Art – Page 5 – Preservation Research Office

by Michael R. Allen

Gallery Urbis Orbis, the coolest art gallery in St. Louis, will be closing on December 31st (coincidentally or not my 2Xst birthday). This Friday may be the last chance folks will have to enjoy the experience of hanging out at Urbis Orbis, which is almost like a monthly salon for the most active and creative people in town. (I wonder what people will do after it closes — I’m almost sure that any successor space won’t be located downtown.)

Anyway, this Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. is First Friday at Urbis Orbis and Claire Nowak-Boyd and I are the guest bartenders again, even if it is the last time. Come on out and enjoy an evening with great weather.

The farewell exhibit is “Arrivederci, Louie,” featuring paintings and drawings by Alan Brunettin.

by Michael R. Allen

I attended the opening reception for Christina Shmigel’s latest installtion, Chinese Garden for the Delights of Roaming Afar on Friday and was, as usual, mesmerized by her deep attention to the materiality and constitution of space. Do see Christina’s new installation.

Here’s the official press release:

Please join us for the opening reception of Christina Shmigel’s Chinese Garden for the Delights of Roaming Afar…

Shmigel’s work investigates specific environments and the meditative qualities of repetitive labor. The artist is currently living in Shanghai, China and her work on Chinese Garden for the Delights of Roaming Afar, an indoor exhibition of work for the Laumeier Sculpture Park galleries, is inspired by this experience. Uniting art with craft and poetry with labor, the artist will create a site-specific installation in the galleries of the museum. The exhibit will “unfold” for the viewer the way the Chinese gardens do.

Laumeier Sculpture Park is located at 12580 Rott Road, St. Louis. From I-44 East- or Westbound, take the Lindbergh Blvd. exit South. Follow one-quarter mile to Rott Road, turn right. At the bottom of the hill, on the left, you will see the entrance for Laumeier. For more information call 314.821.1209 ext 10 or visit www.laumeier.org.