Friends,

Art Saint Louis is serving our region in meaningful ways, thanks to the support and participation of so many in our community. More is happening in this organization's work than I will attempt to cram into this message. However, as I try to do at this time each year, I'm reaching out to update you on the good that you've helped accomplish, and relay my thanks.

First, a few stats:

•    30,000+ PEOPLE were reached by ASL programs in 2017, and twice as many reached already in 2018.
•    2,700+ ARTWORKS have been submitted for ASL gallery exhibits since 2015.
•    $130,000+ has been paid directly to artists in commissions, awards and honorariums through ASL programs since 2015.
•    8,668 ARTWORKS are now hosted on the ASL mobile app, ArtLoupe, and the app has been downloaded over 10,000 times.

St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley Professor Christine Giancola with artist Alexander Hollingsworth and his artwork featured in Varsity Art XXII. Photo courtesy of Christine Giancola.

Of course, numbers only go so far in relaying the big picture. More importantly, ASL is bringing people together. As one artist put it, "The heart of Art Saint Louis lies in the local community and that is what matters."

 

Two recent exhibits were a perfect example of this, beginning with Varsity Art, our 22nd annual graduate/undergraduate student art show, which brought together students and faculty from 21 area colleges and universities, along with broad network of family and friends, to celebrate some of the region's rising artistic talents. As you can imagine, the gallery was packed to the gills on opening night! As in years past, we took the opportunity to produce "Meet the Artist" video interviews for the students. ASL has published over 100 artist video interviews on our YouTube channel in the last several seasons.

	Artist Chad Hayward with his ceramic sculpture featured in Varsity Art XXII. Photo by Robin Hirsch-Steinhoff.

Eastern Illinois University graduate student Chad Haward went out of his way to relay his enthusiasm for the experience:

It means a lot to have a platform and opportunity as a young emerging artist to share my work. I was really impressed with the turnout as well. It was great to see so many people who came out to see the show.

 

April 21 reception for "Maturity and Its Muse: Celebrating Artistic Experience." Photo by Robin Hirsch-Steinhoff.

On the heels of such youthful energy another remarkable exhibit followed. Maturity and Its Muse: Celebrating Artistic Experience, a competition-based exhibit, featured 51 artworks in a variety of media by artists informed by time, ages 70+. What a privilege it was to welcome such a gorgeous collection of artworks! 31 artists from Missouri and Illinois were featured in the show, some of whom are seasoned professionals and others the very definition of an emerging artist.

	May 24 Venture Cafe event attendees check out augmented reality-enabled pavement murals. Photo by R.J. Hartbeck.

Other recent highlights included collaboration with Chalk Riot, CA-based Heavy Projects and PNC Arts Alive, producing three large-scale, augmented reality pavement murals, and sharing these with over 50,000 viewers at the Saint Louis Science Center and at Venture Café in the Cortex District. Viewers interacted with the artworks in person and on smartphones and tablets where the artworks came to life with 3D graphic animations through the Chalk Riot mobile app. For a snapshot of the art and technology in action, check out Fox 2's TV feature on the project.

Lastly, ASL is partnering with the new Angad Arts Hotel – located in the Grand Center Arts District - to cultivate extensive, year-round contemporary art programming beginning this fall.  Under the direction of ASL, the vibrant 146-guest room Angad Arts Hotel will feature a rotating series of exhibitions and events spotlighting the work of numerous St. Louis regional visual artists in the hotel’s public spaces, as well as extensive collections of original artworks and reproductions in the hotel’s room and suites..

I hope you share my sense that this kind of cultural activity is important to our community, to our region, whether or not it ever makes headline news. What will never make the news are the ripple effects, the stories of individuals quietly impacted by our work to support local art and make it a part of everyday life for people across the socio-economic spectrum--especially through our activity downtown. I was touched by one such story brought to my attention recently by a friend with 13 years' experience working with individuals living with severe mental illness, substance abuse disorders and homelessness, who wrote:

Thank you for helping us move our city and our region forward in creative ways. Thank you especially to our artists, donors and volunteers. It's a joy to partner with you all.


Cordially,

Chandler Branch
Executive Director