Laumeier Sculpture Park

Explore the Japanese art of Shibori dyeing at home with our newest Take & Make Art Kit. This kit (ages 16+) includes dyeing supplies and access to a step-by-step instructional video led by 2020 Community Artist In Residence Allana Ross. During the virtual workshop, Allana will go over the basics of setting up a proper dye vat and creating interesting patterns through folding, scrunching and tying methods. Purchase one today at www.laumeier.org/gracies-shop-available-items.

On Saturday, April 17, a visitor walking the nature trail spotted a baby Barred Owl on the woodland floor and its mother owl swooping down to feed it. Victims of an unstable nest, World Bird Sanctuary (WBS) was called to the rescue and installed a stronger natural twig nest to a suitable tree, with hopes that the mother would continue caring for her young. The baby was placed in the new nest (along with two new siblings from another rescue!) and staff waited to see if the new... mom would tend to the babies. Greatest of newslater that evening, WBS staff observed that the momma was in the nest keeping all of the babies warm! We’re grateful to Lauren Young, Raptor Rehabilitation Technician, and the dedicated staff at World Bird Sanctuary, along with Laumeier’s Operations Manager Patrick Ganley for making this the happiest little Laumeier family! Photos taken by Word Bird Sanctuary.

Online Art Fair is less than a month away! Join us May 7-10 to support Laumeier by purchasing pieces from local and national artists, such as Michael Terra from Terra Cottage Ceramics.

The Park has a new sound piece by artist Calum Stirling and composer/instrument designer Daniel Fishkin! Players, 2021 involves a series of sun-powered instruments nestled in the landscape along the Western Woodlands trail. The self-playing instruments are built using solar panels, bespoke circuit boards and speakers and produce sound solely and directly from solar energy. Honing in on what they call electronic minimalism, Stirling and Fishkin have created an acoustic mic...ro-environment reliant on the kinetic movement of Laumeier’s trees. Riley, Laumeier's Chief Preparator, helped Fishkin install the work on Thursday, April 15. You can listen to Calum Stirling’s other sound piece Sitka Spruce vs. Larch Pole Pine, 1999 inside the Aronson Fine Arts Center as part of The Future is Present: Art and Global Change exhibition. Open for viewing Thursdays, 12-5 pm and Saturdays, 10 am - 4 pm. Learn more at laumeier.org/future-is-present.

Artist Pete Froslie has long been fascinated with the relationship between global political and economic structures and emerging issues of climate and environmental change. In October 2017 and June 2019, Froslie spent time aboard a ship exploring the Arctic Circle around Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. These trips became the inspiration for his piece Leviathan: Elegy for Ice, 2019, which is part of our current exhibition The Future is Present: Art and Global Change. If you... visit the exhibition in person, you’ll notice a sound component to Froslie’s piece, in addition to the multi-channel video and custom software and electronics. What you hear are actual recorded sounds of ice melting in Norway’s Svalbard fjords, which Froslie collected using a hydrophone while in the Arctic. Watch Froslie's interview with Curator Dana Turkovic to learn more about all the technology used in Leviathan: Elegy for Ice." View "The Future is Present" inside the Aronson Fine Arts Center on Thursdays, 12-5 pm, and Saturdays, 10 am - 4 pm.

Learn more about the artists of Papillon Press, who will be participating in our 2021 Online Art Fair!

Being in nature and being creative are both important to a person’s overall health and well-being. Recent studies have shown that time spent outdoors and time spent making art can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and have positive impacts on healing. Discover Laumeier on Saturday, April 17 will provide opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience these wonderful benefits of connecting with art and nature! Discover Laumeier runs from 10 am - 2 pm and features outdoor art-making activities, self-guided scavenger hunts, an education station with Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, and more. Free to participate! Reserve an entry time and get all the details at laumeier.org/discover-laumeier.

St. Louis native Leigh Roberts is a metalsmith and jewelry artist. Her work is appreciated for its detail, quality, and unexpected combination of materials. Leigh's designs are hand constructed and often incorporate a variety of torch techniques to create beautiful textures. You can purchase items from Leigh Roberts Designs at our 2021 Online Art Fair, May 7-10! For more artist profiles and Online Art Fair information, visit our Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/1...143776609400213 Product photos courtesy of the artist.

Sculpture Sunday / Pearl Fryar, Topiary, 2013. Hetz juniper trees. Laumeier Sculpture Park Commission, gift of the artist. When artist Pearl Fryar began his remarkable topiary garden in Bishopville, South Carolina, he wasn’t thinking about creating a sculpturehe wanted to win the garden of the month competition. But his expert pruning of what were considered throw-away plants from a local garden center, turned into a garden of living sculptures. And because Topiary, ...is a living thing, Laumeier’s staff and volunteer Master Gardeners are proud to harbor, trim and prune three examples of Fryar’s undulating arboreal triangles, spheres and spirals in the Park’s garden. Learn more at Laumeier.org/collection-on-view. Images: 1. Pearl Fryar, "Topiary," 2013 on the Laumeier grounds. 2. Photo of Fryar by Peter Frank Edwards for Grand Strand Magazine, October 2019.

The first Discover Laumeier of 2021 is just one week away! Join us on April 17 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a celebration of art and nature where you can create three different upcycled art projects: 1. Try your hand at papermaking to create a handmade piece of recycled paper. 2. Reuse plastic grocery bags to create a fun and functional pouch. 3. Hear the sounds of sustainability in your own backyard after constructing an eco-friendly wind chime from upcycled materials.... This all-ages program is free to attend, but a reserved entry time is requested. Let us know you are coming and read our COVID safety protocols at www.laumeier.org/discover-laumeier.

Friday Introductions / Meet 2021 Community Artists In Residence Kelly Jimenez and Alejandro Franco! Kelly and Alejandro are both Colombian-born artists now working in St. Louis. These collaborative artists share their love of nature and seek ways to celebrate and preserve it through their artwork. Currently they are working with stained glass imagery made from single-use plastics, creating beautiful art that is worth preserving with materials that have a transient and detrime...ntal status. Kelly and Alejandro will be working with the community through our Discover Laumeier, conversation series and Laumeier After Dark events. Learn more at www.laumeier.org/community-artist. Images: Alejandro Franco and Kelly Jimenez, "Serez Transitorios," 2020. Plastic on paper mounted on cardboard, 12’ x 8’; Commissioned by Granite City Art and Design District. Courtesy of the Artist. Alejandro Franco and Kelly Jimenez, "Ferris Wheel," 2019. Plastic on paper; 8’ x 4’; Commissioned by Granite City Art and Design District. Courtesy of the Artist.

Extension Alert! Applications for the 2021 Laumeier Community Artist In Residence program are now due on January 29, 2021. Learn more about the program and apply here: www.laumeier.org/community-artist

It's time to start marking up your new 2021 calendars with all of the Laumeier classes, workshops and events you want to attend! Here are a few highlights for January: - Virtual Coffee & Conversation with 2021 Cultural Thinker in Residence Elvir Mandžuki / Thursday, January 21 - Mud + Merlot: Platters & Plates / Ages 21+ / Friday, January 22... - Clay Class: Wheel Throwing Ages 16+ / Wednesdays, January 27 - February 24 - Clay Class: Wheel Throwing Ages 8-15 / Saturdays, January 30 - February 27 Learn more and register for upcoming classes, workshops and events at www.laumeier.org/calendar.

We are excited to announce another artist opportunity with Laumeier! Our 2021 Community Artist In Residence application is now open. This program provides opportunities for local artists to expand their practice and engage with the community through workshops, events and discussions hosted at Laumeier. Application deadline is January 8, 2021. Apply now at https://laumeier.regfox.com/community-artist-in-residence-2. Photo collage featuring the 2020 Community Artists In Resid...ence: (Top left) - Allana Ross, "Atomic Garden," 2017. Mixed-media installation and event; 16’ x 16’ x 4’; Commissioned by Granite City Art and Design District. Courtesy of the Artist. (Top right) Allana Ross speaking with 2020 Teen Art Program participants. (Bottom left) - Simiya Sudduth, "Fort Defiance," 2018. Courtesy of the Artist. (Bottom right) - Simiya Sudduth leading a community program. See more

Laumeier mourns the recent passing of Ann Bauer (1924-2020), a lover of the arts who served as a dedicated Laumeier docent continuously since 1982. Ann’s husband, Henry (Hank) Bauer (1922-2018), was a distinguished architect who also volunteered many hours of his time at Laumeier. With a foundational gift from an anonymous donor, Laumeier is proud to honor the Bauers’ many contributions to the Park by establishing The Ann and Hank Bauer Fund for Senior Arts Programs. The fund’s first project will focus on developing COVID-safe programs to bring intellectual stimulation, inspiration, creativity, and engagement to older adults during this time when many are isolated. Learn more: https://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/press-1

Did you know that three of our annual membership levels are $50 or less? - I Dogs / $25 - I Mother Nature / $25 - I Hanging out with Friends / $50... Learn more about the unique benefits included with each membership and sign up for one at laumeier.org/membership.

Sculpture Sunday / Richard Fleischner, "St. Louis Project," 1989. Trees, shrubs, mortar, limestone, grass, clover. 112 x 399 x 5100 inches. Loan courtesy of Citicorp. Learn more about the Laumeier collection at www.laumeier.org/collection-on-view.