MICDS Fine and Performing Arts students had a one-of-a-kind opportunity to work alongside professional artists this winter, creating the final pieces of a sculpture that became part of Currents 111: Steven and William Ladd, an exhibition that was on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum through February.
Our students contributed their artistic talents in two ways. They worked with the Ladds in the Upper School ceramics studio to create beads to add as the final embellishment of the sculpture and then finished the sculpture on site at the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Education Center by making fabric scrolls to add to the piece.
The creation of the scrolls was part of a larger education and community engagement initiative, dubbed “Scrollathon” by the Ladds. As participants in “Scrollathon,” MICDS students Emi Butler ’16, Charlie Gillis ’16, Skyler Halbeck ’17, Jack Kanterman ’17, Kat Kosup ’19, Allison Stanec ’17 and Emma Stockman ’18 were part of a cohort of more than 600 local students who learned how artists work as creative collaborators through the process of making the scrolls.
According to Emma Stockman, the Ladd brothers “were kind and friendly and it was easy to work alongside them without feeling intimidated by the professional artists. I am not always a huge fan of modern art, but the way that they were able to describe and find meaning in their pieces really opened my eyes and gave me a new respect for modern art.
For Emi Butler, the project presented an opportunity to work in a new medium. “It was a lot of fun to see how they put their work together and to be a part of completing it, especially with friends,” she said. “Learning new techniques and styles from artists is a great opportunity. I believe there is always something to learn from an artist, even if you are not an artist yourself.”
The sculptureis now on display at Lambert St. Louis International Airport.
Currents 111: Steven and William Ladd, was an exhibition of new works referencing shared memories of the artists’ childhood in St. Louis. For more information on the exhibit and the Ladd brothers, visit:
http://www.slam.org/Exhibitions/currents111.php
http://www.stevenandwilliam.com/