Photo by Jenna deJong
Warped Tour
Looking to escape the summer heat this weekend? The Sheldon Art Galleries debuts its summer exhibit, offering guests a chance to putt-putt their way through a unique indoor mini golf course.
Shoot the golf ball through The Old Courthouse toward the Gateway Arch, or maneuver your shot through a complex warped surface as you make your way through Golf the Galleries. The nine holes—designed by architecture firms, independent artists, an advertising agency, and other organizations—offer an immersive experience with art.
Golf the Galleries at the Sheldon Art Galleries
The Sheldon Art Galleries' latest exhibit gives viewers a chance to interact with their art.
Since the course doesn’t have a theme, the artists were allowed to pull from their creative depth, inserting an element of surprise for players. Family-friendly and ideal for date nights (there’s even a bar at night), the course has seating close to each hole and is ADA compliant. If you can’t make it this weekend, fear not because the exhibit extends throughout the summer until August 12 and will include a few theme nights, some of which include costumes.
Olivia Lahs-Gonzales, director of Sheldon Art Galleries, was inspired last year by other artist-designed outdoor mini golf exhibits found in Minneapolis. As the director and curator for the Sheldon project, Lahs-Gonzales decided to bring the concept to St. Louis.
“We’ve been doing some strategic planning here, and we’ve been talking about ways we can be more interactive with our audiences and bringing new audiences in and thought we should try this here,” Lahs-Gonzales says.
Once the project was put in motion, Lahs-Gonzales sent out an open call for artists, architectural firms, and schools, then narrowed down the proposals. One of these, the World Chess Hall of Fame, used its mission for the inspiration for Hole 3: “Mate in Four” (pictured below).
Photo by Jenna deJong
Hole 3: "Mate in Four" by the World Chess Hall of Fame
Associate curator for the World Chess Hall of Fame Emily Allred said the hole is a chess problem, where one of the players tries to checkmate his opponent in four moves. Golfers playing the hole not only have the opportunity to strategically plan their shot into the hole but can also solve the riddle the game pieces create. Mounted on surrounding walls, clues and solutions give players hints and tricks to solving the problem.
At Golf the Galleries, Friday, June 1 is for public viewing only from 5–9 p.m. The first open regular tee time is Sunday, June 3, at 11 a.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Member tickets are discounted at $8 for adults and $4 for kids. Group rates and reservations are also available.
