilities of the art and ideas of our time and to imagine the world in new ways. The Walker’s vision is to be a hub for experimental and imaginative forms of artistic expression, a site for cultural production, and a welcoming forum for engaging critical issues through art at local, national, and international levels.

The Walker Art Center is both a global leader in the contemporary art field and a cultural anchor in the Twin Cities. The Walker presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Originally a visual art museum, the Walker became a multidisciplinary art center in the 1940s and has actively supported contemporary performance since the 1960s. In 1970, the Walker was one of the first art centers in the world to fully establish a separate curatorial department and production staff dedicated to contemporary performing arts and helped establish now-common national practices, such as commissioning work from leading artists and providing artistic and developmental residencies. With one of the most active contemporary performing arts programs in the United States—led by Director and Senior Curator Phillip Bither—the Walker is known internationally for presenting boundary-breaking work by global, national, and Minnesota-based performing artists. At the heart of the relationship between the Twin Cities dance community and the Walker is its annual Choreographers’ Evening. Beginning in 1971 as a showcase of work by independent choreographers, the program has featured the work of over 900 artists—many of whom have been early career artists—across its 50-year history.

Jerome Foundation supports Walker Arts Center’s Choreographers’ Evening program. Choreographers’ Evening offers early career Minnesota-based choreographers the opportunity to show a professionally produced presentation to a large audience, learn from seasoned Walker staff and technicians, and build community with other artists at various stages in their careers. A guest curator is invited annually and typically selects roughly 4–6 early career choreographers to be part of the cohort for Choreographers’ Evening. Over four months of activity leading up to performances, the development cycle for participating artists includes auditions, photo shoots, rehearsals, studio visits, fully supported tech in the theater, professional video documentation, and performances. Early career artists also have the opportunity to meet individually with the guest curator and with Walker Performing Arts staff for feedback and guidance.