Two new exhibitions have made their way to City Museum‘s unique art spaces. Blessed by the Ancestors and “And Who Should I Say is Calling” feature dramatically different themes and media, but they unite in their mission to immerse viewers in art shaped by the St. Louis community.
Curated by St. Louis native Brock Seals, Blessed by the Ancestors is a group exhibition in Beatnik Bob’s Café celebrating Black History Month with an expansive display of paintings, photography, sculptures, jewelry, and more by local Black creatives.
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“Growing up…I always learned about European art, so I could never really truly relate to it because I couldn’t necessarily see myself,” Seals says. Now, he strives to represent Black life as art, through art. One piece by Seals is featured in the exhibition. “Tay Tay’s Beads” is an acrylic painting of a young Black girl with colorful beads in her braided hair.
“Some little girl can see herself in that piece and realize that she is art and that she can see herself within this. I love when art can connect to real life,” Seals says.
A hallmark of the exhibition is a memorial by artist Dail Chambers featuring photos, blankets, and candles to honor lost lives, whether of forebears or recently lost loved ones. The installation builds on Seal’s inspiration for the title of the exhibition.
“I feel like it would only be right for us to honor [our ancestors], because I feel like we’re standing on the shoulders of all their sacrifices,” Seals says.
for a completely different vibe, visitors can head over to the museum’s Skateless Skatepark. The area is now home to “And Who Should I Say Is Calling?,” a 12-foot-tall model head crafted from recycled materials by Kevin Titzer. Titzer arrived at City Museum with a loose vision of his installation, but nothing more, letting the materials in the museum direct his work.
“The building used to be a shoe factory, and there were literally these huge containers just full of shoe heels. You don’t [often] come across thousands and thousands of shoe heels. So I ended up using those,” Titzer says.
From shoe heels and bottles to photographs and brooms, every material incorporated in Titzer’s model was found among the City Museum’s collections. The final piece is representative of his artistic process of letting the community context shape his work.
Hailing from Southern Indiana, Titzer first encountered City Museum during a trip to St. Louis more than a decade ago. As an artist specializing in recycling and repurposing materials, Titzer found the space mindblowing.
“Last year, I just thought, I’ve got nothing to lose reaching out to the City Museum. That would just be like a dream gig,” he says.
Though Titzer crafted the model head with an artistic rationale in mind, he hopes viewers will be able to find their own meaning in the work. “I’m basically just setting a stage for someone to tell their own story,” he says.
Blessed by the Ancestors is on display in Beatnik Bob’s through March 1. And Who Should I Say Is Calling? is on display in Skateless Skatepark through April 4. Both exhibitions are included with general admission and City Museum member passes.
