Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration

Melissa Wolfe, curator of American art, and artist Norman Akers (citizen Osage Nation) introduced the exhibition "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." Akers explored issues of identity and culture, including Osage myths, place, and the dynamics of personal and cultural transformation as a Native American artist. He discussed his featured work and the connections between his practice and the overarching themes of the exhibition.

Melissa Wolfe, curator of American art, explored works of art included in the first section of "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." This talk introduced how the confluence of the three most powerful rivers in North America—the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Ohio—and the major trade and migration routes have profoundly shaped the objects produced within the region. Geographic confluence also created notable cultural confluences, which resulted in objects that drew their form from the diverse traditions present in the area. As both an outpost and a gathering point, the region provided fertile ground for the growth of a distinctive artistic identity.

Amy Torbert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of American Art, explores works of art included in the second section of "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." This talk presents the surprising variety of works of art created, collected, and exhibited in the St. Louis area during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It traces the development of the city’s private art collections and public exhibitions over a century, culminating in the 1909 formation of the City Art Museum (now known as the Saint Louis Art Museum). It also focuses on the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair to consider the contexts and methods of display encountered by its visitors.

Amy Torbert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of American Art, considers works of art included in the third section of "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." This talk explores the commercial objects designed and created by the dynamic communities of makers in the confluence region. For millennia artists, designers, and craftspeople have drawn upon the region’s natural resources to create products to be sold, traded, and used. By sparking dialogues among disparate materials and industries—from architectural design to clay, metals, textiles, and portraiture—this talk traces the continuities and changes that have shaped the area’s products over centuries.

Melissa Wolfe, curator of American art, explores works of art included in the fourth section of "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." This talk brings together objects created by regional artists in the 20th century who sought the camaraderie of like-minded makers. Whether united by artistic styles or social views, and whether their associations lasted for only a short period or for a lifetime, these makers found fertile ground in which to develop their vision in the creative atmosphere sustained by the company of others. Objects made by folk or outsider artists are also included. Within this context, their work provides an important perspective on community and the richness of creative inquiry.

Amy Torbert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of American Art, explores works of art included in the fifth section of "Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration." This talk demonstrates how objects produced in the region have drawn attention to particular political, social, and environmental viewpoints. Some of these objects have communicated support for political policies and promoted recognition of marginalized communities, while others have countered social injustices and investigated relationships between humans and nature. All speak boldly in the hopes of effecting change.