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Virtual CPP Day for
The Shape of Abstraction
Welcome to our virtual closing celebration of The Shape of Abstraction: Selections from the Ollie Collection. Scroll down to learn about the exhibition, listen to music that influenced the artists, create your own abstract art, shake up a jazz-inspired cocktail, and peruse a curated list of books about Black artists.
We hope you will have an opportunity to visit this extraordinary exhibition before it closes on Sunday, October 11. The exhibition is free and tickets are not required. You can view our new visitor protocols here.
James Little, American, born 1952; “Double Exposure”, 2008; oil and wax on canvas; 39 × 50 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 190:2017; © June Kelly Gallery / James Little
LEARN ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Immerse yourself in the work of five generations of Black artists featured in
The Shape of Abstraction and hear behind-the-scenes stories from co-curator
Alexis Assam, the 2018–2019 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow.
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC THAT INFLUENCED THE ARTISTS
CREATE ABSTRACT ART
Rock Steady by Alonzo Davis (shown at right) was constructed by weaving together brightly colored paper strips and overlaying them with splatters and drops of paint. Create your own paper weaving and share your creation on social media using #STLArtMuseum.
Materials
- 8.5 x 11 (or larger) piece of paper which will act as your loom
- Scraps of paper similar in size to the paper you’ll use for your loom (could include newspaper and magazine pages)
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint
Instructions
- To create your loom, fold the paper in half on the short side and make cuts starting on the folded edge, leaving about a 1-inch space at the bottom edge of the paper
- Cut approximately 10 strips of paper equal in size, about the same length as your loom and 1 inch wide
- Weave the first strip of paper through your “loom” using an over, under, over, under pattern
- Weave the second strip of paper opposite the first using an under, over, under, over pattern
- Weave the remaining strips of paper through, alternating the pattern for each piece
- Glue or tape the ends of the papers to your loom and cut off the edges
- Using markers, crayons, or paint, decorate your paper (we suggest listening to the Spotify playlist for inspiration)
- Share your creation using #STLArtMuseum
Alonzo Davis, American, born 1942; Rock Steady, 1992; collage of cut and woven paper with paint; 30 1/4 × 22 1/8 in. (76.8 × 56.2 cm) framed: 35 3/8 in. × 27 1/8 in. × 2 in. (89.9 × 68.9 × 5.1 cm); Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 134:2017; © Alonzo Davis
SHAKE UP A COCKTAIL OR MOCKTAIL
Named for the Miles Davis song Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, this light, refreshing, and spicy cocktail is best enjoyed with jazz.
Voodoo Down Cocktail
Ingredients
¼ oz. ginger syrup
¼ oz. honey
¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. St-Germain
2 dashes orange bitters
½ oz. rum
1 oz. bourbon
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain over ice into a double Old-Fashioned glass.
Circle Toddy Mocktail
Ingredients
1 oz. lemon juice
½ oz. honey
1 tablespoon ginger paste
Lemon soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata)
Combine lemon juice, honey, and ginger paste in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour the juice into a highball glass with ice. Top off with lemon soda.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BLACK ARTISTS
Asmaa Walton, the 2019-2020 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow, recommends the following books to help you learn more about Black artists. Walton is the founder of the Black Art Library, a growing collection of books intended to be an educational resource on visual art by Black artists. Visit #blackartlibrary on Instagram to learn more.
For children
- Meet the Artist by Frank Bowling (it’s also an activity book!)
- Come Look With Me: Discovering African American Art for Children by James Haywood Rolling, Jr.
For adults
- Stanley Whitney: In the Color by Andrianna Campbell
- Four Generations: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art by Christopher Bedford, Andrianna Campbell, Nicholas Cullinan, Joost Bosland, Jacqueline Francis, Alexis Clark, Elvira Dyangani
- The Shape of Abstraction exhibition catalogue (available for purchase from the Museum Shop)
