Declaration

Please join Art Saint Louis for Declaration, a multi-media juried exhibit featuring original artworks by 48 STL regional artists on view in the Gallery September 24-October 20, 2022.

Graphic design by Emily Crull.

We are honored to present Declaration, a juried exhibition with original works by 48 St. Louis regional artists from Missouri and Illinois. Declaration is presented September 24-October 20, 2022. Art Saint Louis is free & open to the public Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays/holiday weekends, and between exhibits. Dates & hours subject to change.   A free public reception is held for this exhibition on Saturday, October 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. I Declare event Join us also during the day on Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for our I Declare youth art making event. This is free & open to the public. Teaching artists Jasmine Raskas and Rosemary Ziegler will be leading two art projects designed for young people. Projects have to do with freedom of expression and declaring one's mind using visual art as the means to convey the message. For ‘I Declare,” artist Jasmine Raskas’ project will offer young people the opportunity to design their own expressive yard sign using stencils and acrylic paint markers. Participants will be encouraged to express themselves with positive phrases & words on their signs such as ‘believe in yourself’, ‘good vibes’, ‘be kind’, and ‘spread love’. Rosemary Ziegler’s project will encourage participants to use chalkboards to express themselves, focusing on concepts of “I am”, “I Believe,” and “I will” or “I feel” as a starting point for using words & art to declare state of mind. The activities will be led from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. by the Teaching Artists along with volunteers. About the exhibit Declaration is a visual art exhibition featuring 60 original works that explore freedom of expression and free speech. Artworks in this new exhibit clearly proclaim personal statements such as declarations of celebration, expressions of protest, political viewpoints, social activism, and more. Featured are works created in media including collage, digital art, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, video, and more. We invite you to view our Facebook album and see images of all of the artworks that will be featured in this new exhibit. All artwork sales from this exhibit and every exhibit we present are through Art Saint Louis. Artworks on view in a show remain in that exhibit until the show ends. Declaration is on view through October 20. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We accept PayPal, cash, credit, or check. We do not accept Venmo or Zelle. Our Jurors for this show were Terrell Carter and Francesca Passanise. • Francesca Passanise is Coordinator of Arcade Contemporary Art Projects Gallery, Department of Art, Design & Art History, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, Webster University, St. Louis, MO (since 2018). Francesca serve as President and Education Officer of Santo Foundation, St. Louis (2016-2021) and was Director of Donor Relations & Donor Communications, Office of Advancement, Webster University, St. Louis, MO (2013-2016). Francesca holds a MA in Public Relations with an emphasis in Non-Profit Communication Strategy, Webster University (2012) and BA in Business Management and Marketing, Webster University (2006). • Terrell Carter, artist, President and Executive Director of Rise St. Louis, and Baptist Minister. Carter holds a MFA in Arts Management from Webster University and Doctor of Ministry from Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Shawnee, KS. Terrell served as a Police Officer in the City of St. Louis from 1997-2002. He is the author of several books that explore community improvement and strengthening relationships. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS Art Saint Louis operates in compliance with City of St. Louis health mandates, CDC recommendations, and Missouri ArtSafe. GROUP VISITS Classes, clubs, groups, and other gatherings of 8 or more people are always welcome to the Gallery, however in order to better accommodate your visit, we respectfully request that you please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thank you.

 co-Juror’s Statement
 
“I cannot tell you enough how much I enjoyed this process. As a writer, I was electrified each time there was a particular literary connection or subversive narrative juicily explored in assertion. The duality, introspection and use of voice(s) in Self-portrait with Fernando Pessoa poetry creates a tension that calls us to quiet ourselves and meditate with humility and empathy. The artist’s refined and classical technique in crafting this exquisite face and the pairing of Pessoa’s words and his use of multiple literary heteronyms/personas in his own work, loads the sophistication of this piece by demonstrating the parameters of persona that have been established, accepted or required well earlier than the present moment.
The skillfully crafted and visually dissident narrative of Leda Considers the Swan uses body posture and movement for both Leda as she grabs and “considers” the swan (and its motivations), as well as the defensive posture of the swan’s body itself is in strong contrast to the misogynistic images and telling of this myth in depictions of the past. This Leda stands solidly on her two feet with the autonomy to usurp the swan’s (Zeus’) utilization of her body, contrasting the imagery of Boucher’s naive and impressionable Leda or DaVinci’s bashful and inactive one juxtaposed an actively dishonest, seductive or attacking swan (Zeus).
Literary connections aside, the imagery in this body of submissions cover a rich spectrum of tone, perspectives and media. One artist’s stark black and white photographic compositions of white cards boldly, cleanly stamping, crying the names of Ahmaud Abery and Breonna Taylor within the locations where they were killed are bold declarations of fear, mourning and trauma. The sign holding Ahmaud’s name coldly on the road on which he jogged in self-care and Breonna’s in the bed in which she slept where they were each slaughtered because they were Black bodies who had the audacity to live in the United States are also declarations of the undeniability of the systemic racism that is both historic and alive in our nation that denies people their freedom and justice and inhibits their rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
Simultaneously, there are confident, colorful images, such as The May Day Parade that with adept painterly precision and care, documents the historic and uniquely St. Louis celebration. The artist’s use of color, texture and layered, full composition in this work is a declaration of joy, community, pride, and innocence. The magic and power of femininity and childhood is also front and center from the little girls in pale yellow with their green, organic bundles in the foreground as families, most noticeably the even younger little kids, stepping up on and clinging excitedly the parade railings to catch the closest view to celebrate Annie Malone and the May Day Parade. It feels both timeless and organic as an observation of memory and tradition of Black St. Louis.
My selections are made via my perspective as just one person. While I do not necessarily agree with or share the feelings of the “declarations” made in every work that I selected, I was either impressed by the strength of the technical skill, commitment to voice, or relevant message in those that I chose. Just because I may miss something in what you created and hoped would resonate within your work, does not mean someone else or everyone else would miss it. Artists, each of you who submitted work to this call is courageous for utilizing your facility, practice and perspective to artfully shape and send out your voice into the world.”

— Francesca Passanise, Coordinator, Arcade Contemporary Art Projects Gallery,
Department of Art, Design & Art History, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts,
Webster University, St. Louis, MO

The featured artists in Declaration are:

Some of the 60 artworks featured in (all the) Feels:

CB Adams, St. Charles, MO. “Stop the Grab.” 2022. Silver Gelatin Photograph from Large Format Film Negative, 23”x28”. $275.	Lisa Lesch Morrow, Macomb, IL. “Rage.” 2022. Oil, Cold Wax over Oil Rub-Out on Cradle Board, 24”x18”. $250.	gaye gambell-peterson, St. Charles, MO. “EQUAL JUSTICE?” 2022. Collage on Canvas, 11”x14”. $253.
Kim Bouldin-Jones, St. Charles, MO. “Black Lives Matter.” 2020. Mixed Media Collage, 24”x24”. $3,500.	Shae Henderson, St. Louis, MO. “Ahmaud.” 2020. Digital Photograph on Paper, 18”x22”. "$200.	Stephen Da Lay, Shrewsbury, MO. “How.” 2022. Mokulito Print on Paper, 23.875”x29”. $1,500.
Kaitlin Wilfing, St. Charles, MO. “See Red.” 2022. Acrylic on Lace Fabric, 18”x12”. $350.	Sarah Ball, St. Louis, MO. “2020 Strong.” 2022. Oil on Canvas, 24”x30”. $650.	Genevieve Blanton, Glen Carbon, IL. “SAK Bag.” 2021. Vinyl, Fiber, Mixed Media, 9”x11”x3.5”. $150.
Roberta Rose, St. Louis, MO. “The Last Mask.” 2022. Acrylic, Mixed Media on Birch Panel, 36”x50”. $2,100.	Deborah Zoe Worley, Kirkwood, MO. “Disposable…” 2021. Porcelain on Wood Platform. NFS.	Joshua Williams, St. Louis, MO. “Shiloh Lynch.” 2022. Pastel, Charcoal, Collage on Craft Paper, 36”x32”. SOLD.

PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS
Art Saint Louis is located at 1223 Pine Street in downtown St. Louis. There are parking METERS on Pine Street and Olive Street & other nearby streets. Parking meters run Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fines are steep ($20), so don't let your meter expire. Visit Downtown St. Louis.org's website for additional parking suggestions. You can also download the handy Parkmobile app, whereby you can pay for and monitor parking meter via your mobile phone.

Hourly parking is available with limited weekday hours in the PARK PACIFIC GARAGE on Olive just West of Tucker. The garage entrance is on the South side of Olive. Parking is at your own expense and payable by credit card upon exiting the garage. Access to the garage & hours are currently limited. Be sure to take your parking receipt with you when you exit your car to visit the Gallery or you won't be able to re-enter the garage to get to your car--your parking ticket is your key to get back in to the garage. Art Saint Louis cannot validate parking.

The Gallery is easily accessible by PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION with MetroLink and MetroBus with MetroBus stops nearby.
If you are uncomfortable driving downtown, you might want to consider a carpool or rideshare to our location.