St. Louis, MO – With its opening on October 17th, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts will begin life as a viewing place for art and as an environment where ideas, programs and discussions about art, architecture and contemporary culture are generated.
The Foundation makes an essential contribution through its extraordinary architecture by Tadao Ando, through the art and library it houses, and through the programs mounted in collaboration with other institutions locally and internationally. The mission will be to seize upon the spirit of the building, which Ando has described so eloquently as a "place of possibilities."
Today, the Foundation announces the four areas of focus for future programs. Each is related to the experience of the Ando building, and to the issues raised through the creation of this "unmuseum."
- The areas of focus are:
- The interrelationship of contemporary art, architecture, and design;
- The resonance of arts institutions within their communities, including the relationship of cultural growth to physical or social context;
- The shifting framework of public and private arts initiatives;
- The reverberation and synergy among visual and performing arts, and literature.
Although some programs will be at the Ando building, the Foundation will also be a partner to related institutions, supporting the realization of extraordinary projects at their sites.
The initial installation includes 37 works of art in the galleries. The selections range from early 20th century paintings, sculptures and collages to contemporary sculpture and works on paper. Many of the artworks are on loan from the collection of Joseph and Emily Pulitzer. Two new sculptures, Blue Black by Ellsworth Kelly and Joe by Richard Serra, were commissioned by the Foundation for this building.
To coincide with the official opening, the first publication of the Foundation is available. The 64-page book, titled "Abstractions in Space: Tadao Ando, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra," focuses on the building and its commissioned artworks. Published by the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, it includes statements by Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Ando, Kelly, and Serra, an essay by architectural historian William Curtis and photos by Robert Pettus.
