Local philanthropist and art enthusiast Richard Winter always has seen St. Louis as a cultural haven. He was interested in art as a young man but was told it wouldn’t be a sensible career choice, so he ended up studying mathematics and entering the business world. Still, he never let go of the belief that people can have rewarding experiences in our local arts community.
“St. Louis is much more than the flyover city it’s painted as,” he notes. “You don’t have to leave town to gain rich experiences in the arts, and working as an artist should never be seen as impractical.” As time went on, he never gave up his true passion; in fact, he became a collector, ran a Clayton gallery with his wife Kathie, and committed to supporting the arts in many other ways.
This spring, his nonprofit, The Winter Family Collection, will present Between the Fantastic and the Real, a collection of sculpture and drawings by Israeli artist Leon Bronstein at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art. The exhibit runs from March 6 to May 31, and admission is free.
Bronstein, a longtime friend of Winter’s, works in bronze, aluminum and other media. The artist is known for creating fluid forms and shapes that represent intangible ideas like love and human relationships. He will travel from his home in Israel to meet guests and discuss his work at the opening reception, which is open to the public.
Winter says the exhibit is an important part of his commitment to make art available to all and help further St. Louis as a focal point for the visual and performing arts. He believes in the power of creative expression to enrich public spaces and is working with the Grand Center Arts District to bring more outdoor sculpture to the area. “We have plans to install a large-scale version of All You Need Is Love, a bronze by Bronstein, at the entrance to the Angad Arts Hotel,” he says.
The Bronstein exhibit is not Winter’s first partnership with the Saint Louis University Museum of Art. He has worked with executive director Petruta Lipan to bring artists like Edson Campos, Kathleen Brodeur and Leo Ray to the museum, which recently was recognized among the nation’s top university collections by USA Today.
Winter says he doesn’t just partner with artists for the purpose of showing their pieces; he strives to understand their work and develop relationships with them. “That’s the most interesting part for me,” he explains. “I enjoy meeting with the artists and talking to them about their thought processes, and I love sharing my passion with the community. I want people to know that this region is a hotbed for the performing and visual arts. There is a lot of beauty in St. Louis.”
The Winter Family Collection, founded by Richard Winter and led by executive director Michael Zolman, is dedicated to making art accessible to all. Pictured on the cover: All You Need Is Love by Leon Bronstein. View a color catalog of the Bronstein exhibit (March 6-May 31) at thewinterfamilycollection.org/catalog. For more information, visit slu.edu/sluma.
Cover provided by The Winter Family Collection
Pictured at top: Artist Leon Bronstein with Richard Winter at a 1999 show
Photo courtesy of The Winter Family Collection
