Edition: Architectural Delights
St. Louis Gallery Guide
Author: Stefene Russell
Here are a quick few gallery picks for art lovers in the St. Louis area, whether you're a connoisseiur of fine art or just have a hankering to immerse yourself in color, texture, and textiles for an afternoon.
Kodner Gallery
Recently relocated, Kodner Gallery (9650 Clayton Road, 314-993-4477) now offers 6,000 square feet of gallery space, where pieces by French and American Impressionists, regional artists (with an emphasis on masters of the old West), landscapes, and still lifes are shown. Although they specialize in the conservation, appraisal, and sale of rare, older work, the gallery also exhibits work by modern and contemporary artists, including photographer Soctt Raffe. Kodner will present Raffe's "The Art of the Circus," in May and June, which chronicles six years in the life of St. Louis's Circus Flora. The exhibit will coincide with the annual summer performance of the circus in a temporary big-top in Grand Center.
Atrium Gallery
The emphasis at Atrium Gallery (7738 Forsyth Blvd., 314-726-1066) is on large-scale contemporary work, including paintings and sculpture. The gallery's artist roster includes established locals as well as national and international artists, with an emphasis on Europe and Latin America. Past exhibits have included etched paper work by Lore Bert, Bruce Beasley's cast-bronze sculpture, and mixed media by Steven Sorman. The gallery maintains a large inventory of work by featured and exhibiting artists, maintains an active exhibition schedule (six double exhibitions annually), and sponsors art-related seminars and lectures throught the year.
Componere Gallery of Art and Fashion
The name of Componere Gallery of Art and Fashion (6509 Delmar Blvd., 314-721-1181) is taken from the French word "componere," meaning to come or put together, or arrange objects. Owner Eleanor Wilson Ruder, a practicing artist and former art teacher for the St. Louis public schools, designed her gallery to be "friendly and UN-gallery-like." Componere exhibits a wide range of work, but the uniting factor is bold use of color and an appreciation for the beauty of natural forms. However, Ruder's gallery also shows whimsical pieces such as Robert Pazderka's blown glass "People Head Glasses," a trio of smiling goblets with their hands defiantly placed on their hips.
R. Duane Reed Gallery
Located in Clayton across from the Ritz Carlton hotel, R. Duane Reed Gallery (7515 Forsyth, 314-862-2333) offers 5,000 feet of gallery space filled with contemporary work in painting, glass, ceramics, fiber, wood, and sculpture. An additional location is maintained in New York, and if any gallery in the area is connected with the international art world, it's Duane Reed; they regularly take part in exhibits such as the Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art Show (SOFA), held in New York and Chicago. This is reflected in the caliber of work they show, including Dale Chihuly's magical, flora-inspired glasswork and Jed Jackson's haunting paintings of the American southwest.
Fine Art Limited
Fine Art Limited (18350 Chesterfield Airport Rd., 636-537-1500) maintains a fine art gallery and sculpture studio in Chesterfield, but also keeps busy with a publishing arm that specializes in reproducing fine art created to commemorate special events such as the Olympics. The gallery staff has worked with an impressive group of artists, including such heavyweights as Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and Hiro Yamagata, but also represents local artists. One of the newest artists is Sergey Eylanbekov, a Russian sculptor who has created pieces for private collections around the world, as well as for the United States Olympics Committee. Other featured artists include Don Veigland, John Stuart Curry, and Richard Haley Lever.
Mad Art
Located in what's arguably St. Louis's most imaginative gallery space - a 19,000 square-foot Art Deco Police Station in Soulard - Mad Art (2727 S. 12th St., 314-771-8230) shows some of the Midwest's most imaginative artists, and has raised the bar for art openings. Events such as the Art Prom and Mad Arf! draw art lovers and regular joes alike; folks who never imagined themselves owning a piece of original artwork have been seen leaving openings with canvas in tow. The intact jail cells are often converted to hanging spaces or used for installations, and the restored carport makes an ideal environment for viewing works both large and small.
Xen Gallery
Xen Gallery (401 N. Euclid, 314-454-9561) is actually two galleries: the main-floor space and Subterra, a basement gallery. Located in the Central West End's Euclid/MacPherson gallery district, they specialize in contemporary art. Though the gallery's main focus is works in fiber, metal, glass, and clay, they also feature photography, painting, and works on paper. Also housed in the space is a frame shop with a speical expertise in art observation. Although their artists have pieces in the collections of the Smithsonian, Redwick Gallery, and the White House Collection of American Crafts, the gallery strives to present visitors with a comfortable, inviting atmosphere and affordable art.
