Drop-in Slow Looking Experience—Jo Baker’s Birthday

In honor of Josephine Baker’s birthday, join us for a guided slow-looking experience centered on Faith Ringgold’s quilt, Jo Baker’s Birthday. Born in St. Louis in 1906, Baker transformed her early experiences in the city into a life of international artistry, resistance, and reinvention, becoming a celebrated dancer and singer in Paris, a civil rights advocate, and a symbol of creative freedom. Through Ringgold’s dynamic use of color, pattern, storytelling, and textile traditions, this program invites visitors to reflect on Baker’s legacy, her connection to St. Louis, and the ways art can preserve memory, honor joy, and celebrate resilience.

“Slow Looking” is an opportunity for visitors to gather and participate in guided meditation and extended discussion of a selected artwork, facilitated by a museum educator. This drop-in experience is designed to invite visitors to find refuge in art and to find restoration in self-care and connection.