A work of art, whether a painting or a sculpture, can inspire many feelings, from joy to melancholy to sadness. It can also serve as a resource for discussing issues of prejudice and differences. For nearly two decades, the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute has worked with the St. Louis Art Museum to bring this discussion to St. Louis middle and high-school students through a joint program called Concepts of Beauty and Bias, one of the ADL’s longest-running collaborations.

From 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 at Monarch, 7401 Manchester Road in Maplewood, the institute will honor the St. Louis Art Museum for its contribution to this innovative education program.

Tabari Coleman, Missouri/Southern Illinois project director of the institute, credits the program with the ability to help participants develop a common language when talking about diversity and discrimination as well as a capacity to recognize their own bias. “We ask the students to think about prejudice within themselves and what are the consequences of pre-judging people?”

The program begins in the classroom with activities designed to heighten awareness and appreciation of aesthetic similarities and differences among the world’s cultures. Students then visit the museum to explore, with the guidance of specially trained docents, a selection of objects from throughout the world that reflect cultural standards of beauty in the human form and in aesthetics generally. After the tour, students meet with Institute facilitators who guide them through a discussion on the nature of stereotyping. 

Frank Krebs, one of the facilitators, never tires of seeing the students’ awakening; first to the art and then to the discussion of bias, which occurs in a very natural way. 

For example, one of the works used in the curriculum is “Bust of a Black Man” by German sculptor, Melchior Barthel, a marble sculpture of a black man wearing a white frock. The students automatically identify the man as a slave, when in reality he represents a 16^th century sailor from Venice and stands as one of the most dignified representations of black Africans from 17^th-century Europe.  This revelation opens a dialogue about making assumptions based on how someone looks, and exploring what has influenced their viewpoint.

Since Concepts of Beauty and Bias began, more than 1,000 middle and high school students have participated in the program both in the classroom and at the Saint Louis Art Museum.  Data collected support significant positive outcomes in the areas of increased understanding by students of cultural values and awareness of bias based on appearance.

The Nov. 21 event will include silent and live auctions with artwork from prominent local collections. Cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and dessert will be served. Mark Howald and Philip Slein of Slein Gallery will serve as co auctioneers. General admission is $75 and $40 for those age 40 and under.

For more information, email [email protected] or call 314-721-1270.