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Children’s Museum of the Arts is pleased to present Walker’s Spoilery, a public art installation at The Gallery at Ace Hotel New York, on view from September 14 to October 14, 2022.

Walker’s Spoilery presents a selection of small and strange sculptures made from materials such as coral, fossil, and snail shells, all gathered around the New York City area, as well as short films documenting Walker’s foraging and studio process.

The word “spoilery” has two meanings — the content collected by dredging a lake or mining land, as well as the treasures and wealth looted during battle. These works in this exhibition are all made using foraged material, inciting curiosity and fantasy in their intentional exploration of the liminal space between reality and make-believe.

Walker is a South Florida-born, New York-based sculptor and video artist. The videos are directed by Children’s Museum of the Arts Artist-Educator Frank Traynor, whose long standing collaborative practice with Walker includes diaristic video-based investigations of ecological interdependence and artmaking.

About Frank Traynor

Frank Traynor was born in Miami and has worked as an art teacher, sailor, pumpkin carver, costume maker, and Christmas tree salesman. He is the founder of No School, an artist-run arts education program that employs creative problem solving, mindful experimentation, collaboration, and ecological sustainability to promote social-emotional skills as well as a broad sense of wonder, joy and possibility. Frank is also the former Education Director of 2727 California Street, an art and education initiative and artist-in-residence program in Berkeley, CA.

About Walker

Walker is a video artist from South Florida. He loves swimming under waterfalls, listening to The Shaggs, and watching old Martin Margiela shows on Youtube — ideally all in one day. He believes in beauty; he’s venus as a boy. Get to know Walker at walkingaroundnexttowalker.com

About Ace Hotel New York

Established in 2009, Ace Hotel New York lives in a historic, turn-of-the-century building in Midtown Manhattan. It has become a central hub for New Yorkers and international travelers alike. Ace Hotel New York always strives to be a space for radical inclusivity, community and collaboration. It is a cultural leader and neighborhood institution invested in the spirit of its surroundings, the culture of the city’s art and performances and the ancient bones of the building.

Frames for Walker’s Spoilery have been generously donated by Framebridge.

This exhibition is made possible by the support of Google, Cornelia T Bailey Foundation, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Louis Legacy Foundation, Cowles Charitable Trust, and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).