Though our galleries are closed, gallery assistants are still working hard throughout installation. Today, Gretchen has been manning the back door and writes about how everything is coming along:

Today could quite possibly be the most beautiful day in the history of St. Louis autumns. Who could ask for anything more? The air is crisp, the sky is blue, and the Cardinals made it to the World Series. Sigh of relief. Oh, and Moses, who’s helping with the installation, made cookie bars…..probably the highlight of my morning. The staff here is in high gear working on the installation for the upcoming show. And what a show its going to be!

We have some heavy hitters here folks; like Andy Warhol, Doris Salcedo, and Bruce Nauman. And there will be nine Cindy Sherman photographs as well. I am looking forward to the reemergence of the Gonzales-Torres piece that was shown in the Contemporary’s Collectors show. His pieces that were here in the Minimalism and Beyond show broke my heart in so so many good ways. So be on the lookout for an invitation to the opening if you are on our mailing list, they have been freshly sent. Complete with vegetable stamps (thanks Ms. Hall).

There has been quite a buzz in the Lower Gallery today. The George Segal sculpture has found it’s temporary home. It is amazing. Segal is one of my favorite sculpture artists, because his process is super interesting. He uses actual people to make his plaster cast sculptural forms. He asks a model to wear clothes that they don’t mind leaving behind and proceeds to cover them with a special plaster coated gauze- just like the type doctors use to set a broken arm. He soaks a strip and applies it to the clothing. Over and over and over again. ..back and forth forever baby.

Q. Typically, how long does it take Segal to complete one of these fantabulous plastercast forms?

1. six months
2. year and a half
3. two weeks
4. four hours

Answer: If you guessed 1, you are absolutely correct. Smartypants.

Well, I could go on about Segal for hours but I best get back to my duties. A large group of architect types from Chicago came by for a visit and I need to wrangle them into the library. Thank you for taking the time and have a blessed day. And don’t forget about the Pulitzer vs. the Contemporary first annual kickball game……