The new 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis is offering free guided tours of its inaugural and rotating exhibitions and site-specific installations.
The property at 1528 Locust St. is the former YMCA building, a 95-year-old, 10-story Renaissance Revival-style in the heart of downtown. The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, that has been transformed into a multi-venue contemporary art museum and 173-room boutique hotel. In addition, Idol Wolf restaurant, Good Press café and Locust Street Athletic and Swim Club are also on site.
There are more than 14,000 square feet of galleries and museum space open seven days a week, 24 hours a day featuring site-specific works and rotating, curated exhibits such as the inaugural exhibition, “Revival: Digging Into Yesterday, Planting Tomorrow.”
“Revival,” curated by 21c chief curator and museum director Alice Stites, is a group exhibition of 70 artworks by 47 artists from 17 countries. It explores the use of historical sources in contemporary art, highlighting how looking at the past clarifies the present and reimagines the future. From painting, sculpture, photography and video, to textiles and multimedia installations, featured artists include Myrlande Constant, Jeannette Ehlers, Isaac Julien, Kapwani Kiwanga, Hew Locke, Ebony Patterson, Duke Riley, Yinka Shonibare, Hank Willis Thomas and Kehinde Wiley. The exhibit will be on view through June 2024.
Other installation highlights throughout the property include Serkan Özkaya’s “O,” an 8-foot-diameter spherical orb filled with distilled water. The effect magnifies, diffracts and alters the reflections of the surrounding hotel reception area. Also featured on the first floor in the billiards room is artwork from 21c’s Elevate program, which showcases the work of local and regional artists such as Quinn Antonio Briceño and Yvonne Osei.
The immersive “Fallen Fruit,” by the artist duo David Allen Burns and Austin Young, is sourced in and inspired by St. Louis, spanning three floors within the property’s historic main stairwell. Various elements of the work include custom-designed wallcovering, carpeting, chandeliers and wall sculptures.
Located in the outdoor amphitheater on the building’s east side, “Viewfinder” is an interactive sculpture by St. Louis-based artist and architect Chandler Ahrens, and curated and produced in partnership with Laumeier Sculpture Park and Via Partnership. The sculpture’s multiple viewing ports allow visitors on the elevated patio to watch reflected tableaus of the surrounding architectural elements and busy streetscape.
The free guided tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are highly recommended, as tours have a maximum capacity of 25 people. Tours begin at 6:30 p.m., with upcoming dates including Oct. 26; Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 30; and Dec. 14 and 21.
A series of programs related to the exhibitions, including artist lectures, workshops, performances, film screenings and more will be announced at a later date.
