Literal Architectural Reflective Nautical - LSP

Visit Laumeier Sculpture Park and you will be treated to a wonderful array of contemporary sculpture. Here are some of my favorites.

Laumeier Lamps adorn the parking area adjacent to the fine arts building spelling out the word UPSIDE (but upside down). T. Kelly Mason (b. 1964 in Hollywood, CA) earned his B.A. in Music/Liberal Arts from California State University, Long Beach, in 1988 and his M.F.A. from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, in 1990.

Saint Louis Bones by Robert Stackhouse (b. 1942 in Bronxville, NY). Stackhouse earned his B.A. from the University of South Florida and his M.A. from the University of Maryland. His interest in ships is evident in this piece created for Laumeier.

Bornibus by American artist Mark di Suvero (b. 1933 Shanghai, China) is an abstract expressionistic monumental sculpture. Di Suvero earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1957. While studying philosophy, he began pursuing sculpture and became recognized for his massive architectural sculptures. 

If the world is a fair place… was conceived by Raqs Media Collective, a group of artists formed in 1991 by independent media practitioners Jeebesh Bagchi (b. 1965, New Delhi, India), Monica Narula (b. 1969, New Delhi, India) and Shuddhabrata Sengupta (b. 1968, New Delhi, India). Trees are wrapped with select responses to the prompt. 

Triangle Bridge by Dan Graham (b.1942 Champaign-Urbana, IL). Graham is a pioneer in performance and video art who later turned his attention to architectural projects designed for social interaction in public spaces. 

Redwood One by Johann Feilacher (b. 1954 Villach, Austria). Feilacher created this using his preferred tool, the chainsaw. It is one of the world’s largest wooden sculptures from a single piece of wood.

Tower Hybrid is a dramatic piece that seems to point skyward. Artist Richard Hunt (b. 1935 in Chicago) earned his B.A.E. from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1957. Hunt also received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1962 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center in 2009. 

Exploring a site and finding the way - LSP

Laumeier offers a confluence of thought provoking works of art, each of which is a starting point for discovery. Here is a handful of meaningful examples I would like to share with you.

Laumeier Project by Jackie Ferrara (b. 1929 in Detroit) explores relationships between sculpture and architecture in her wood constructions. Her Laumeier Project is red cedar construction is a kind of puzzle.

Alexander Liberman’s The Way stands as Laumeier’s signature monumental work.It incorporates 18 oil tankers painted red in complementary color contrast to its lush green surroundings. Alexander Liberman (b. 1912 in Kiev, Russia - now the Ukraine) studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris in the early 1930's. He came to New York in 1941 and joined Vogue and went on to become the Editorial Director of Condé Nast.

Laumeier Project by Richard Fleischner (b. 1944 in New York) is a wonderful site-specific installation. He found a way to incorporate art and nature and straddle the community and entrance to Laumeier Sculpture Park. Fleischner received his B.F.A. and his M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Old Temple by Jene Highstein (b. 1942 in Baltimore) is another use of cedar wood, Jene Highstein studied both at the New York Studio School and the Royal Academy School in London.

Jerald Jacquard’s Cube Squared brings a smile as it is encountered along a wooded trail in the park. Jacquard (b. 1937 in Lansing, Michigan) earned his B.A. in 1960 and his M.A. in 1962 from Michigan State University. He established a sculpture department at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1967 and was a professor of art at Indiana University for more than 25 years. 

An Untitled work of aluminum I-beams are on view at Laumeier. Artist Robert Morris (b. 1931 in Kansas City) studied at the University of Kansas City from 1948 to 1950 and at the Kansas City Art Institute. Robert Morris is regarded as one of the most prominent theorists of Minimalism along with Donald Judd.

Gigi Scaria (b.1973 in Kothanalloor, Kerala, India) in his totem-like structure titled Woodhenge reminds us how population and construction can change a place (nearby and a thousand years ago in mound city or around the globe in New Delhi). He received his M.F.A. in Painting at Jamia Millia University, New Delhi, in 1998 and his B.F.A. in Painting from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1995. Scaria currently lives and works in New Delhi

Cognition, Renewal, Nature and Mythology - LSP

Visit Laumeier and you will be transported by artists who challenge you to think not just about art but the passage of time and place. Consider these favorites. 

Man with a Briefcase has a number that coincides with the number the artist wrote as part of a sequence cognitive exercise. Jonathan Borofsky (b. 1942 in Boston). He earned his B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, in 1964 and his M.F.A. from Yale in 1966. Borofsky currently lives and works in Maine.

House of the Minotaur recalls Greek Mythology with this labyrinth. Tony (Bernard) Rosenthal (b. 1914 in Highland Park, IL) earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1936, and became the first sculpture instructor for the University of California, L.A., in 1952.

Heritage Schooner is a tribute to Laumeier Marketing Director Debra Lakin who died of cancer in 1998.  George Greenamyer (b. 1939 in Cleveland) earned his B.F.A. from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1963 and his M.F.A. from the University of Kansas in 1969. Greenamyer taught at the Massachusetts College of Art for more than 30 years. 

Palm at the end of the Parking Lot is a battered aluminum encased walnut tree. The name of the work is inspired by a poem entitled Of Mear Being by Wallace Stevens. Robert Lobe (b. 1945 in Detroit). earned his B.A. from Oberlin College in 1967. Lobe received National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in 1979 and 1984.

Recess is a site-specific installation that inspires discussion of urban growth and decay. Geoffrey Krawczyk (b. 1978 in Oklahoma City). He received his B.F.A in Painting and Printmaking from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 and his M.F.A. in Visual Studies from SUNY-Buffalo in 2010. 

Alpha by Beverly Pepper (b.1922 in Brooklyn). She began her career as an art director in New York. She studied art and industrial design at Pratt Institute. She is known for her welded steel sculptures. 

The Eye is inspired, in part, by a fascination with taxidermy. Tony Tasset (b. 1960 in Cincinnati) received his B.F.A. at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1983 and his M.F.A. at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1985. 

Figurative, Found, Minimal, Profound - LSP

Visit Laumeier Sculpture with me and I will introduce you to a few of my favorite examples of monumnetal contemporary art.

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) was born in France to an aristocratic Catholic family. She taught herself to paint and rose to prominence through colorful monumental outdoor sculptures. Saint Phalle's Ricardo Cat is a highly expressive, visually bold, and playful piece. 

Walking Roots by Steve Tobin (born 1957, Philadelphia, PA) an American sculptor who draws inspiration from nature. In 2005, Tobin installed what is perhaps his best known work, Trinity Root, which was originally placed at St. Paul's Chapel in Lower Manhattan, New York City. During the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the chapel had been partly shielded from damage by an uprooted 70-year-old sycamore tree. 

Falling Man/Wrapped Manscape Figure by Ernest Trova (1927-2009) is a fine example of art of which he is best known. Trova worked on his falling man idea from 1964 until his death. He invites us to consider man as an imperfect or fallen creature. Trova was for a time among the most widely acknowledged sculptors working in the United States.

Public Goddess by Judith Shea (b 1948) leverages the artist’s training as a designer at Parsons. Her works evoke human presence. Here we encounter a gold dress on a pedestal behind bars.  

The lovely Aurelia Roma is made of Italian marble by Manuel Neri (b 1930), an American artist best known for figurative sculpture. Neri is a prominent figure in the San Francisco art scene for many years. He attended the California School of Fine Arts. He went on to marry another member of the second generation of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, the painter Joan Brown. 

Cement Mixer by Alexandre da Cunha (b 1969), the London-­based, Brazilian-­born artist shows his sensibility based on a post­-Duchampian alteration of found objects. Da Cunha describes his practice as being more about techniques and materiality. Cement mixer is a quintessential readymade.

La Libellule by Armand Pierre Fernandez (1928-2005) who used his first name Arman out of admiration of Vincent Van Gogh, who used his first name on his art. Arman was important in pioneered Marcel Duchamp's idea of the readymade too. Here he deconstructs a classic female form with what looks to be golden propeller blades.   

Untitled 1984 by Donald Judd (1928-1994), an American artist, who rejected traditional painting and sculpture. Judd's works belong to the Minimalist movement. Judd's geometric and modular creations have been criticized for a seeming lack of content. It is this simplicity, however, that calls into question the nature of art.

Change Happens - LSP

The only thing constant is change. That is as true in life as it is any ambitious endeavor. A case in point is Laumeier Sculpture Park, located in the Saint Louis suburb of Sunset Hills. It boasts an impressive showcase for monumental contemporary sculpture. Wayne Kennedy was able to convince the widow Matilda Laumeier to bequeath the homestead she enjoyed with her husband Henry to the county in 1968. Native son, Artist Ernest Trova, was instrumental in setting the place on a course to becoming a truly significant institution when he donated 40 of his works to the county in 1976. Banker, Adam Aronson financed a partnership with the University of Missouri - Saint Louis (UMSL) that would attract a highly qualified museum executive director to assure a legitimate academic perspective.

Leadership of this initiative has always been driven by citizens of our region with a big vision. Wayne, Matilda, Ernest and Adam and countless others behind the scenes do what they do with little notice or credit. Bold moves need to be governed by temperance, confidence and patience. A key role is of Executive Director, currently managed, on an interim basis, by Stephanie Riven. This role has been held by Marilu Knode (2009-2016), Glen Gentele (2001-2008) and Beej Nierengarten-Smith (1979-2001).

Time marches on and change happens. Artists have visited, exhibited, loaned, come and gone. The Dog Days of Summer featured centerpiece of the exhibition a commissioned dog trail by Finnish artist Tea Mäkipää, who has worked with a range of experts from St. Louis and elsewhere to create a multi-sensory experience for both canine and human visitors along Laumeier’s Nature Trail. Mäkipää’s six interactive “stations” highlight the ways in which our four-legged friends “read,” and experience, the outdoors. It has been decommissioned, presumably to make room for whatever is next. Put this in another context – Tea Mäkipää was just a toddler when Laumeier Sculpture Park came into being.

Laumeier is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and serves over 300,000 patrons annually through sculpture conservation, education, exhibitions and events. Change happens. Sometimes it is a result of determined vision. Sometimes it happens because of time and circumstances. Sometimes it happens in chaos. Other times it is part of an orderly transition. Perhaps the most rewarding brand of change is that which is the result of following a strategic plan that sets the stage for a positive progress. 

Above: Pieces of decommissioned Dog Days of Summer exhibit. Below: Flowers blooming in the Summer of 2017and Manuel Neri’s Aurelia Roma commissioned with funds from Aurelia and George Schlapp.      

  

Wes Morgan is a volunteer docent at Laumeier Sculpture Park. He has served as ex-officio board member and estimates that he had lead more than 100 tours of the park.

FedEx St. Jude Classic

Kerry Deacon, my friend and golf partner in the HBE Alumni league at Creve Coeur Golf Course, convinced me to join him as a volunteer working “security” at The St. Jude Classic. It has been played at TPC Southwind, near Memphis, since 1989. Daniel Berger gained his first PGA Tour win last year (June 2016) here and managed to repeat this year (2017).

I worked the BMW Championship (part of the FedEx Cup playoffs in which Camilo Villegas emerged victorious). I was on the communications committee at that event held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis in 2008. I also worked the Senior PGA Tour Championship as volunteer assigned to leaderboards and as a hole marshall in 2013. So, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday June 8-11, 2017 I enjoyed excellent access to TPC Southwind in exchange for wearing a walkie talkie and looking “official” in cap, shorts, and FedEx St. Jude Classic t-shirt.

Jean Farrar, my daughter-in-law’s mother, lives in Germantown, TN and was good enough to allow us a place to board two nights. We managed to fit in a bit of tourism by visiting the giant Pyramid downtown where there is almost a theme park atmosphere complete with Bass Pro Shop, hotel, restaurants, plenty of taxidermy to admire, live fish to watch and a lovely view of the area from another restaurant near the top. We managed to sample some famous BBQ at Corky’s and the Commisary too.

Once back in St. Louis, I was able to boast a bit about watching the likes of Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk play the game.  I recalled the feeling of following the 26 year old Dominic Bozzelli, an Auburn University graduate from upstate New York, who finished this tournament tied for tenth.

I’ve been to The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus’ course) in Ohio, the Doral in Miami and visited TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Of course, I watch a lot of golf on TV including much of this year’s U.S. Open from Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

Note: Brooks Koepka tied for 37th place at FedEx St. Jude Classic and today (one week later on June 18, 2017) won the U.S. Open at Erin Hills! Needless to say, I have a newfound appreciation of just how good these guys really are on the PGA Tour
. 

Photos (top) Dominic Bozelli with his caddie and garden caddie (bottom) Phil Michelson and his caddie. FedEx VIP area, one day passes - Enjoy, Y'all  (bottom smaller photo) Kerry Deacon with Ken Adams (our security committee captain)  

Rash Departs

 It’s So Hard to Say ‘Goodbye’ to Neuwoehner

Noooooow here's a little story I've got to tell
About the Neuwoehner staff I’ve known so well
It started way back, 2015,
With me, Mr. Mike, and M.C. (Tiff’ny.)
I had a PBIS project to steer
Just me and my camera and some boo-yahs to cheer
Rhymin’ grooves hot, kicking wit my squad
Schwartz’s posse asks for autographs as they applaud
One lonely Mikey I be
After dancin’ can’t be seen with nobody
Coach Green is stealing scenes like a cute kitty cat
Coach Red goin BeeGee’d wardrobe mishap

Lookin' for a partner, I lucked into this bird,
Her name is M.C. Tiff, I said, "Howdy," she said, "Word."

Tiiiiiiff shouted “C’mon sugar,” it sounded great on cue

Only one day with a script, and she’s ready to shoot

Laird and Lindsey on the clock, Wes Morgan’s on the watch

Tin’ and Lib assist, where none persist, more grandiose than not

I said, “Teach me to dance,”
She looked at me askance

Had a chance to impress

Gave MC Tiff my best

Quick on the beat, I thought I’d be dead

Tiff cut the rug, gave me a shrug, and this is what she said:

“Now, my name is MC Tiff, I’ve got a license to groove,
I think you know what time it is, it’s time to bust a move, 

Now what do we have here, a director with a fear

Of hip hop steps, may I suggest, you break it down right’chere!”

We stepped into the spotlight, with a storybook begin

You think this story’s over but here comes a different spin.

“Now, what about a second act to introduce,

You’ve got a chance to exit Neu with this shoot

It’s not a tough decision as you can see

This song’s your last Mr. Mike motivational speech!”

I said, “I’ll dance with you-“

Tiff said, “Wait, let me cut you off there,”

Is this the time for odd plot twists and storytelling fodder?

Don’t do it like this, don’t do it like that,

We need a better plan of attack, soooo…”

“I may be leaving Neu, but, here’s a good plan,

I’ll talk about my Tiger crew and our positive brand

Mr. Miiiike, that is my name,

And, here’s a little dope singing to say, ‘so long, gang.’”

“It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…”    

MissaLinda H, she starts our story number two

Dancing in the forties with the rest of AU

20s hall is bumpin,’ Ganley loves attention

Parkin, Brown, and Schraute, and, their Paras bring the funk

Tiff said, “Yippee, yo, the Western Pods,

Don’t forget about them, ‘cause they do a lot!”

Just then, another voice jumped in, “Hey honey!

It’s Melissa Neels and I’m about to get funky!”

Pulled out her ax, played a tune so fly

Tiff yelled, “Get it, girl!” As I clapped and cried

Suddenly the staff hit the gym to rave

McMurt and Letz banged, Stu played air bass 

“I’m Mr. Mike and you have my respect,

Now, suga show ‘em how, won’t they seem impressed?”

MC Tiff was with it, ‘cause she’s an ace

Limbaugh and even Dalgaard made the “wow” face
Jen Leaders knew the moves, Nurses Zack and Megan too,

The speech department did a chorus line so smooth

OT/PT whistled loud, Moser said, “Way to go,”
I gave Tiff a thumbs up, Lib, some “Boo-Yah” soul! 

This song (poem) was created by the incomparable Mike Rash as a salute to his tour at Neuwoehner. The bulletin board and lion are also his doing. He will be teaching drama and inspiring students elsewhere. Wishing you all the best Mr. Rash.