When entering into our current exhibition by Ann Hamilton, there are many different sounds that confront the visitor, emitting not only from the speaker system in the building, but also from live elements in the space. One of the noises coming from both of these sources is a steady, rhythmic crackling. When you walk up the stairs to the Mezzanine level, you encounter the source of this sound: a population of small dark beans reverberating against a steel table. These elements, magically moving of their own volition, are the famed Mexican jumping beans.

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Visitors at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts give their impressions at the opening reception for stylus: a project by ann hamilton.

Artist Ann Hamilton, Composer Shahrokh Yadegari and the opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff create a recording for the installation of stylus.

To add a "sense of  humanity as well as mystery," Shahrokh Yadegari explained last week, he and Ann Hamilton chose to incorporate a human voice into stylus's primary sound composition. They talked with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and were introduced to the singer Elizabeth Zharoff. The three met at Jupiter Studios, a recording studio in downtown St. Louis, where Zharoff sang as Yadegari improvised using her voice and a computer music instrument he invented. The instrument is called "Lila," a word that literally means "play" in Hinduism but implies creative freedom within a set of boundaries. Zharoff and Yadegari's collaboration as well as Ann Hamilton's installation seem to exemplify that concept quite nicely.

Shahrokh Yadegari, Composer/Sound Designer, and his assistant Toby Algya program player pianos for Ann Hamilton's stylus. Yadegari describes how the instruments will be used during the exhibition.

When we think of the word "stylus," what comes to mind nowadays is a touch pen used on a palm computer. The upcoming exhibition's namesake has many denotations, though, such as a pillar or a tool used to engrave wax. As Matthias Waschek broached in the last "From the Director," the meanings of "stylus" overlap and fundamentally relate to communication. My favorite image of a stylus is a record player's needle, which magically emits music from a slab of vinyl. At Friday's opening, you'll be able to experience a similarly wonderful transmission of sound. Read the rest of this entry »

Art preparators mount bell speakers on top of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. Shahrokh Yadegari describes what sounds will be called out to the neighborhood.

If you've driven by the Pulitzer in last couple of weeks, you'll notice that the neon sign is gone, and there are now five bell speakers on the roof facing Washington Boulevard. They are, of course, for the upcoming stylus, an exhibition that focuses on the notion of calling, and they'll soon be calling to St. Louis.

The speakers in fact originally came from church bell towers, so this won't be the first time they've been used to beckon a community. However, this time the community will have a chance to contribute to the sound, which Shahrokh Yadegari, a composer and sound designer working with Ann Hamilton, explained in an interview last week.

"It's kind of the sound of the community that will be used as a gesture of calling to others," said Yadegari. Anyone, anywhere will be able to call an account the Pulitzer is setting up and leave a message, which may then be funneled off the Pulitzer rooftop. These recordings will also be played inside the building.

"The sound system is really complex," Shane, our Chief of Installations, explained about stylus. The audio maze so far includes light sensors, speakers throughout the building's ventilation system and two player pianos. Hamilton worked with Yadegari to a create a system that, according to Shane, is "integrated so much into the architecture that it turns the building into some kind of giant instrument."

If you missed Open Studios this year, don’t worry, there is always next year. A previous blog post already mentioned the Preview Party which had a record breaking 720 people in attendance. Special thanks goes to the River City Professionals for co-hosting the program, helping to promote the event, and bringing all of their members to party. In addition to the 150+ Open Studios artworks on display in the galleries, Pi on the Spot, also known as PiTruckSTL on Twitter was parked outside the building serving up fresh pizzas straight from truck’s oven. As a local phenomenon, Pi has been embraced by the St. Louis community and even Chicago based Senator, turned president Barack Obama has endorsed the iconic deep dish pizza with his seal of approval. Just recently, chefs of Pi were flown to the White House to caterer an event especially for the president. Alongside the Pi Truck, a Frosty Treats ice cream truck was also parked outside for those looking to fill their sweet tooth on a hot summer’s evening.







As an added bonus to the Preview Party, guests were encouraged to enter a bike raffle to win a Electra Pink Hawaii Cruiser donated by Big Shark Bicycle Company. Ramona Scott was the winner and stopped by the museum the next day to pick up her prize and even rode it home.



With temperatures reaching over 99 degrees, that still did not stop the devoted cyclists from riding over 14 miles and stopping at a variety of studios along the way. Led by Greg and Alex from Bike Shark Bicycle Company, the bike tour departed the Contemporary on both Saturday and Sunday at 10am. Special thanks also goes to Bike St. Louis, a division of Great Rivers Greenway for endorsing the program and helping to make bike riding in St. Louis safe and accessible.





Later that day, Director Paul Ha and Associate Curator Laura Fried introduced themselves at the museum to over 30 people that registered for a 4 hour bus tour to select studios. As visitors boarded the luxurious air-conditioned bus provided by BEST Transportation St. Louis, “Pops” the driver greeted them and drove them all over the city to studios chosen directly by both the director and the curator.





On Sunday, winners from our Facebook competition joined Joe and Jeff from Glide St. Louis Tours for a segway excursion to select artist studios. Director of Individual Giving & Stewardship Emily Klimek acted as the Contemporary representative on the tour. If you applied to win a spot on the segway tour, do not give up, become a Fan of the Contemporary on Facebook now and look out for the next opportunity on this platform. Those that won the Facebook competition also received a free meal ticket to the Open Studios BBQ.



What better way to end a whole weekend of programs and tours plus a Homegrown Summer for that matter then to enjoy barbeque from Pappy’s Smokehouse and ice cold beer from Schafly. The watermelon was sweet and chilled to perfection, but the pulled pork sandwich was definitely the crowd favorite. Normally, you would have to wait hours to get a taste of Pappy’s perfectly cooked BBQ, but at the Contemporary it was all there for the taking for only $10 a meal. In addition to the BBQ, sides, and beer, Ted Drewes frozen custard was offered as an additional summertime treat.



What could be more “Homegrown” than Ted Drewes, Pappy’s, Schlafly, 150+ local artists, and the Great Rivers Biennial exhibition? Well, you asked for it… the Rum Drum Ramblers, with upright bass, harmonica, and banjo guitars rocked the courtyard with down and dirty St. Louis blues. The summer might not be over, but this year’s Open Studios was the climax of the Contemporary’s Homegrown Summer, a series of programs featuring local art, food, and music.

 

The Contemporary’s 5^th Annual City-Wide Open Studios has been a whirlwind of a week, and it’s not even time to visit the artists’ studios yet! That starts tomorrow, but St. Louis art enthusiasts have been enjoying the events that have been leading up to the big weekend. Here’s a recap of what’s been going on:

First of all, for those of you who aren’t familiar with City-Wide Open Studios, it’s an opportunity for St. Louis residents to spend a wonderful summer weekend exploring artists’ studios at their own pace. Participating artists work in a wide range of media including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, fiber arts, ceramics, jewelry, wood, glass, metal, video, new media, and performance art. Being able to visit local artists in their own studios adds a personal and meaningful touch to the art that is being created, and we love the program because it directly connects artists with those that are interested in their work. At the Contemporary, we are all about engaging the public with the most relevant and innovative art being made today, and Open Studios is the best (and most fun) way to do that.

 

 City-Wide Open Studios kicked off with a Preview Party on Tuesday, July 20^th. Guests started filing in at 6pm sharp and were surrounded by work from over 150 participating artists, and we soon had 720 people joining in on the fun. The colorful, unique pieces lined the walls of the contemporary, and several of the artists were on hand to directly speak with the guests about the pieces they were presenting. St. Louis art fanatics mingled with the artists and each other, and shared their thoughts on the pieces they were seeing. Oh, and you also might have noticed the Pi Pizza Truck and ice cream truck parked outside the museum – they were a little hard to miss.  Party goers were more than excited about the trucks, and soon the courtyard was filled with people happily eating and drinking beer from Schlafly. As one party guest was finishing up his beer, he high-fived his friend, happily shouting, “The Contemporary can throw one heck of a party!”

The fun kept on going last night, July 22^nd, as we held a film screening inside the museum. Herb and Dorothy (dir. Megumi Sasaki, 2008), tells the story of Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and librarian Dorothy, who together and with modest means built one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. Admission was free, and so was the popcorn and Schlafly beer. A great time was had by all who attended!

 

  

Tomorrow and Sunday from 10 am-4 pm, the public is invited to tour as many artists’ studios as they can fit in. Don’t forget, you can find the map and any other details you may need at OpenStudiosOnline.org. Map your route and enjoy your day of discovering Contemporary Art!

To wrap up the week, be sure to join us on Sunday, July 25, from 4-8 pm for the Open Studios BBQ. Celebrate the end of an art-filled weekend in the Contemporary’s Courtyard with a barbecue from Pappy’s Smokehouse and ice-cold local beer from Schlafly. Enjoy Ted Drewes frozen custard and catch up with friends and artists while listening to the Rum Drum Trio. It’s just $10 to get in, and it’s free for participating artists and children.

There is a lot going on, so hopefully you found or are going to find some way to join in the celebration of art in St. Louis. As always, thank you for your support, and have a blast!

The Teaching Gallery, usually a subdued shade of light gray, got a makeover this week.  The walls are now a warm mustard yellow, anxiously awaiting the artwork that will be hung later today.  Life in Decay, the Teen Museum Studies’ exhibition featuring works by Margaret Adams, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales and Lauren Zoll, opens tomorrow! 

 

In the past few weeks, the TMS team benefited greatly from the expertise of CAMSTL’s Graphic Designer Bruce Burton, Director of Finance and Administration Mary Walters and development team Allison Chao, Emily Klimek and Caron House.  Outside input from guests Jessica Baran, Assistant Director of White Flag Projects, and Rachel Craft, Emily Augsburger and Courtney Henson from the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts gave insight into how other organizations operate and connect with audiences in new and unique ways.  A big thanks to all Teen Museum Studies’ guests over the course of the program – without your help, we still would not know how to organize a budget, get an in-kind donation, document incoming art work, effectively advertise or plan a successful public program to reach out to our community.         

With deadlines fast approaching, the TMS students have been extremely busy planning for the opening, designing t-shirts and invitations, deciding where to hang artwork, and writing their curatorial statement.  The invites say “curated by Teen Museum Studies,” although it would be more accurate to say “everything done by Teen Museum Studies.”  The final pieces should be falling into place over the next two days, hopefully in time for everyone to relax and enjoy all their hard work on July 20! 

Be sure to check out the CAMSTL website by clicking here, as well as the TMS Facebook page for updates and more information about the opening!

For those looking for something to do this holiday weekend, why not stop by the Contemporary on Saturday, July 3 for First Saturday Tasting and Tour. Chef John Judy from L'École Culinaire will be  serving a Deconstructed Grilled Peach Melba using locally grown peaches in the cafe at noon. After the tasting, Associate Curator Laura Fried will offer a tour of the Great Rivers Biennial exhibition in the galleries.

To attend the Tasting and Tour, please send an RSVP to aelmestad@camstl.org.

It’s an exciting summer here at the Contemporary, especially for the talented area teens involved in the inaugural summer of our Teen Museum Studies program.  For six weeks, the Teen Museum Studies students are busy every Thursday and Friday exploring the inner workings of the museum.  They are meeting daily with staff gaining valuable insight into specific museum career paths and preparing for their ultimate goal of curating, planning, and executing their own student-led exhibition.



We’ve been lucky enough to have Director Paul Ha, Deputy Director Lisa Grove, Exhibitions Manager Cole Root, Public Programs Manager Alex Elmestad, Associate Curator Laura Fried, and Visitor Services Coordinator Kiersten Torrez give us great advice and support.  The staff has been an invaluable resource, generously giving their time and energy to help the Teen Museum Studies group develop goals and strategies for their exhibition.



So far the students have crafted their mission, began work on curating from the Flat Files (our fantastic source of local artwork), completed a registrar tutorial, and had a private tasting and tour (compliments of the Urban Studio Café) and were immersed in visitor services and public programming philosophy and strategies.  Not bad for the first 3 days!



The Teen Museum Studies exhibition opens July 20th in conjunction with the preview reception for City-Wide Open Studios… that leaves only 6 more program days to pull together what is sure to be a stellar show!



Check out TMS’ Facebook page for photo updates from each class day and be sure to stop by the opening July 20th at 6 pm!  With the energy and expertise we’ve seen from the TMS crew so far, I’m sure it will not disappoint.