Saint Louis Art Museum
Brochure by Elle Fabian
Brochure by Elle Fabian
The Saint Louis Art Museum is located in Forest Park and is one of the leading art museums in the United States. The Saint Louis Art Museum collects, presents, interprets, and conserves works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures; educates, inspires discovery, and elevates the human spirit; preserves a legacy of artistic achievement for the people of St. Louis and the world; and engages, includes, and represents the full diversity of the St. Louis community supporting it. The Saint Louis Art Museum was founded in 1879, at the close of a decade that saw the establishment of art museums in great cities across the eastern half of the United States. This Museum’s comprehensive collections bear witness to the inspirational and educational goals to which its founder aspired and the moral and democratic imperatives he embraced. What began as a collection of assorted plaster casts, electrotype reproductions, and other examples of good design in various media rapidly gave way to a great and varied collection of original works of art spanning five millennia and six continents. Today the quality and breadth of the Museum’s collection secure for it a place among the very best institutions of its kind.
The museum hosts a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, showcasing both historical and contemporary art. One of the samples of artworks that are on display is "A Street in Saint Louis" by Henry Lewis. This scene depicts a bustling affluent neighborhood. Fine carriages, African Americans transporting wares, and well-dressed passersby proceed along the thoroughfare and wide sidewalks. The sense of a community where all members agree to get along, central to genre painting, is conveyed here in the friendly exchanges between residents.
Admission to the Museum is free every day. Admission to main exhibitions is free on Friday. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, with extended evening hours on Friday until 9 pm. Please note that the facility is closed every Monday. Located in the heart of historic Forest Park, the Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums with collections that include works of art of exceptional quality from virtually every culture and time period. Beyond the collections, the Museum maintains a variety of services, amenities, and programs to make your visit enjoyable. Free public parking is available in the two lots located on the north side of Fine Arts Drive, across from the Museum. Accessible parking is available in the public lots and in the parking garage. Accessible entrances to the Museum are located at the East Building and in the parking garage. An accessible drop-off area is located directly in front of the East Building.