Transformation connected Gordon Matta-Clark’s legacy of socially engaged art to initiatives relevant to St. Louis. At the conclusion of this series of programs, the Pulitzer presented three projects in the spirit of Matta-Clark’s tradition of engaging artists: Urban Expression, led by Chicago artist Theaster Gates; Urban Evolution, led by St. Louis artist Robert Longyear; and Urban Renewal, led by St. Louis artist Jenny Murphy. In partnership with local community agencies and schools, these projects offered new ways of appreciating Matta-Clark’s art through experience and action.
Artist Jenny Murphy believes in saving items destined for the trash and giving them new life by using ecologically sustainable methods. By teaching do-it-yourself, eco-friendly solutions to refurbishment, Murphy’s Urban Renewal program led a group of homeless individuals and ex-offenders from Employment Connection in repurposing projects; the group creatively re-imagined new lives for everyday items that would otherwise be headed for a landfill, and the works were later displayed in the Woolworth Building in Grand Center. For Urban Evolution, artist Robert Longyear led a group of high school students in an exploration of the urban environment, which served as both their inspiration and medium. The culminating group installation reflected the evolution of Grand Center and the rich history of urban St. Louis.
With Urban Expression, Chicago-based artist and 2010 Whitney Biennial participant Theaster Gates focused on the neighborhood of Hyde Park, located in North St. Louis City. In conjunction with local writers and artists, elementary students from Holy Trinity Catholic School were guided in explorations of their daily lives through photography, writing, and drawing. Gates worked with the students to activate empty spaces, organize a town hall meeting, and create works of art that allowed for new conversations regarding the present and future of this historic St. Louis neighborhood. He then responded to their ideas and desires with a series of installations at Bruno David Gallery entitled Dry Bones and Other Parables from the North.
