Photography by Matt Marcinkowski
Min Jung Kim
Min Jung Kim has spent her career working with art, but has almost no art in her own home. “I actually collect very little,” she says. “The best part of my job is being able to walk through the galleries and enjoy amazing works of art almost as if they were an extension of my own home.”
The Saint Louis Art Museum’s 34,000-piece collection is at Kim’s fingertips now that she’s taken the helm as the museum’s director. One of her priorities, she says, is to continue making those masterpieces accessible to as many people as possible. Even before accepting the role, she knew about a few of the collection’s strengths, such as its contemporary German galleries—the Max Beckmann paintings, in particular—but she says it’s been a joy to discover new treasures during her first months on the job.
“Our collection in the areas of Oceanic and African and the ancient Americas collection are really breathtakingly beautiful,” she says. “I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of many more strengths.”
Even though Kim doesn’t collect art, she knows many people who do—and she’s impressed with the private collections she’s seen so far in St. Louis homes: “In many ways, it has made me think that the composition of the permanent collection at the Saint Louis Art Museum has not only benefited tremendously but has really been defined by so many gifts that have been made by private collectors over the years.”
In October, the museum announced a promised gift of 22 works of art from the private collection of Emily Rauh Pulitzer. That gift, which includes works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, among others, is one of the most significant in the history of the museum, but it’s certainly not the first. Over the years, generous donations have had a real impact on the breadth and depth of the works available to museum visitors.
Though not everyone owns such an illustrious art collection, Kim shares resources to assist art enthusiasts interested in starting a collection or taking one to the next level. She recommends the Collectors Circle—part of SLAM’s membership program—which comprises four distinct groups, each focused on a different specialty: African-American art, American art and design, photography, contemporary art. The groups plan special events such as private lectures, viewings of private St. Louis collections, and in-depth tours of exhibitions.
“As much exposure [to art] as possible is always one of the things that would benefit a collector at any stage,” says Kim, “and we have a really vibrant series of programs that engages that level of membership in diving a little bit deeper.”
