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Saint Louis Art Museum
StLouisArtMuseum.jpg
Location Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Built 1904
Built for 1904 World's Fair
Website www.slam.org
Type Structure
Reference no. 21
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Sketch by Marguerite Martyn of interior of St. Louis Art Museum in 1913 with woman visitor
Interior of the museum as sketched in 1913 by Marguerite Martyn
StLouisArtMuseumMO
Saint Louis Art Museum, 2011
East Building, St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM)
The East Building, a new part designed by Sir David Chipperfield

The Saint Louis Art Museum (often called SLAM) is one of the biggest art museums in the United States. It holds many amazing pieces, like paintings, sculptures, cultural items, and ancient artworks from all over the world. Its large building is located in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. About half a million people visit the museum every year. Good news: you can visit for free! This is because a special tax helps pay for the museum.

Besides its main collections, the museum also has changing exhibitions. These include the Currents series, which shows art by modern artists. They also feature new media art and works on paper.

Discovering the Museum's Past

St. Louis School of Fine Arts
The original 1879 building (no longer standing)
Main article: St. Louis School of Fine Arts

The museum started way back in 1879. It was first called the Saint Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts. It was part of Washington University. The first museum building was a gift from Wayman Crow. It was built to honor his son. The school, led by Halsey Ives, taught art and art history. It also had a growing art collection.

In 1904, a big event called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also known as the World's Fair) took place. After the fair, the museum and school moved. They moved into the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts building, designed by Cass Gilbert. The old building was later torn down in 1919.

How the Museum Got Its Own Funding

After moving, Director Ives wanted a special tax to help pay for the museum. The people of Saint Louis voted yes, by a lot! But the city said no, because the museum wasn't officially a city group. This led to the museum becoming separate from the university in 1909. This separation created three important art groups:

  • The public City Art Museum, which stayed in the Palace of Fine Arts. This is what became the Saint Louis Art Museum we know today.
  • The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, which is still part of Washington University.
  • The St. Louis School of Fine Arts, also part of Washington University.

In the 1950s, the museum added a new part. This new area included a space for films, concerts, and talks. In 1971, voters in St. Louis agreed to create the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District. This helped the museum get more money from taxes. In 1972, the museum changed its name again to the Saint Louis Art Museum. Today, the museum gets money from taxes, gifts from people and groups, sales from its shop, and other support.

Expanding the Museum's Space

Apotheosis-of-saint-louis
The statue Apotheosis of St. Louis by Charles Henry Niehaus

Plans to make the museum bigger started in 2005. A famous British architect, Sir David Chipperfield, was chosen to design the new part. The museum showed the public its plans in 2007. They even displayed a model of the new building. In 2008, due to money problems, the museum had to wait to start building.

Construction finally began in 2009. The museum stayed open during this time. The expansion added a lot of new gallery space. It also included an underground parking garage. Money for this big project came from private gifts and other funds. The new, expanded museum opened in the summer of 2013.

Exploring the Museum's Collections

The Saint Louis Art Museum has over 34,000 art pieces. These items range from very old times to today. The collection is divided into nine main areas:

The modern art collection includes works by famous European artists. These include Matisse, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh. The museum also has a very strong collection of German paintings from the 1900s. It has the world's largest collection of art by Max Beckmann.

The museum's collections of art from Oceania and Mesoamerica are among the best in the world. It also has amazing handwoven Turkish rugs. The museum has an Egyptian mummy named Amen-Nestawy-Nakht. It also has two other mummies on loan. The museum's collection of American artists is also very special. It has the largest collection of paintings by George Caleb Bingham in a U.S. museum.

Some pieces in the collection were taken from German museums by the Nazis. They called this art "degenerate" because they did not like it. For example, Matisse's "Bathers with a Turtle" was bought at an auction in 1939.

When the museum expanded in 2013, a British artist named Andy Goldsworthy created a special artwork. It is called Stone Sea. It has 25 tall arches made of local stone. These arches are in a sunken courtyard between the old and new buildings. The artist was inspired by the fact that the stone was formed when the area was a shallow sea long ago.

In 2021, the museum received a wonderful gift. Emily Rauh Pulitzer promised to donate 22 paintings and sculptures. These works are by 17 European and American artists. They include pieces by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Ellsworth Kelly.

Museum Services and Resources

  • The Richardson Memorial Library is a public research library. It started in 1915. It has many resources about the museum's history and collections.
  • The museum offers free guided tours for groups. These tours are led by trained guides called docents.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Museo de Arte de San Luis para niños

  • List of largest art museums

More information

  • Saint Louis Art Museum 2004, Saint Louis Art Museum Handbook of the Collection, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Mo.
  • Saint Louis Art Museum 1987, Saint Louis Art Museum, An Architectural History, Fall Bulletin, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, MO.
  • Stevens, Walter B. (ed.) 1915, Halsey Cooley Ives, LL.D. 1847–1911; Founder of the St. Louis School of Fine Arts; First Director of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, Ives Memorial Society, Saint Louis, MO
  • Visitor Guide (brochure), Saint Louis Museum of Art, 2005.
  • Washington University in St. Louis, Student Life, 2006, Buried Treasure:University Owned Mummy Kept at Saint Louis Museum.
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