Inspired by the Great Rivers Biennial 2012 exhibition, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM), in collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Initiative, is pleased to present New Music, New Works at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19. This event is free and open to the public.

The event will feature the world premiere of original compositions by University of Missouri students Grant Fonda, Joe Hills, and Joseph Weidinger, each of whom has created a new piece that attempts to capture the aural essence of one of the three Great Rivers Biennial artists’ projects. The Mizzou New Music Ensemble, directed by University of Missouri associate professor Stefan Freund, will perform all three compositions, along with Ad Parnassum, a piece by 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Stucky that was inspired by sketches by artist Paul Klee.

“There’s been a historic link between the visual and musical arts, and we’re glad to be able to continue that tradition,” said Freund. “Any time we have an off-campus performance, it’s an opportunity for our composers and performers to step out of the academic world and into the real world. That’s a valuable experience for them.”

“Collaborating with CAM provides an interesting challenge for these bright, young composers, while also introducing their talents to new audiences,” said Jeanne Sinquefield of the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, which provides financial support for the Mizzou New Music Initiative. “Composers want their music to be performed in front of audiences. Forging alliances like this one is another way our new music programs in Missouri are helping them achieve their aspirations.”

Presented in partnership with Gateway Foundation, Great Rivers Biennial 2012 is organized by CAM and curated by Kelly Shindler, Assistant Curator. The exhibition will be on view May 11 – August 12, 2012. Opening Night for the exhibition is Friday, May 11, 2012, 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

CAM is pleased to host the 7th Annual City-Wide Open Studios, a week-long event in July dedicated to the discovery of the hidden spaces where local artists work.

Eligible artists must maintain working studios in St. Louis City, University City, or Maplewood to participate in the program, and must be able to open their studios to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on either Saturday, July 28 or Sunday, July 29, 2012. CAM will allocate, based upon neighborhood, which day your studio will be open.

On a first-come-first-served basis, a limited number of studio spaces will also be made available at an alternate venue to those artists whose studios lie outside the prescribed limits or those that do not have traditional studio practices. These spaces will function as “pop-up studios” as well as “project spaces” for artists wishing to engage audiences in performative, installation, new media, participatory, or other works.

CWOS is open to all artists working in every discipline (traditional and non-traditional). CAM highly encourages artists to share spaces or participate collectively in the program. Artists must pay the registration fee as an individual, but can share the same studio/address. Art organizations that promote and/or support local artists via studios and other means are also welcome to participate in the program.

In addition to promoting a tour of your studio, CAM will display ONE work from your collection at the Open Studios Preview from July 24-29. Please note, the artworks act as a small representation of an artists’ studio practice. The Open Studios Preview allows visitors a glimpse into an artists’ practice and enables them to plan their weekend itinerary based upon the physical artworks they are most interested in. Because of the volume of artworks received, 2-D works will be hung salon-style and 3-D works will be organized appropriately within the limited floor space. ONE artwork can be delivered to CAM between July 17-22. Artwork will NOT be accepted after July 22 at 3pm. Artists are responsible for insurance coverage in their own studios. Please make sure your space is safe and free of hazards.

Each registered artist will:

• Be included in the CWOS Preview Party at CAM
• Be included on the CWOS website
• Be included on the CWOS map, distributed by St. Louis Magazine, CAM, and online
• Receive postcards promoting the event to mail

Click here to register.  Registration is due by Monday, April 30, 2012.

Grand Center – the major arts and entertainment district in the St. Louis region and home to over 30 arts organizations – is getting ready to undergo some major changes, and we want you to be part of that process!

Top executives of Grand Center’s major institutions are launching an initiative to create a master plan for the Grand Center District. The plan will address such areas as recommendations regarding land use, zoning possibilities, and design guidelines (Fancy jargon for making the District more user friendly for each organization and their patrons – that’s you!).

Enabling a shared ownership among the community, the planning process will be influenced by input from patrons of Grand Center’s major institutions at upcoming public forums. These public forums will help determine the common vision and course of the master plan, including progress markers for one-, five- and 10-year goals. The planning process is expected to wrap up over the summer with a presentation of the final master plan in the fall.

Here’s where you come in. We know that you care about what happens to the area in which some of your favorite art institutions are located (including some from Art Map!). Let your ideas be heard by the people who will be redesigning and bettering the Grand Center District by joining these institutions at the first Public Forum next Thursday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Powell Hall. At this forum, the public is invited to review the product of the planning process thus far and offer input into the project.

We’d like to know which of our supporters to look forward to seeing next Thursday, so please RSVP to the Contemporary Art Museum’s Public Relations Manager Allyson Pittman at apittman@camstl.org.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in the local St. Louis art scene. We hope to see you this Thursday!

This summer CAM takes the St. Louis public into artist studios across St. Louis with our 6th Annual City-Wide Open Studios. City-Wide Open Studios offers a unique opportunity for the St. Louis public to explore the creative and personal spaces of local artists while providing the ability to enjoy one of the most exciting parts of contemporary art – the chance to talk with the artists themselves. Through the CWOS program local artists are connected to the museum, while the museum connects participating artists to the larger St. Louis arts community.

Eligible artists must maintain working studios in St. Louis City, University City, or Maplewood to participate in the program, and must be able to open their studios to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on either Saturday, July 30 or Sunday, July 31, 2011. CAM will allocate, based upon neighborhood, which day your studio will be open. On a first-come-first-served basis, a limited number of studio spaces will also be made available at an alternate venue to those artists whose studios lie outside the prescribed limits.

In addition to promoting a tour of your studio, CAM will display ONE work from your collection at the Open Studios Preview from July 26-31. Please note, the artworks act as a small representations of an artists’ studio practice. The Open Studios Preview allows visitors a glimpse into an artists’ practice and enables them to plan their weekend itinerary based upon the physical artworks they are most interested in. Because of the volume of artworks received, 2-D works will be hung salon-style and 3-D works will be organized appropriately within the limited floor space.

Click here to find out more information about City-Wide Open Studios and to register online. The last day to register is Monday, June 6.