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.

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.

On Thursday, June 24 over 350 people attended Concerts in the Courtyard at the Contemporary. The crowd drained two kegs of local Schlafly beer and consumed over 17 pounds of candy from local phenomenon Crown Candy Kitchen. All in an effort to support the local music scene, KDHX promoted the concert on the radio and Vintage Vinyl honored the museum with a spot on their famous marquee.

The weather was nearly perfect at 85 degrees with a slight cool breeze. As the sun began to set, Theodore opened the show with their signature folk sound. Traditional at first glance, but as the members start to integrate an accordion, an autoharp, a banjo, and even a trombone, a listener quickly realizes the level of musical talent the members bring to the table. As one member switches from an upright bass to an electric, dark  and honest vocals complete the musical narrative.

Standing alone as a solo artist, Syrhea Conaway of Syna So Pro looped guitar, bass, vocals, and occasionally, the violin, while tapping on multiple pedals on her self-constructed pedal board to create the illusion that she was being backed by an entire instrumental ensemble. Syrhea showed her experimental side by quickly moving around the stage and playing her various instruments to create a looping soundscape that would accompany the best instrument in the mix… her voice.

Blood Pony took the stage after Syna So Pro and delivered the same musical complexity, blending violins, acoustic guitars, trombones, and even a megaphone. The vocalist added a pop melody that only furthered their bright sound in the dark courtyard. Just as a classification came to mind, the musicians would switch roles, pick up different instruments and begin to play with a completely altered style. And their fans weren’t afraid to scream their name in support.

Each musical group told a story and N. Nomurai did not disappoint. With only three members performing, the local legend Eric Hall led the way by sampling, mixing, and creating an atmospheric noise that tuned itself into electronic euphoria. Part machine, part human, the members abandoned convention, as a bass guitar morphed into something a little less tangible. If you could not see the instruments, you might not know where all the sound is coming from. The dreamlike sound was continuous and free. The drums started softly then a collision of echoed buzz mutated the beat into punk aggression that melted into a planned narrative of well-execute musical technique.

Special thanks to Fauxto-Booths which set up a great set in the performance space and took pictures of guests at the concert.

In case you haven’t heard, the Contemporary is in the midst of a Homegrown Summer, a season of St. Louis art, food, music, and conversation. To kick off the season, the Contemporary partnered with the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts for Art/Food on June 5. The event featured a variety of local culinary experts, urban farmers, beekeepers, and urban farmers. The Garage Brewers Society came stocked with over 20 different varieties of home brews for the public to sample. A crowd favorite was the watermelon wheat beer, which possessed the slight aroma of the summer fruit mixed with the fresh flavor of the popular grain.

The beer was as cold as the day was hot. Earthways Center took advantage and harnessed the power of the sun with a solar powered s’mores oven. Meanwhile, the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association offered visitors samples of local honey. Each honey possessed a different color and unique flavor depending upon the season it was produced. The summer honey has the lightest color, while the winter honey appeared to be dark amber. The spring honey had a subtle floral taste that was iconic of the blossoming season it was produced in.

Over $800 was donated to Saint Louis University Campus Kitchen, a non-profit student service program that provides nourishing meals to those in need.  Plus the public in exchange for admission into the event donated over $200 worth of oil, flour, and vinegar. The donated products are basic cooking ingredients utilized by the kitchen to create the meals. In addition to all that, leftover food from the event was donated to the kitchen to help feed the hungry in St. Louis. Through the power of food, the community really came together, not only to eat, have a fun an afternoon, and explore two exhibitions, but also to help others in the process.

Make sure to attend the next program, Concerts in the Courtyard on Thursday, June 24 which will feature 4 local musical groups.

If you plan to be in New York on Feb 27th, you can’t miss a live reading of Sean Landers’ novel [sic] by 22 art-world luminaries, including our Director Paul Ha. The original hand-written version of this novel is currently on display at the Contemporary as part of the exhibition Sean Landers: 1991-94 Improbable History, on view through April 11.

“Never in my life did I think that reading could be such an utter waste of time. I normally can find something redeeming in anything I’ve read. After reading [sic] I cleaned my apartment just so I could feel like I’d done something with my day.”
- Sean Landers

This one-time-only performance at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, is presented by Art Production Fund and White Columns – February 27, 2010, 6:00pm to 2:00am. Read more.

The Contemporary’s new shows open tomorrow night (Friday, January 22, 7-9pm) and things are busy around here! The artists have been in town all week, working closely with our installation crew to hang the show. We got a staff preview today and it is looking really great. The rest of the museum staff and interns are hard at work preparing for tomorrow’s Opening Night Reception…making welcome signs, arranging for photography and valet, printing and folding the gallery guides, and all of the other little things it takes to get the Contemporary ready to welcome the thousand people who will visit us tomorrow night.

I hope you will join us at the Opening and bring a friend. These exhibitions feature photographs, drawings, watercolors, videos, paintings, music, and even some literature, blurring the boundaries between artist, author, and musician. Both artists use all materials at their disposal to express themselves and create their artworks. Even though the exhibitions are separate solo shows featuring artists who have distinct and unique processes, we’ve observed some parallel concepts running through both. I encourage you to visit the museum to explore these exhibitions for yourself and respond to this blog post. What parallels do you see?

And remember, The Front Room is back! Xavier Cha and Torbjørn Rødland present their work in this fluid space dedicated to creative experimentation. Cha’s work is performance based so be sure to come on Opening Night to experience her performances first hand.

Click here to read an article that was featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Mariana Castillo Deball talks about her ideas behind the Klein bottle piñata sculpture created for the exhibition For the blind man in the dark room looking for the black cat that isn’t there. The public was invited to celebrate the end of the exhibition by breaking open the piñata sculpture.

No doubt, communications has always been a necessity of life, but as technology advances, the user is confronted with more user-friendly interfaces and old sources of media die out or become less relevant.  This phenomenon is not new by any means. During the past couple of years, technology, and younger generations developing and using the technology, has started a revolution. People no longer consider printed newspaper, radio, or television as their only source of information. The user, now more than ever, is able to choose media sources relevant to them. Many of the more traditional media sources have recognized this growing trend and have adapted to the consumer’s needs by creating RSS Feeds, building a social network, and using these as a free marketing tools. Some have even changed their method of communication completely. A website was once a cornerstone in the emerging technological era, now with the birth of Web 2.0, the Internet and all methods of communication have been radically transformed.

So in a world of change, where do museums fit in? Where does a museum stand? I would argue the museum exists for the people and the people are definitely changing. So in an effort to adapt to visitor demands, museums must evolve, just like all the other industries being forced to adapt. One might think a museum is a place of tradition, existing solely to preserve or present culture, but this view is shifting with the times. An object is simply not enough. A collection is nothing without a curator as the interpreter, and it is worthless without the public’s interest. Objects, collections, and art are valuable things and if museums do not rapidly adapt; museum professionals could quickly lose the public’s interest. 

The new buzz word is “experience.” Museums, science centers, and zoos are being asked by their visitors to give them an experience. Let us not forget where the first seeds of museums existed. Cabinets of curiosities held objects yet to be classified and artifacts of wonder were displayed for a select view to enjoy. As more people are allowed access to culture and items of significance, knowledge spreads and people are able to experience more than they ever have. The challenge becomes how to give the visitor an experience that is still of “wonder” or even find objects that exist in that “unclassified” realm. Time is valuable and people do not wish to waste it on things they have already seen.

People will always have an interest in history, art, and culture, but to really appreciate the foundation of a museum, the person must feel like they belong. A person must feel a connection to the space, to the museum professionals, and to what is being presented. Exhibitions and objects must be relevant to them and their lives. So how is this achieved if so many artworks were not meant to be relevant to future generations, but instead only function for the people living in the timeframe an object/artwork was manifested? It is achieved with open source systems and Web 2.0 technologies. Through these two resources, people are able to mold the museum into their lifestyle. The museum no longer molds the public, instead, the roles have been reversed and people are getting more control over the content in which they wish to view and what they feel is most relevant to their lives. For a museum to thrive, it must continue to challenge a visitor on every level of communication and be an innovative space that is connected and alive.

As museums move into the technological era, the Contemporary is keeping up with the fast paced environment with the launch of their new cell phone tour. Unlike the typical cell phone tour that guides you through an exhibition via an educated professional speaking about what you are viewing, this tour allows visitors to explore the museum and the current exhibition in an interactive way. Upon entering the museum, the visitor is encouraged to use their personal cell phone to text a keyword to the number provided to them. Do not worry about compatibility, this tour works with all cell phones (i.e., smart phones, androids, and standard non-video phones). Within moments, the user receives a text welcoming them to the museum and asking which tour they would like to pursue. Currently, the options are the current exhibition and an architecture tour and other tours are in the design process.

The cell phone tour sends hints to visitors and the visitor must search for the piece or place being described. Once the destination is located, the visitor is then asked a series of questions that can only be answered while in front of the piece or while in the specific place. Points are awarded for correct answers and subtracted for incorrect answers. In this respect, the tour acts as an interactive game that dubs the person with the highest score the champion. As the visitor moves through the space, questions are also complimented with interesting facts, so the experience becomes educational as well as self-motivated. The system allows the user to choose their own path and depending upon the answers given, it will take visitors in different directions or ask alternate questions.

From the user’s point of view, the game is simple and fun, but the internal complexity could only be developed by a company that is helping museums engage audiences in new ways, SCVNGR.

The goal of this project is to provide the visitor with an alternative way of exploring the museum, while also continuing to develop ways to help people better understand and appreciate the wonders of contemporary art.