Banksy is coming to St. Louis this weekend—or at least his work is.
Banskyland, a touring exhibition of the notorious street artist and activist’s work, will take over three City Foundry storefronts this weekend, offering St. Louis a unique opportunity to experience salvaged original creations, studio editions, immersive installations, and Banksy pieces from private collections.
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While the exhibition, which is put on by One Thousand Ways Inc., is technically unauthorized, vice president of operations Britt Reyes says the company did receive a nod of approval from the artist. Their goal, she says, is to bring Banksy’s work to the public beyond major art hubs such as Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
“We aren’t going to L.A., we’re in San Diego. We didn’t go to New York City, we were down in Philly. We didn’t go to Miami, we went to Tampa and Orlando, because we want to ensure that people have accessibility to this work,” says Reyes. “When we reached out to Banksy and shared that we wanted to curate pieces that had already been purchased from him, I think he gave us this blessing because he knows that our commitment is to making art accessible.”
The St. Louis stop on the 32-city tour runs April 14–16 at City Foundry, where Banksyland will occupy three yet-to-be-leased spaces in the Public Market area. The exhibition features more than 80 pieces, including authenticated screen prints, memorabilia from Dismaland, and a life-size reproduction of an elephant covered in graffiti, among other works. The pieces touch on myriad social issues, including racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, war’s effects on children, climate change, and refugee advocacy.
“One of my favorite quotes of Banksy’s is that art should ‘disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed,’” says Reyes. “And I hope that each attendee who comes into this exhibit feels a little of both…There’s going to be pieces that bring deep empathy to you, and I think it’s important to give that gift to St. Louis.”
Tickets for Banksyland are currently available for 12–6 p.m. Friday, 1–7 p.m. Saturday, and 12:30–7 p.m. Sunday. Limited tickets are available, and some time slots are already sold out. Prices range from $22 for students (with ID) to $59 for a VIP experience that includes a limited edition hand-screened exhibition poster, all-day exhibition access, and an audio tour. No ticket is required for children ages 6 and under.
For full date/time information and tickets, visit tickettailor.com.
