Critical Mass for the Visual Arts is a nonprofit, self-formed visual arts collaborative dedicated to promoting, enhancing and initiating contemporary visual art in the St. Louis region.
Latest:
Announcing The Public Works Project Finalists!
Critical Mass for the Visual Arts is pleased to announce three artists as finalists for the second in a series of temporary public art installations, the Public Works Project. The Public Works Project will commission one artist to create a temporary, site-specific public art project, at a site in Downtown St. Louis, focusing on the Riverfront, Gateway Arch and Kiener Plaza. The finalists are Lizzy Martinez, Margaret Keller and Steph Zimmerman!
Critical Conversations – A Matter of Taste- Video Now Available
Thanks to all who came out for our most recent Critical Conversation- A Matter of Taste. In particular, thanks to our panel James McAnally, Jessica Baran, and Elizabeth Wolfson! These three took on critical agency, taste, canon, and dug into their own critical and organizational presuppositions with regard to supporting artists and furthering and supporting creative practice. Critical Mass would also like to thank The Luminary, and all of you who engaged with our panel either digitally or otherwise.
5 Questions Episode 16- Christine Ilewski
This month, we have a chat with Christine Ilewski, Creative Stimulus alumna and founder of the Faces not Forgotten project. Christine lives in Alton, IL. She received her BFA from the Univ. of WI-Eau Claire, did masters work at Lindenwood Univ. and SIUE where she completed K-12 teaching certification. She has been the Visiting Artist for Liquitex, bringing a materials & methods workshop to university campuses around the midwest. Her work is primarily acrylic with multiple mixed media elements. She is also the founder of the Faces not Forgotten project, a memorial portraits of young gun violence victims. Christine is a winner of the Critical Mass Stimulus Grant for this project. Her work can be seen in the IL state Artisan shops, the Museum of Contemporary Art, New Harmony, and many private collections.
2018 Creative Stimulus Award Exhibition
This exhibition, curated by past Creative Stimulus Award-winner Mel Watkin, presents work by the 2018 winners of the Critical Mass Creative Stimulus Award: Kahlil Robert Irving, Adrienne Outlaw and Sage Dawson. Winning artists received an award of $1,500 to use as creative operating capital, along with the opportunity to present their work in this exhibition, which is hosted by the Sheldon Art Galleries. Creative Stimulus awards unrestricted funding to support artists to pursue special projects, experiment with new techniques and deepen their understanding of their working processes. The show opens to the public Friday June 1, from 5-7 pm and closes August 12 at The Sheldon Art Galleries- 3700 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63108. For hours of operation, check out the Sheldon’s website.
