Explore contemporary art installations at some of the city’s cultural landmarks all in one night during Art Night Out. Hosted jointly across four major St. Louis art museums, the July 26 event promises a relaxed yet educational introduction to modern and contemporary art.
The step-by-step tour begins at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis, then will move on to a conversation at the Saint Louis Art Museum before ending at the courtyard between the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The progressive cultural tour allows attendees to learn from each museum’s respective curators and exhibitions.
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“We all have great shows that we think complement one another in interesting ways,” says Kristin Fleishmann Brewer, deputy director of public engagement at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. “This event showcases a mix of artists—local, national, and international—using materials in unexpected ways. Hopefully it will give a good opportunity for people to learn about materiality and how artists are innovating on these materials as well.”
Guests will engage with thoughtfully curated exhibitions spotlighting the work of Kahlil Robert Irving, Tamara Johnson, Paul Chan, and Delcy Morelos, and be able to socialize and make connections with one another during refreshment receptions.
“We know that contemporary art can be a little intimidating for some people to understand or engage with in a meaningful way,” Brewer says. “So this is supposed to be a light, social way to engage with art across all of these really important local art institutions.”
Originally titled Contemporary Night Out, the event first began over a decade ago and is now being relaunched for the first time since the pandemic. The Saint Louis Art Museum is the newest collaborator on this project, joining the ranks of educational art institutions working to make contemporary and modern art more accessible for the general public.
“St. Louis is a really vibrant art city,” says Michelle Dezember, director of learning and engagement at CAM. “That’s what really motivated us to put this Art Night Out event together—even beyond just the museums, there’s so much art happening throughout our city. We hope this event is a chance to encourage people to get together and explore the art with friends and family.”
