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Paul Shattack, Assistant Professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, shares memories conjured by Gordon Matta-Clark’s Bronx Floors.

Another month has passed, and it’s time again for Frame of Reference, a regularly scheduled program at the Pulitzer. Since our last exhibition, Ideal (dis-) Placements: Old Masters at the Pulitzer, the Pulitzer has hosted monthly in-gallery discussions, led by individuals with a range of backgrounds, about the artwork on display.

Visitor Services Manager Courtney Henson geared this Saturday to combine the perspectives of those specializing in art and those in social work. Our Senior Curator, Francesca Herndon-Consagra, who is the curator for Urban Alchemy/Gordon Matta-Clark, will be among the speakers.

You’ll note that the schedule for these 15-minute forums has changed from previous sessions to be all within 1-2:30pm, rather than at the beginning of every hour. This way, we hope you can stay for all of them and give your special viewpoint.

With an influx of admitted students interested in the relationship between arts and social work coupled with the partnership between GWB and the Pulitzer Foundation maturing, CAI’s inception seems to be written in the stars. CAI’s mission explores building awareness of the role of art in social work and public health practice by creating community connections and providing educational opportunities.

Included in the mission, though not explicitly stated, will be a specially appointed member to serve as liaison between CAI and the Pulitzer. This student member will serve as special appointee to CAI and co-currently serve as the practicum student at the Pulitzer. This specialized appointment will keep GWB’s student body abreast of Pulitzer events and pursue active engagement between both parties. With a strong mission, an impressive future event line-up, and planned sustainability, CAI is opening doors for a renewed discussion of the intersection of art and social work. And although CAI is up and running, there are still challenges to tackle, including many that cannot be undertaken in a single semester.

For many there is a struggle to identify what the intersection of art and social work actually is. And is this intersection restricted to clinical or traditional social work practice? Is there future growth potential for social work in art institutions like the Pulitzer? And in anticipation of the Pulitzer’s panel discussion: is there is a place for art in community development?

Over the summer, StudioSTL’s director, Beth Ketcher, read for A Marathon Metamorphoses and wrote on the event’s corresponding blog what she felt the marathon was about. Her attitude reflected a principle StudioSTL and the Pulitzer share: the arts are for everyone.

The goal of December’s workshop was not for the participants to produce refined art reviews but to get them to think comfortably, descriptively, analytically, and creatively by jotting down verbal sketches of what they saw in the galleries. Given optional cues in a worksheet, the young authors were asked to investigate the space, write down what they thought, and read their writing to everyone as a conclusion to the session.

Below, one of StudioSTL’s mentors reflects on the workshop.

Paula Davis is an Engineering student at Washington University and a mentor for StudioSTL.

On the twelfth day of the twelfth month, a few young writers–high school students–and a number of volunteers from StudioSTL, sat holding gray pamphlets, on the gray concrete floor of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, in its gray concrete building, under St. Louis’ cold gray sky. It was quiet.

We were gathered to explore the world of art, the world of architecture: their intersections, their motivations, their repercussions, etc. More specifically, we gathered to explore the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, Urban Alchemy, and the Pulitzer itself–the building, the space, the light. After brief introductions and explanations, we did what we came to do: we explored.

With notebooks in hand, teens and adults alike slowly wandered through Tadao Ando’s carefully calculated space. We observed records of Matta-Clark’s work and his work itself. Photographs of walls with chunks removed–looking in, looking out. Pieces of walls, pieces of roofs, their layers and layers of shingles made visible by cross-sectional slicing. We looked at garbage made into a wall and pictures of subway cars covered in graffiti and line drawings of a house and its roof and its pieces. We pondered. We scribbled notes in our notebooks. We noticed there were no placards on the walls explaining the art. We asked questions. We looked closer (but never got closer than two feet). We stepped back and took in the larger picture. We sat and stood and leaned and squinted and smiled.

When we came together near the end of our time in the Pulitzer, we shared our thoughts and writings. The art made us think about more than just cutting up buildings with a chainsaw, more than squishing garbage together to make a wall. The space, the art, the light, the sounds, and our overall experience triggered much more. We wondered and wrote about what makes art art, what constitutes “modern” art, and the importance of the art’s arrangement. We were inspired to recall old memories, to wonder about the back stories of objects, to write poetry. One young writer was even inspired to design clothing based on what she had seen.

During our brief stay, we didn’t draw any conclusions. We didn’t score each piece of artwork. We didn’t give the exhibition a grade. But we were inspired by the art, by the space, by our peers. And we wrote. We created our own art. And we were satisfied–pleased.–Paula Davis

Crew members from Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit pose with their produce.

So my personal Detroit visit included conversations with Matt Sikora, head of evaluation at the DIA, and Jennifer Czajkowski, Direct of Interpretive Programs at the DIA. For those of you into evaluation, the DIA conducts what I consider to be an unprecedented amount of formative evaluation, or evaluation that is done during the formation of an exhibition (like market testing), which dovetails nicely with their strong commitment to innovative interpretive strategies, an effort in which Jennifer is highly instrumental. These interpretive strategies, the incorporation of which is based on the theoretical work of Abigail Housen and stages of aesthetic readiness, include thematic curation of exhibitions, specific language in wall text that isn’t necessarily rooted in art history, and other assistive devices, such as “I Spy” plaques and, my personal favorite, the table in their Fashionable Living exhibition that shows pieces on display being used in an 18th century dinner. The truly innovative model of how learning and interpretation (formerly, education) and curatorial interact to create one type of “optimal visitor experience” is somewhat antithetical to our approach, yet both of our institutions are striving toward the common goal of supporting the relevance of art in everyone’s lives.

The afternoon at the DIA was followed by a tour of Detroit, courtesy of our friends at the MOCAD. Specifically, Luis Croquer, Director, and his staff and colleagues in the community shared what, in combination with the innovation occurring at the DIA, make for great beacons of hope for art in the aforementioned “challenging urban environment.” Among the truly inspiring sites we toured stands the Earthworks Urban Farm and Capuchin Soup Kitchen (which is one of the famed urban agriculture projects that have, pardon the pun, taken root in Detroit, given the amount of unused urban land—fascinatingly enough, policy appears to lag behind the projects that have put Detroit on the map in a new and admirable way and composting and gardening as a primary function for a plot of land in the city remain illegal on the books). Art flourishes in a variety of environments and we witnessed homegrown, community, and what could be considered outsider art blooming in various parts of the city.

Of particular interest is the work of Mitch Cope and Gina Reichert, and in a convergence of the sort that makes my work particularly exhilarating, Mitch and Gina are currently installing “The Neighborhood Project” at the DIA in preparation for an exhibition they will be installing at MOCAD. As part of this installation, they will be highlighting the stories of the neighborhood in which they live, including one gentleman who can tell you the automotive history of ownership up and down the block. Mitch and Gina are at the heart of a project that is growing within their neighborhood—buying inexpensive property (as low as $100 for an abandoned home) and renovating those spaces in the name of purpose of the arts (writing, visual, and otherwise). Mitch and Gina are currently working on “the Power House,” which is a home that for financial reasons was kicked off the grid and through Mitch and Gina’s efforts to use sustainable technology will remain off the grid, integrating solar and wind power, among other techniques to create this artists’ space. Ironically, they paid less for the land and home than they did for the adjacent lot, which now houses the solar panels and converter for the Power House.

Artists like Mitch and Gina are living legacies of the work and vision of Gordon Matta-Clark, and in some ways, we all felt that visiting Detroit was long overdue, but perhaps it was simply the perfect time to, as being immersed in the building cuts, collages, and spirit of Gordon Matta-Clark opened us up in just the right ways to appreciate all that Detroit is just starting to teach us. After experiencing just a taste of what Detroit has to offer, we’re excited to share the community and art treasures of St. Louis with our colleagues in Detroit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gallery Assistant Kay Renner talks about Conical Intersect and invites you to come to the Pulitzer.

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The Pulitzer’s facilities management gives insight into our Tadao Ando building in the video series The Ando Building. In this video, Facilities Manager Steve Morby answers the question: Where does the water from the reflecting pool go?

What questions do you have about the Pulitzer’s building?

During my first shift as a Gallery Assistant at the Pulitzer, I rotated into the Entrance Gallery and was confronted by Garbage Wall.

After spending the last month and a half collecting this garbage from around St. Louis, I stood there and realized how little time I had spent with the finished piece.

My eyes scanned over the objects in the wall, and I recognized all of them! At the sight of each piece of garbage, I was taken back to a day in the collection process. I spotted the section of a brick wall that students at Wash U found during our neighborhood clean-up, caution tape that was left in a donation box in the art room at Metro High School, and shoes collected from a local thrift store’s dumpster. I remembered touching each object (with gloves of course) as I moved it from a school, curb, or dumpster, into my truck bed, and finally into the workshop where Garbage Wall was constructed. I felt lucky to have had this experience that connected me to the piece in a very unique and exciting way.

As I stood in my GA position, I discovered how almost every visitor also developed a personal connection with the Wall. Visitors spent a lot of time trying to discern what each object was and making connections between the objects in the wall and those they own or those they have thrown away. A group of three women spent at least five minutes walking around the piece pointing out objects and telling stories. One of the women told her two friends how she used to have a pair of diving fins but lent them to her grandson who was going snorkeling while on vacation with his girlfriend. Pointing to a sneaker with The Misfits skeleton printed on it, a young woman told her mom that she used to have that exact pair of shoes. One man pointed at a computer keyboard and swore it was just like one he had at home. Another visitor stood in front of Garbage Wall and exclaimed, “Looks like you guys went through my trash. This all looks like my garbage!”

Upon hearing her observation, my mind fresh with memories of a month spent traveling around St. Louis collecting garbage, I thought to myself, “It just might be.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nicole Stevens, Gallery Assistant, talks about Gordon Matta-Clark’s Splitting.

Wednesday afternoon, I borrowed Gallery Assistant Nicole Stevens, last on our blog with Cephalus and Procris, to continue “From the Galleries” with Urban Alchemy. In the video above, Nicole talks about Splitting on the Mezzanine while referencing two documentary photographs of the monumental piece. (Do the images seem familiar to you?) In the Pulitzer’s Cube Gallery, you’ll find Splitting: Four Corners and a print, Splitting, which artfully reveals the interior of half the house that Matta-Clark bisected and that Four Corners was taken from.

For me, this vista really emphasized an important aspect of this exhibition: the correlation between the architecture of Gordon’s work, the Pulitzer building and the surrounding city. Jane Crawford, Gordon Matta-Clark’s widow, was present for the event and gave a poignant speech, saying she thought that Gordon would have been especially touched with this exhibition because of its corresponding community outreach programs, which is not something other galleries and museums have done in the past with his work.

All in all, an auspicious beginning to what will surely be a successful and unique exhibition!

The next event being planned is a Symphony Concert on November 18^th, where we will be featuring the work of György Kurtág (Wind Quintet, op. 2 -1959), Bartók (Sonata for solo violin – 1944) and Ligeti (Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet – 1968) – buy your tickets here!

me: Ok here we go
Kay: bring it
me: How does it feel to be a Hospitality Hero?

Kay: I think it’s an interesting title, but it feels good to know people care about kind interactions among the community. To be a part of the staff at the PFA and to be recognized for trying to do the best I can here feels great. I think we have many Hospitality Heroes here in our space.

me: Can you explain the scenarios that helped you receive the title from the CVC at their annual meeting? (We won’t use reenactments as we witnessed at the awards luncheon.)

Kay: I love the concept and the philosophy of what the Pulitzer tries to facilitate.  We often have community engagement activities where we go out to schools or local groups and then bring them into our gallery space as well. I really love teaching and bringing fresh eyes into what we have to offer and try to be involved with these groups.  I work a lot with the children and high school groups and really get them excited about the space.  One group came in and I had to demonstrate movement in our water court.  By the end of the session, the kids were dancing and expressing their interpretations of movement in our water court.  We also had an early Alzheimer’s group, and I came to every session we held at the PFA.  Those respectable ladies and gentleman loved to tell stories of their family and life growing up…

me: As a Gallery Assistant, hospitality isn’t really written in the job description but perhaps that is a part of the role you have.  Can you tell me if this changes the way you approach your gallery work?

Kay: You can be yourself and have a good time while still being responsible and considerate of the public.  By being who you are, especially with our group of gallery attendants, we each have something to bring to the table.  Sometimes you have to be a little silly or make adjustments in order to serve your job and the public best.

me: At the awards luncheon and banquet held last Thursday at the Convention Center downtown, you met some people involved mostly in the hospitality field and shook the Mayor’s hand. Did you see yourself in a new context?  (Not sure I’m making the point clear here.)  Did you view the PFA in a new light, as part of a bigger picture in STL?

Kay: We are a part of a holistic experience for those who live and visit St Louis…I think that recognizing those who interact with the public daily is a great reflection…It shows that all are significant who contribute to making the city what it is.