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By Jean Cavender, Director of
Operations
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
When many St. Louisans think of Grand Center, St. Louis' Creative and
Cultural District, the images that immediately come to mind are the
majestic art venues that feature great Broadway plays, the Fox Theater, or
the home of the internationally acclaimed St. Louis Symphony Orchestra,
Powell Symphony Hall. And while these entities are a wonderful
representation of some of St. Louis' finest cultural mainstays, existing
arts organizations and plans for more development in the area brings both
a depth and diversity to the arts that rivals cities with larger
populations.
What many St. Louisans don't know is that Grand Center is currently the home to 25 visual and performing arts organizations. Organizations such as
Dance St. Louis, The Black Repertory Theater, The Bach Society and the
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis all are part of a larger vibrant arts
culture that thrives in Grand Center today. Many of these non-profit
organizations stage their productions in one of many existing performance
spaces such as the Grandel Theater, Jazz at the Bistro or the renovated
and acoustically perfect Sheldon Concert Hall.
What is truly exciting are plans to bring more culturally related activity to Grand Center as part of a long-range strategy that includes additional
performance spaces, visual arts venues, arts education facilities and a
large 12,000 seat arena for sports and entertainment events.
Author Jean Cavender
 
Emily Pulitzer & Chris Chadwick
Part of the first phase of this plan was realized in October 2001 when
Grand Center became the home of the internationally acclaimed Pulitzer
Foundation for the Arts. This multi-million dollar architectural gem,
financed by Mrs. Emily Rauh Pulitzer and designed by Pritzker Prize
winning architect Tadao Ando, received world-wide attention. A major
visual arts center, the Foundation has provided St. Louis with an
institution to exhibit major works of art by established artists such as
Picasso, Monet and Ellsworth Kelly, Andy Warhol, Richard Serra as well as
selected pieces by contemporary artists such as Doris Salcedo and Kiki
Smith.
In September of this year the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (the Contemporary) will bow a new 27,000 sq. ft. facility that promises to give
St. Louis a distinctive presence among the nation's contemporary art
institutions. The Contemporary is adjacent to the Pulitzer Foundation and
shares courtyard space. The juxtaposition of the two institutions will
create a synergy that will establish the area as an important destination
for visual arts aficionados from all around the globe.
Other arts organizations and entertainment venues are planned for the district. For example, a newly refurbished Medinah Arts Center on Olive,
2004, will house a number of smaller arts organizations and contain
dedicated educational space and four black box theaters ranging in size
from 74 to 204 seats. Saint Louis University announced plans to build a
new arena for college sports events. Plans to hold other entertainment
events at the new 12,000 seat facility will bring even more people to the
district once completed in 2005. A new $30 million African American
History Museum, 2006, will bring exhibitions and education programs
related to the African American experience.
This is just a small sampling of what's in store for the district. A host of retail businesses, restaurants and additional affordable parking
facilities are amenities that will make experiencing the arts more
enjoyable. The arts are alive and well in the city of St. Louis. The
planned expansion of Grand Center, St. Louis' Creative and Cultural
District, ensures a bright future for both established and new
organizations and offers a wide variety of entertainment that will attract
people from not only the St. Louis metropolitan area but from all over the
world. For more information on what is happening in Grand Center you can
access their web site at http://www.grandcenter.org.
  
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