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Photo by Amy Burger.
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Photos by Broadys Work Productions and Amy Burger
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Photos by Broadys Work Productions and Amy Burger
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Photos by Broadys Work Productions and Amy Burger
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Photos by Broadys Work Productions and Amy Burger
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Photos by Broadys Work Productions and Amy Burger
Last week, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation unveiled their new art initiative, The Walls Off Washington, a collection of murals between Josephine Baker Boulevard and North Leonard and behind Sophie’s Artists Lounge and High Low. The works, contributed by artists from St. Louis and far beyond, open to the public on October 7 as part of First Fridays. We sat down with Gina Grafos, director and chief curator of visual and literary art for KAF, to chat about what folks can expect from this transformative new project.
Can you start by explaining your role for me?
I am the director of visual and literary arts and chief curator, so the breakdown of that is that everything visual and literary that the foundation supports has my eyeballs on it. That includes our four gallery spaces, the foundation's art collection, and the mural initiative.
And how did this new mural initiative, The Walls Off Washington, come to be?
So, in acknowledging this art form, we set out to bring the interior to the exterior so that art can be embraced in a more accessible way. Not everyone is comfortable walking into a museum or a traditional “white cube” gallery. So by acknowledging the legacy, especially in St. Louis, of graffiti and murals, we invited those conversations to exalt from a public-facing lens.
Talk to me a little bit about the development process. These works are really a collaborative process between the artists and the curators, correct?
Absolutely. We would not be here without Paint Louis, the co-founders especially, John Harrington and Bryan Walsh, were instrumental a few years back in those conversations and just connecting the dots with local artists who have really shaped the backdrop of this city. Also, we worked with PaintedBlack STL which is a fairly new collective of artists. Charlie Tatum and Jayvn Solomon were instrumental in connecting with artists as well, in addition to Katherine Bernhardt for the friendships that she has worldwide.
Tell me about this group of artists that you’ve gathered.
We started with Remix Uno, who is from Mexico City. He was in St. Louis or a residency at Paul Artspace, which is a residency program that out of Florissant. Remix Uno was our first and mighty approach to how this would land. His piece, "215 Foot of Love," was the first mural, and that was 2019. And now—I call it the gravitron—we just have really not stopped. Especially through pandemic, we were still able to connect with artists and be outside. Most sprayers are already comfortable wearing masks, and the visual arts were the first thing to really come back in a safe way over the last few years, so we were able to keep moving.
If you had to put it into a few words, what would you say the goal of The Walls Off Washington is?
The goal is to truly acknowledge the legacy of murals and graffiti. It's really to acknowledge how instrumental it's been in the last few decades, especially as one of the cornerstones of hip-hop. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation really leans into all art forms, but specifically this one is about engaging the exterior and having the public be able to see themselves in the expression and the work.
Map of "Walls Off Washington." Courtesy of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
What’s the long-term plan for these works?
This is only the beginning, so the longevity of each individual work is really not something in the forefront of our plan, because we do have other walls to lift…We are more focused on the individual artists, whether local or international, and having that experience for our audience of having a full walk or drive of vibrating eyeballs.
Speaking of those audiences, how can people participate in or learn more about this project?
October is our goal for regular visiting hours. We are penciling in a Thursday through Saturday afternoon experience for a more traditional guided experience. And then, obviously, things are up there and they're public. Kenny Scharf’s [on North Leonard] is the best example of one you could drive up to today. And then Sophie's Artist Lounge is the entry point…it’s the kind of the threshold I would say of entry and experience. So that will be really fleshed out and happening in October.
What do you most want people to know about this project?
I want everyone, especially in St. Louis, to know that this is for them. We're working on programming for events and mural markets and stroller walks. And I just want everyone to see themselves in the walls. I want people to know that it's for them, and if they don't see themselves in any of the murals, then I want them to imagine what they want to see and to either get the sketchbook or catalog out, really have that conversation and connect. We’re all about connecting, obviously, buildings and thoroughfares. But we're also about connecting artists with our neighbors and with our audience.
