ADULTS

This panel discussion, organized in conjunction with exhibitions at the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, explores the history of exhibiting and collecting German art and cultural objects in St. Louis. From the early influence of seminal figures such as 19th-century beer magnate Adolphus Busch, to the elaborate presentation of German art and culture at the 1904 World's Fair; from the impact of significant collectors such as Morton D. May on the institutional legacy of German art, to major acquisitions and exhibitions of postwar German art, panelists will discuss why German art and culture is important to St. Louis.

Speakers include:

Paul Michael Lützeler
Rosa May Distinguished University Professor in the Humanities and Director, Max Kade Center for Contemporary German Literature, Washington University in St. Louis

Lynette Roth
Daimler-Benz Associate Curator, Busch-Reisinger Museum, Harvard Art Museums

Tricia Y. Paik
Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Saint Louis Art Museum

Simon Kelly
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Saint Louis Art Museum

Sabine Eckmann
William T. Kemper Director and Chief Curator, Mildred Lane Kemper Museum, Washington University in St. Louis

This free lecture takes place at Steinberg Hall at Washington University in St. Louis. For directions and parking information, visit wustl.edu/community/visitors/maps.

Renata Stih and Frieder Schnock are a Berlin-based collaborative team who explore issues of collective memory, public space, and institutional critique. For their exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Currents 107: Renata Stih & Frieder Schnock, Stih and Schnock examine how the Museum functions as a container of memories, embodied by different works of art. The artists will talk about their artistic practice and how they investigated the local history and culture of St. Louis during their stay here.

Generous support for Currents 107: Renata Stih & Frieder Schnock is provided by the Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Endowment Fund, established to support the exhibition and acquisition of contemporary art at the Saint Louis Art Museum and the teaching principles of contemporary art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

We customarily think of the time period before the Reservation era as "traditional" in the lives of Plains Indian peoples. This lecture will demonstrate that, by the late 18th century, people of the Northern Plains had already incorporated numerous items of global manufacture into their own aesthetic system of dress and adornment. In reformulating our understanding of Plains peoples and their lives during this era, we bring them into a global conversation, rather than isolating them on the margins of culture.

Using images painted by Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, and others, as well as objects made by Plains Indian artists, speaker Janet Berlo will trace the numerous connections that linked the Upper Missouri River area with St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York, London, Venice, and even China.

About the speaker:

Janet Catherine Berlo, Ph.D., is Professor of Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester in New York. A consultant to the publication on the Danforth Collection at the Saint Louis Art Museum (to be released in 2015), she has also written and co-written numerous catalogues, books, and articles on Native North American art, including Spirit Beings and Sun Dancers (Braziller, 2002), Native North American Art (Oxford, 1998, with Ruth Phillips), The Early Years of Native American Art History (U. Washington Press, 1992), Plains Indian Drawings 1865-1935: Pages from a Visual History (Abrams, 1996) and Arthur Amiotte: Collage Series 1988-2006 (Wheelwright Museum, 2006).

Janet Berlo earned her Ph.D. in the History of Art at Yale in 1980. She has taught Native American art history as a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale, and UCLA, and has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Getty Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Copying from paintings in the galleries will help you understand the compositions, styles, and painting techniques of great artists. No experience in copying is required; it is, however, recommended that students feel comfortable with basic drawing techniques and oil or acrylic painting. Students are responsible for bringing their own materials to class; a supply list will be provided upon registration.

Class size is limited to 12 participants.

Instructor: Brian Koelz, artist and specialist in historic painting techniques

This class offers a guided experience of drawing from the Museum's collection of art. A time honored practice for artists, drawing from works of art can improve your observation skills and increase your ability to interpret what you see in a variety of drawing media. The instructor will provide weekly assignments and supportive guidance. All skill levels are welcome, and all materials will be provided.

Instructor: Belinda Lee, artist and educator, and Assistant Director of Special Programs, Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis

Sharpen your animation drawing skills in this all-day, hands-on teen workshop led by Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award winning producer/director Michael Sporn. Participants will learn basic elements of cartoon animation from preproduction to voiceover work. Sporn will also share a selection of his own films and lead students through various animation drawing exercises. Completed drawings will be combined into a short animated feature. Each student will be mailed a copy of the completed animated film.

All art supplies are provided. Lunch is not included, but can be purchased in the Museum Cafe.

Class size is limited to 15.

This workshop is offered in collaboration with Cinema St. Louis.