Unveiled last October, Rites-of-Way by Nari Ward is a visually arresting and conceptually layered sculpture that combines Twin Cities history, community stories, and the evocative environments for which the artist is known. During his Walker residency last year, Ward uncovered some intriguing pieces of local history, such as the grand ice palaces of the 1930s and 1940s designed by Twin Cities-based African-American architect Clarence Wigington; St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood, which was bisected by I-94 during the late 1950s; and the "villages" of ice-fishing houses that appear on Minnesota lakes every winter. Each references temporary architecture, dislocated dwellings, and ritualized communities.

For Rites-of-Way, Ward used the floor plan of Wigington's 1940 ice palace to create an enlivened architectural environment through which visitors can navigate. Passageways outlined by scaffolding are punctuated with beaded curtains, evoking the light and translucence of ice and water. The ice houses that crown the structure serve as dwellings for the communities' many memories, containing images of old Rondo homes and objects donated by community members.