Rauschenberg's 'Glacial Decoy' Returns to the Walker Where It Began

When choreographer Trisha Brown's "Glacial Decoy" first appeared in 1979, it premiered at the Walker Art Center, on the edge of Lowry Hill, which commissioned the work. Nearly half a century later, the museum has brought the piece's visual elements home: an exhibition of Robert Rauschenberg's décor and costumes, "Trisha Brown and Robert Rauschenberg: Glacial Decoy," runs from June 26, 2025, through May 24, 2026.

The show marks the centennial of Rauschenberg, the cross-disciplinary American artist who designed for dancers as readily as he painted. "Glacial Decoy" was Brown's first work for the proscenium stage, made after years choreographing for rooftops, walls and city parks, and it stands as one of the clearest examples of an artist treating a dance as a canvas. The Walker spent decades building relationships with both Rauschenberg and Brown, so the collection now on view is, in a real sense, a chapter of the museum's own history rather than a borrowed loan show.

The exhibition presents Rauschenberg's original set and costumes alongside related prints, archival materials and video of historic and recent performances. The projected backdrop features his black-and-white photographs, which advance across the stage in a steady rhythm that echoes Brown's choreography of continuous entrances and exits. For neighbors who think of the Walker mainly as a place to see paintings, the show is a reminder that the museum has long been a laboratory for performance as well.

The display anchors a broader centennial series. In late 2025 the Walker presented "Rauschenberg@100," highlighting his collaborations with Brown, Merce Cunningham and Kyle Abraham, including live performances and a residency with the Trisha Brown Dance Company. With the gallery exhibition open into late May 2026, visitors can study the costumes and backdrop up close, though the scarcer half of the experience is the live performance dates worth checking on the Walker's calendar.

Sources: Walker Art Center,; Walker Art Center,