Visiting Laumeier Sculpture Park

One summer around the time I was in the final years of grade school, or perhaps the early years of high school, my aunt took my mom, my siblings, and I to a park that we had never heard of - Laumeier Sculpture Park. After wandering around for several hours, I was absolutely amazed. How could a place this neat have escaped my attention for so long?

As time went on, I started taking my friends to Laumeier on nearly every opportunity I had. Over the years, I've probably introduced a couple dozen people to the park, and though I don't know if any of them have made return trips of their own, I keep taking new people to see this place, which has become one of my favorite places to go in St. Louis.

Laumeier Sculpture Park opened in 1976, the result of a bequest of land from Matilda Laumeier to the people of St. Louis County. The 76-acre park is nestled in the midst of an urban sprawl, yet once you enter the park, you forget that the office buildings and highways surround this quiet retreat. The park is home to over 100 sculptures in various styles and mediums, and routinely receives new pieces and retires some old pieces.

The sculpture for which Laumeier Sculpture Park is probably best known is called "The Way." Made up of huge hollow metal cylinders, all painted stop sign red, this sculpture stands at over 100 feet tall atop a hill near one of the park's two parking lots. Designed by sculptor Alexander Liberman, most first-time viewers of the sculpture are taken aback by its sheer size.

While many of the sculptures at Laumeier Sculpture Park are the only work of their respective artists represented in the park, Laumeier is home to a number of Ernest Trova sculptures. His pieces, typically identifiable by their use of painted metal and sharp angles, are located throughout the entire park, and most visitors who pay attention to the sculpture plaques will quickly identify the Trova sculptures as they come across them.

My personal favorite sculpture at Laumeier is not one of these works of metal and paint, but rather a very organic piece. Cromlech Glen, designed by Beverly Pepper, is essentially an earthen amphitheater. From the outside, it appears to be simply a large, flat topped hill, but there is a small opening on one side of the hill, revealing the sculpture for what it actual is - a constructed narrow band of a hill, encircling a lush green valley. Though natural erosion and the exploration of the sculpture by eager visitors to the park have caused this sculpture to deteriorate since its installation, park maintainers have worked to keep this sculpture stable and beautiful over the years.

While nearly all of the sculptures at Laumeier are installed outside, and designed to withstand the elements, the park also plays host to a museum, in which less sturdy pieces can be displayed. Beginning on October 7th, two new indoor exhibitions will open, featuring the work of artists Tobias Putrih and Phillippe Richard. This will be the first time that both of these artists will be featured as solo museum exhibitors in the United States. Some of Richard's work will also be installed outside of the museum, throughout the park.

Laumeier Sculpture Park is open year round from 8 a.m. to half an hour past sunset every day, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The indoor galleries and museum shop are closed on Mondays, but open at 10 a.m. during the week and noon on the weekends, remaining open until 5 p.m. The park is located at 12580 Rott Road.

You can visit the Laumeier Sculpture Park website at: www.laumeier.com/index.html.