'A more inclusive art world' 'A more inclusive art world': How Ferguson 2014 changed the arts in St. Louis

Visual art can be a 'mighty tool' for social issues Since the Ferguson protests, St. Louis artists have had pieces acquired by the Smithsonian, shown at the St. Louis Art Museum, and installed in a new development. Lisa Melandri, executive director of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSt. Louis post-dispatch
Main Authors Henderson, Jane, Early, Rosalind, Osby, Jasmine
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published St. Louis, Mo Pulitzer, Inc 04.08.2024
Subjects
Art galleries & museums
Artistic expression
Brown, Michael Jr
Demonstrations & protests
Inclusion
Social justice
Systemic racism
United States > US
Missouri
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Summary:Visual art can be a 'mighty tool' for social issues Since the Ferguson protests, St. Louis artists have had pieces acquired by the Smithsonian, shown at the St. Louis Art Museum, and installed in a new development. Lisa Melandri, executive director of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, says part of our cultural heritage is now the "Mirror Casket" piece at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture. "Since this tragedy, art has become more responsive to issues of social justice and systemic injustice, something that we have seen in our local arts community and across the country in not only the immediate aftermath, but also the ensuing years," she says. The St. Louis Art Museum acquired a painting by Kehinde Wiley after the internationally known artist chose subjects from Ferguson and nearby through "street casting." Young people interested in justice were one set of buyers, but also middle class white people who were wondering, 'How could this happen?'" The bookstore, which began during the Civil Rights movement, has always been about supporting gay rights and antiracism.
ISSN:1930-9600