Make Your Mark

STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR MARK IN 2023

 

You already know that there is no other organization that champions and empowers Saint Louis’ regional artists like Art Saint Louis (ASL). In 2023, I was proud to join Artistic Director Robin Hirsch-Steinhoff along with our Board of Directors, ready to reposition the organization, following 2+ years enduring without an executive director, and make immediate and strategically sustainable plans for understanding and growing our impact and potential.

This year we have been building our institutional infrastructure to expand ASL’s efforts to draw awareness and attention to the rich visual art being created by artists living and working in our region and to nurture our geographical community’s connectivity and strength to our region’s visual and cultural ecosystem.

As we consider the history of the organization based on the needs of the past and the opportunities based on existing needs of current visual artists in our region that we are excited to make realities, 2024 promises to be a year not to miss ASL and our mark-making.     

In 2024, I am honestly bursting with anticipation that we will be moving into a new physical home for ASL (and our Catalyst Coffee Bar), featuring a second gallery space so that we can continue our current larger group exhibitions along with the opportunity for experimental space for 1-2 person curated exhibits (stay tuned for more details in 2024!).

There are even more exciting changes on the horizon for our community, including–

• A new digital home and website for ASL


• You and everyone who lives, works, visits in or moves to Saint Louis will have access to Art Saint Louis’ expanded and GIS-empowered Saint Louis Gallery Guide


• These new homes will grant more exposure and accessibility for our visual artists and attract more awareness and patronage of their work by the Saint Louis community


• New membership and patron subscriber benefits and gifts including a set of note cards featuring curated works from ASL’s last season’s exhibits and a Vernissage series to empower the public to select the “Community Choice” award winning work of each in-gallery exhibit celebrated with a champagne toast


• Community event series such as Couch Conversations


This is big work. This is vital work. We are committed to nurturing partnerships and providing these deeply needed resources for Saint Louis as a key source for information about the region's art galleries, museums, events, and resources, as always with a focus on the Saint Louis region’s contemporary visual artists and their most cutting-edge work – but we simply cannot make these investments without your help.

That’s why I’m asking you to join us today in making a gift of any amount before the end of 2023 this week. As we approach the milestone 40th edition of our namesake exhibition Art St. Louis, The Exhibition in 2024 and turn the page to a new chapter of championing the ambitious and innovative thinkers who are critical to the vitality of Saint Louis, there is no better time than today to make your mark with us through your financial support.

Thank you for investing in this generative work.

In solidarity and gratitude,
Francesca Passanise
Executive Director
Art Saint Louis

 

P.S. I look forward to seeing you at the opening reception of Art Saint Louis’ first exhibit of 2024, Sin City, on Saturday, January 13, from 5-7 p.m.!

 

Show Your Support with ASL Merch

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
WITH ASL MERCH

We are so pleased to present our new ASL merch to you!

Just in time for the holidays, we've released a series of limited edition Art Saint Louis screen printed t-shirts and a tote. We're offering two t-shirts: one limited edition design created by our very own ASL member and board member, artist Brock Seals; and our second shirt features a Warhol-inspired logo tile design designed by STLStyle House. Printing courtesy of Maestro Screen Printing. Our new shirts are $35. Quantities are limited.

 

In addition to our sweet t-shirts, we also have a very dope new tote bag designed by STLStyle House and printed by Maestro Screen Printing. Why buy our tote? It's way more roomy than your average tote and it proudly features the ASL logo on one side and 'Let us Be Your Catalyst' on the other side. Totes are $25.

Did you know that if you are a current Art Saint Louis member, you receive a 10% discount on anything that we sell from the new merch items to purchases in our Catalylst Coffee Bar to art in the ASL Gallery. Take advantage of your discount and at check-out, let our barista & staff know you are an Art Saint Louis member so that they can apply your discount to your purchase.

 

Please stop by Art Saint Louis/Catalyst Coffee Bar to pick up a t-shirt or tote today for yourself or for someone you love. All sales are through our Catalyst Coffee Bar. Sorry, but we are not able to ship merch. If you'd like for us to hold a specific item and size for you, we can hold items for one week for an in-person pick-up. Payment is accepted at time of pick-up.

Holiday 2023 hours* for Catalyst Coffee Bar
December 20-22, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Closed December 23-25
December 26-29, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
December 30, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.;
Closed December 31-January 1
January 2-5 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
*The ASL Gallery is closed for exhibition installation through January 5.

Wear your support for your artist's organization and gallery, Art Saint Louis. Proceeds support our year-round original programming that champions and sustains the essential work of our region’s visual artists and helps us to continue to keep our space free and open to the public.

Giving Tuesday 2023

Dear friends,

There is no other organization that empowers and champions Saint Louis’ regional visual artists like Art Saint Louis (ASL).

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 28, is Giving Tuesday and we are asking for your financial support. As we enter this season in which many of us celebrate and come together, we ask that you consider how you can respond to the call to support our region’s contemporary visual artists by making a generous monetary gift or commitment to Art Saint Louis.

Every gift to, membership fee, and every art sale made at ASL directly supports and goes to our region’s artists to champion their work, increase access and awareness to, and provide year-round exhibition and honoraria opportunities.

What does this mean?
    •    In the past year, over 20,000 individuals came to downtown Saint Louis to view original works of visual art created by hundreds of our area’s contemporary artists at ASL. This is in part, due to our unique model of presenting work in a space that encourages the visitor to linger for coffee, tea, quiet space and community through our Catalyst Coffee Bar and study and lounge areas, being an ideal way to reach new art patrons.
    •    70% of every sale in our physical and virtual galleries goes to the creating visual artist. No non-profit in our area matches this sales breakdown for artists.
    •    Every time ASL utilizes the image of a work in our exhibits in printed form (membership gift note cards, etc.) we pay an honorarium to the regional artist(s) who created the work.
    •    Every juror for our blind jury exhibitions represent regional expertise in visual art and are specialists in their field, bringing quality and diverse perspectives to every ASL exhibit each year and are paid an honorarium for this labor.

In the past year, this looks like over $19,000 directly going in the hands of our region’s artists and designers because of ASL and our programming.

These fiscal acts are concrete examples of our commitment and understanding that art is more than content. Art is valuable, moves, and shapes our culture. Art is labor, and this specialized, affective labor must be paid -- but we simply cannot do this without your help.

Our efforts connect and benefit artists and the audiences their work impacts by helping artists achieve professional success while deepening our community’s understanding and enjoyment of contemporary visual art -- but we simply cannot do this without your help. Thank you, in advance, for all you continue to do for ASL as we propel our programming forward toward our 40th year of delivering our mission of community, opportunity, exchange and impact through regional visual art.

In gratitude,
Francesca Passanise
Executive Director

Video Spotlight: Art St. Louis XXXIX, The Exhibition

We invite you to check out HEC-TV's video on our 39th annual Exhibition. This year's Art St. Louis XXXIX, The Exhibition is a multi-media exhibit that features original artworks by 58 STL regional artists from Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky as selected by Juror Igor Karash, artist and art educator.

The show is currently on view in the Art Saint Louis Gallery through December 14 and the Gallery is free and open to the public Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. We are closed Sundays and holidays, including November 23-26 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Thank you to HEC-TV's excellent Producer-Editor-Videographer Paul Langdon for his work on this video about our exhibit. We are so very grateful to HEC-TV for helping Art Saint Louis to shine that beacon on the great visual artists of our STL community.