While the Kranzberg Arts Foundation (KAF) has programs for all the art disciplines, I’d like to focus on the visual and literary arts.
We have four art galleries as well as the outdoor “Walls Off Washington,” which feature over 25 thought provoking murals by renowned local, national and international artists. The murals are painted on (and off) walls between Josephine Baker Boulevard to N. Leonard Avenue and Locust Street to Samuel Shepard Boulevard.
Just a few of the mural artists represented are Lady Pink, Derrick Adams, Liz Marcus, Jose Luis Vargas and our own Maxi Glamour and Cbabi Bayoc.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation visual arts program showcases outstanding, relevant works from a diverse range of artists in the St. Louis community. In collaboration with area non-profits, artists and educators, KAF challenges established concepts of what art is and does and engages the community in new and meaningful ways. This spirit of innovation, experimentation and community make KAF a premier attraction in the Midwest.
The Kranzberg Art Gallery at the Kranzberg Art Center features a wide range of artists both on the local as well as the national level. Ken Konchel, a local but nationally known photographer, says about his most recent exhibition, “In Place of Context,” architecture is not a dismissible backdrop to our daily lives — it’s a dynamic force that shapes our society, connects our past and defines our relationships.” He wants us to look at the shape, line, pattern tone and texture of portions of buildings that he photographs.
The Dark Room, located within the Grandel on Grandel Square in Grand Center, is a contemporary art space dedicated to exhibiting dynamic bodies of works by emerging and mid-career photographers in St. Louis. It’s an intimate space where live music, wine and food merges with the works of art.
The Gallery at the High Low Literary Center is nestled within the High Low behind Blueprint Coffee. Its works spill out onto the walls of the coffee shop and sometimes the center’s reading room features works of local artists. Melody Evans’ playful and colorful ceramic pieces were recently featured.
And there’s Sophie’s Artist Lounge, the “hippest” music room and gallery where art works are displayed within the lounge and in the long gallery adjacent to it. A large work by internationally recognized artist Katherine Bernhardt graces the wall. A recent exhibit showcased a retrospective by St. Louis’ own DL Warfield, also an internationally known artist, who I knew from his well-known record covers that he designed and created for great hip hop and rock-and-roll recordings.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation also has an artist-in-residence program, which includes visual artists as well as artists in other disciplines. Each artist brings a unique hue to the vibrant tapestry of our local art scene, weaving together narratives that resonate deeply within our community.
The literary arts are well-represented at the High Low Cafe and Listening Room. A collaboration between KAF and the St. Louis Public Library is the High Noon Series, a free opportunity every Thursday at noon to learn from local thought leaders and artistic talent in the greater St. Louis area. This multi-disciplinary series, which takes place at the High Low in Grand Center or the Florissant Valley Branch of the library (check out which location at the KAF calendar at kranzbergartsfoundation.org/calendar) addresses cultural and artistic work in film, sculpture, photography, painting, architecture, public art, poetry, fiction, drama and various music presentations.
And I want to emphasize that there are many artists talks, readings and art tours of Walls Off Washington going on at various times. Check the KAF calendar or call 314-533-0367.
I am so proud of being exposed to what St. Louis has to offer in the visual and literary arts. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation is just the tip of the iceberg of what we have in our fabulous, art-filled town.
