The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) was conceived to be much more than a museum. As a forum for the art of today, it is a gathering place where visitors can find their own personal connection to the global cultural landscape represented within the four walls—and outside them. Opened in 1980, the museum has undergone name and locale changes, but the mission has remained steadfast: to showcase and provide meaningful engagement with contemporary art. Now appropriately located in the heart of St. Louis’ Grand Center arts district, it serves as an exhibit space that also provides community outreach programs. At the helm is executive director Lisa Melandri, who came to CAM about three and a half years ago from the Santa Monica Museum of Art. “This is a city that is so incredibly rich in arts and culture,” she says on her impression of St. Louis. “The opportunities for exposure are extraordinary.”
Melandri says CAM seeks to express the fullest definition of contemporary art (“defined by when it is made, not by what it is”) through four impact areas: exhibitions, community engagement, education and local arts. She says not having its own in-house collection allows the museum to present different visions of what contemporary art can be, as works engaged with current events. Visitors might view portraits, an abstract piece, drawings or a film, or watch an installation being created specifically for a space. “It’s in this richness and diversity that you can see all the facets of our contemporary world,” she says. “Every time you visit, it’s a brand-new world full of new perspectives.”
Outside its permanent space, CAM is focused on community interaction and education, especially for youth. “We’re the only art organization in St. Louis that has a relationship with every middle and high school classroom in the city’s public school system,” Melandri says. CAM partners with schools to provide a curriculum-based program of school visits, museum tours and workshops with artists. “Our ArtBus, a mobile art studio, brings art-making and information about contemporary art to everything from neighborhood association meetings to festivals and classrooms,” she notes.
Supporting local artists also is extremely important to CAM. “When you have a creative class of people around you, it makes the civic region so rich and interesting,” Melandri says. A few programs serve as the hallmark of that philosophy, like Open Studios STL, a yearly event organized by CAM when artists open their studios to the public. “Every other year, we also host the Great Rivers Biennial, a partnership with the Gateway Foundation,” she notes. “CAM chooses three highly reputable art professionals as jurors to select three artists to receive a $20,000 grant each and their first one-person exhibition at CAM. It nurtures artistic talent in the region and serves as a launchpad for them to reach higher success and recognition.”
All of this would not be possible without financial support from the community, including an annual gala responsible for 20 percent of CAM’s annual operating budget. This year, The Art of the Matter will be held at 6 p.m. April 15 at the museum. “Not only is the event important for us to be able to do really good work, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate creativity,” Melandri says. “It’s a wildly feel-good event.” She notes this year’s influential gala co-chairs, four couples for each of the museum’s impact areas: Jan and Ronald Greenberg (exhibitions), Libby and Marc Goldstein (community engagement), Dorte and James Probstein (education), and Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg (local arts).
The Kranzbergs, who are well-known for their longtime support of St. Louis’ arts scene, have been involved with CAM since the ’80s. “Ken and I both believe that St. Louis is the most culturally rich city per capita in the country, so we want to support that,” Nancy Kranzberg says. She notes that while CAM is internationally known for presenting cutting-edge art, the couple is especially proud of CAM programs that benefit the local arts scene. “They are a vital part of the Grand Center arts district,” Kranzberg says. “The arts are alive in St. Louis, and CAM is a major part of making it so!”
CAM, located at 3750 Washington Blvd, hosts its annual gala, The Art of the Matter, at 6 p.m. April 15. Pictured on the cover, seated: Jordan Gaunce, Lisa Melandri. In back: Gala co-chairs Dorte Probstein, Kenneth Kranzberg, Nancy Kranzberg, Jim Probstein, RonaLd Greenberg, Marc Goldstein, Libby Goldstein. For more information, call 314.535.4660 or visit camstl.org/gala.
Pictured above: Hurvin Anderson: Backdrop was on view at CAM.
Photo: Jarred Gastreich
Cover design by Jon Fogel | Cover photo by Bill Barrett
