Spotlight St. Louis: Storm of Progress at the Saint Louis Art Museum

When shopping for Melissa’s Christmas gift I was running through the gauntlet of which Britney Spears and Céline Dion trinkets to get her, but the more I looked, the harder the decision became. I mean, our home is already filled with so much love from those two legendary icons that there is no single place in the house where one can stand without catching a glimpse of either. Not to mention so much of what I was finding we already owned, so I decided it was time to think outside of the box – or Loot Crate in this case – and I’m so very thankful I did.

I opted for a pair of gifts that I knew would extend our enjoyment long past the holiday season. I got us memberships to the Missouri Botanical Gardens as well as the Saint Louis Art Museum. I was most certain these gifts would enrich our lives more than any little treasures could and with our first outing to the latter, I’ve been instantly proven correct!

The Saint Louis Art Museum is a world-class institution that showcases over 34,000 pieces of art from all around the globe and nearly every recorded era of humanity. As you may recall, this isn’t the first time the art museum has been highlighted here at verybeneficial.net. Back in September of 2020 I shared The Scratching of the SLAM Effigy, which told the chilling tale of the museum’s haunted relic that has sustained interest and horror in the hearts of Saint Louisans for decades. This particular trip though was quite the opposite from all that, no horror here, just four friends enjoying several centuries of German art.

Lifted from slam.org, Storm of Progress: German Art After 1800 from the Saint Louis Art Museum presents the museum’s world-class collection of German art of the last 200 years. From Romanticism in the 18000s to the eclectic globalism that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, this exhibition highlights how art, politics, and history are inextricably linked.

For centuries, the concept of the storm has provided German artists with a powerful metaphor for forces of nature, destruction, and the hope of rebirth. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Germany’s upheavals found expression in its art as political and cultural conventions underwent radical change, paving the way for both tyrannies and revolutions.

The exhibition brings together 120 works in chronological and thematic sections that explore key ideas and events from German art and history spanning national unification, industrialization, World Wars I and II, the Holocaust, and the Cold War and its aftermath. Art in a wide range of media, from paintings to decorative arts, shows the richness of the Museum’s collection, and many works will be on view for the first time.

Although much of the art had been on display before throughout the museum, it was a nice touch to assemble it all together in one generalized exhibition where it could collectively tell a story of a people and a place. I found myself very much enjoying the progression of the art beginning in the 1800’s as it altered and modernized as we moved closer to our current day and time. Another feature I loved about the exhibit was that it wasn’t just a grouping of paintings and photographs hung on a wall. Although there was thankfully plenty of that, there was also an abundance of furniture pieces and artifacts spread throughout the exhibition hall that added a dynamic to the gallery that I greatly enjoyed. Don’t just take my word for it though, read what Melissa and our friends have to say…

Jamie – although I had already seen most all of these pieces multiple times throughout the museum, I did think it was nice that they were recognizing a particular art or era and location. I’m happy that I was able to go and have a great time with my friends while getting plenty of fun ideas for my middle school art class I’m teaching this semester. I appreciated the fact that everyone was wearing masks, staying socially distanced, and the museum did a good job of maintaining a low volume of people per room. I definitely had a fun and enjoyable afternoon.

Nancy – I enjoyed the Storm of Progress gallery, it was real nice, but my favorite part was actually when I was forced to take what became a really cute pic in front of some random piece of art with my dear friend Ben who puts the “B” in “Bancy!” Even though I was against taking it at first, I’m sure glad we did! Every time I look at that photo now I grin like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater!

Melissa – obviously, it was a relief to get out and enjoy some sense of “normalcy.” I felt comfortable with how the rules of social distancing and masks were enforced. I appreciated the range of art in the set: a happy little cabbage farm, quirky sculptures, all the way to the raw emotion and pain of the pieces done during the Holocaust.

It goes without saying any combination of the four of us always has a great time when we’re together, but this was most definitely a wonderful way to enjoy a January day. This exhibition runs through February 28, so there is still plenty of time for you to take it all in! With the weather being drab and dreary, the Saint Louis Art Museum is definitely an excellent place to spend a wintery afternoon and let some light in your life.

Tickets to this exhibition are free, but reservations must be made. You can reserve tickets online through MetroTix, but a $3 per ticket surcharge will be charged for each one, which is why I went to the museum two days before we all went and reserved our tickets in person for free.

Well, as always, THANK YOU so much for reading! I do hope this post inspires you to take a trip to the Saint Louis Art Museum – which as a reminder is ALWAYS FREE! I always find it so peaceful and relaxing in there and have never once had anything but a blockbuster time! I especially enjoy it this time of the year when our outdoor activities are so incredibly limited here in the bi-state region.

PLEASE feel free to leave a comment below! You know I LOVE reading and responding to them! I love the Saint Louis Art Museum and would love to hear some of your favorite moments and memories from this incredible institution! I’ll be back again soon with another all-new post, so until then, live THE BEST life ever!