Laumeier Sculpture Park
Encyclopedia
Laumeier Sculpture Park is a 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) open-air museum and sculpture park located in Sunset Hills, Missouri
, near St. Louis and is maintained by the St. Louis County
Parks and Recreation Department. It houses over 70 outdoor sculpture
s and features a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) walking trail, outdoor movies, and summer camps. There is also an indoor gallery, an 1816 Tudor stone mansion, which was the former residence of Henry and Matilda Laumeier. Laumeier is accredited by the American Association of Museums
. The park sees about 300,000 visitors each year and operates on a $1.5 million budget.
donated about 40 pieces of his work to the park. It soon became a popular tourist attraction, and received an additional 20 acre (0.0809372 km²) from the Friends of Laumeier. The additional land was mostly woods and is for sight-specific sculptures, including the Old Orchard Swimming Pool, now also transformed into a large sculpture.
In July 2009, it was announced that Marilu Knode would replace Glen Gentele, who had accepted a position at another museum, as the executive director of the park. She began her tenure in September 2009. Knode was the former head of research at Future Arts Research at Arizona State University
. Gentele, who had been the park's director since 2001, replaced Beej Nierengarten-Smith, who had resigned due to a longtime controversy about her management of the park.
Architecture Firm Award, will design the building. Construction is expected to begin around 2011–2013.
Sunset Hills, Missouri
Sunset Hills is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,496 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sunset Hills is located at 38°32'8" North, 90°24'14" West ....
, near St. Louis and is maintained by the St. Louis County
St. Louis County
St. Louis County is the name of two counties in the United States of America:* St. Louis County, Missouri* St. Louis County, Minnesota...
Parks and Recreation Department. It houses over 70 outdoor sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s and features a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) walking trail, outdoor movies, and summer camps. There is also an indoor gallery, an 1816 Tudor stone mansion, which was the former residence of Henry and Matilda Laumeier. Laumeier is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
. The park sees about 300,000 visitors each year and operates on a $1.5 million budget.
History
The park was founded in 1968 by a property grant in the will of Matilda C. Laumeier, and was originally intended as a memorial to her deceased husband, Henry H. Laumeier. The will gave their land and country house to the county, and specified that would be used for passive purposes (e.g., no sport fields). The park was 76 acre (0.30756136 km²) at its opening in 1975, but did not attract many visitors until a year later, when St. Louis sculptor Ernest TrovaErnest Trova
Ernest Tino Trova was a self-trained American surrealist and pop art painter and sculptor. Best known for his signature image and figure series, The Falling Man, Trova considered his entire output a single "work in progress." Trova used classic American comic character toys in some of his pieces...
donated about 40 pieces of his work to the park. It soon became a popular tourist attraction, and received an additional 20 acre (0.0809372 km²) from the Friends of Laumeier. The additional land was mostly woods and is for sight-specific sculptures, including the Old Orchard Swimming Pool, now also transformed into a large sculpture.
In July 2009, it was announced that Marilu Knode would replace Glen Gentele, who had accepted a position at another museum, as the executive director of the park. She began her tenure in September 2009. Knode was the former head of research at Future Arts Research at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Gentele, who had been the park's director since 2001, replaced Beej Nierengarten-Smith, who had resigned due to a longtime controversy about her management of the park.
Future
The park has raised $13 million for improvements and a new fine arts center. Pugh + Scarpa Architects, which won the 2010 AIAAmerican Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
Architecture Firm Award, will design the building. Construction is expected to begin around 2011–2013.