Laumeier Docents (l to r) – Clara
Coleman (Curator of Interpretation), Jahn Epstein, Jody Bailey, Janet
Peterson, Ferda Omurtag, Wes Morgan, Tim Reichman, Mary
Hanson, Mary Drury, June Shaw, Sheila Hoffmeister, Pat Leigh, Barb
Flunker, Nancy Linhares, Mary Brauch, Sari Frieden, Ann
Bauer, Kate Haggans. Photo © Wes Morgan
The mission at Laumeier is to be a living laboratory
where artists and audiences explore the relationship between contemporary art
and the natural environment. Docents at the 105 acre museum – county park
partnership are determined to deliver on this promise every day. There is a lot
with which to work. This jewel, tucked away in the Sunset Hills suburb of St.
Louis, has a committed docent crew who are enthusiastically engaged in nearly
every aspect of this enterprise.
300,000 visitors come to this remarkable place
annually. They come to be a part of scheduled tours. Many come again and again
to enjoy the atmosphere. Residents of the Saint Louis region can take advantage
of a range of activities: from Art Camp at Laumeier to walking the family dog and breathing some
fresh air. The annual Art Fair, hosted on Mother’s Day weekend, attracts 15,000
to view the work of 150 artist-exhibitors who travel to display and sell their
work. Docents are in the front lines and behind the scenes in all cases.
In our community, champions of art and culture
actively contribute generously to Laumeier Sculpture Park’s legacy. Fundraisers
in the Fall and Spring are part of the social calendar but accessible. On any
give weekday, you might encounter groups of school children. They arrive in
busloads. There is something here for kids of all ages. Open spaces, trails
hidden away, a fully renovated estate house (originally built in 1917) and a
new fine arts building (The
Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center). Docent co-chairs are ex-officio members of the
board of this nationally accredited Museum.
On average 70 monumental works are on display. Some
favorites are works by Tony Tasset, Richard Hunt, Mark di Suvero,
Sol Lewitt, Dan Graham, Robert Chambers, Jackie Ferrara, Sam Durant, Geoffrey
Krawczyk, Robert Lobe, Beverly Pepper, Ernest Trova, Alexander Liberman, Steve Tobin, Anthony Caro, Niki de Saint Phalle, Judith Shea, Donald
Lipski and Donald Judd. Docent tours can be tailored by topic, artist or geared
toward lesson plans.
The park is family friendly but it is much more than
a successful public space. Make
plans to visit us as we approach of 40th anniversary in 2016. A
recent $10 million capital campaign which has made construction and renovation
possible assures a quality experience for new visitors and plenty of delightful
surprises for residents of the region. Docents are poised to help you
orchestrate an ideal visit to Laumeier Sculpture Park.
Like
docents everywhere, Laumeier Docents share a passion for the museum for which
they have pledged allegiance. Like docents everywhere, they are good at
communicating information tempered with the ability to
facilitate further learning. Above and beyond that, the crew at Laumeier is
committed to ongoing enrichment while adding value to the aforementioned
mission to be a living laboratory.
Wesley A Morgan (morganwes@aol.com)
is co-chair of the Laumeier Sculpture Park docents. Planning a trip to the St. Louis area? Arrange
a tour led by trained
Laumeier docents by calling 314-615-5267 in advance to reserve space for your
group. For additional information visit www.laumeiersculpturepark.org
