Art under the Arch - revitalized art scene in St. Louis, Missouri

Art in America, July, 2001 by Ann Wilson Lloyd

One of the works in "Wonderland," SLAM's ambitious exhibition last summer of large installations by 10 international artists, was Pipilotti Rist's double video, Ever Is Over All, on loan from the contemporary collection of the Donald L. Bryant Jr. Family Trust (along with the Barney A. Ebsworth family, the best known of the city's major collectors of contemporary art).

Most of the other works in "Wonderland" were commissioned for the show, including an acoustic narrative tour through Forest Park's woodland by Janet Cardiff. Because of its isolated setting, it was one of the most spine-tingling of Cardiff's productions, particularly if walked alone. The show also included works by Ernesto Neto, Olafur Eliasson, Jennifer Steinkamp, Gregor Schneider, Stephen Hendee, Teresita Fernandez, Bill Klaila and the Dutch collaborative Atelier van Lieshout. The latter's functional settlement of five working farm buildings out behind the museum, titled Pioneer Set, was an architectural blend of the Midwestern vernacular and spiffy, economical Dutch design. The group's interest in survivalism couldn't have looked more cozily down-home, and doubtless for many visitors the settlement's live farm animals, on loan from the petting zoo of the nearby St. Louis Zoo, furnished friendly guides into the world of the international avant-garde.

"Wonderland" was the first major exhibition organized by Steiner, who arrived in 1996 from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. She notes that SLAM, like other popular Forest Park attractions--the history museum, the zoo and conservatory--is flee, and thus well used by the community. It is owned and financially supported by the city via a tax for the arts and culture that dates back to 1907. While most special exhibitions have admission fees, "Wonderland"--intended to make contemporary art as engaging as possible--was flee. Steiner says that for a contemporary show, record numbers attended, and it earned press coverage as far away as Arkansas, Chicago and Kansas City. The concerted publicity push for the show included a press presentation in distant Manhattan. This summer will be quieter, with two shows of Pop art, one from SLAM's collection and the other from MOMA's. Ando and Jorge Pardo will be featured in fall and winter shows.

Laumeier Turnaround

Currently, an effort is under way to rescue a well-known St. Louis institution, the Laumeier Sculpture Park, which is located just outside the city's southwestern limits. Named for the donors of the park land, it was started in 1976 as both a county park and a place for major works of contemporary sculpture. A gift of works by Ernest Trova got things rolling; the park now includes more than 85 works by about 60 artists of local, national and international stature. Some of the most important pieces, like Mary Miss's rambling architectural construction, Pool Complex, Orchard Valley (1985), and Beverly Pepper's huge earthwork, Cromlech Glen (1985-90), were, at the time of my visit last fall, cordoned off and in poor condition. Though signs said conservation was in progress, no activity was discernible. The park's indoor galleries were well tended. A traveling show of artist-made, African-inspired altars, "Face of the Gods" [see A.i.A., Dec. '94], was on the schedule for fall and winter, its opening coinciding with Laumeier's popular autumn family festival. But the outer reaches of the grounds, where works by Dan Graham, David Nash and Ursula Von Rydingsvard are installed, seemed neglected, with benches and trail signs often rotting or missing.