Art Along the Rivers - Beth Rubin

Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration coincides with the Missouri state bicentennial. The catalogue brings together the region’s paintings, sculptures, works on paper, furniture, ceramics, metals, textiles, and more to reveal and celebrate their shared artistic history. Beginning with the ancient Mississippian culture followed by the Osage, French, African American, German, British, and artists today, these communities developed rich artistic traditions that have vibrant legacies. Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration marks the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood. This exhibition catalogue presents extraordinary objects produced or collected within a 150-mile region around St. Louis. As a celebration of the cultural and artistic traditions of this region, the catalogue looks within— and beyond— the years of statehood to reveal how the region’s geography, raw materials, and pressing social issues shaped over 1,000 years of rich artistic production. Though these objects have rarely been considered in connection with one another, the catalogue brings them into dialogue to establish and celebrate their shared artistic history and serves as the first significant publication to introduce this primary artistic material to a global audience.