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Private Sector

by Rudy Zapf

This is the second of four articles about living and working for the arts in the St. Louis area. This month’s focus is on private sector arts organizations in the city.

On a recent Saturday morning, West End gallery owner William Shearburn spent some time conversing about local art. The recently opened exhibit in his McPherson space shows paintings by artist Kit Keith. Although Keith is a former St. Louisan, she relocated to New York in 2000. Her paintings, which incorporate the nostalgic thrall of ’40s and ’50s items and historical female stereotypes, have been described in earlier reviews as “cutting edge” and “daring.” She is one in a handful of area artists that Shearburn represents.

There has been a deeply cut line of demarcation between private and volunteer-dependent art groups, as if they were opposing camps in the art wars. Surprisingly, private galleries share similar objectives as nonprofit arts organizations: they want to support the arts and do it well enough to still be open next year. For Shearburn, this means that the bulk of his business revolves around finding, acquiring, and selling blue chip post-WWII American art. This includes, among others, works by Close, Christo, Lichtenstein, Motherwell, and Rauschenberg. He acknowledges, “St. Louis is a very conservative town, so I’ve always had a difficult time showing emerging work.”

Ironically, dealing in major-name art actually affords him the luxury of supporting a small group of local talent. The gallery/artist relationship is not one he takes lightly. Often, Shearburn knows an artist several years and watches as visual language and aim of intent matures before the offer of representation is made. For him, it is a carefully nur-

tured friendship. “The people that I represent are ones that I’m really committed to, and have had long term relationships with. I feel that I can continue to be enthusiastic about their work.”

The talk segues into the question of who is buying art in St. Louis, and who is not. Due in part to the slumped economy, one sector that has not been purchasing artworks is business. The effects of this can have a lasting effect on a city’s intellectual vitality.

St. Louis likes to think of itself as a cultured city. We look to New York, L.A., Chicago as bigger,older, more sophisticated siblings. Out of our league, to be sure, but we don’t compare ourselves to other Midwest, midsize towns like Indianapolis or Cincinnati. We deem them to be provincial “cowtowns.” The sad fact is that, yes, we are that small, both in size and in sophistication. We don’t have a city-wide tax base to fund public art programs, as do Portland and Seattle. And gone are the days when large local businesses invested in regional arts. Over the past ten years, several businesses have changed hands from local to offsite ownership. When locally owned, a corporation’s governing bodies are naturally invested in the community’s quality of life. Shift headquarters to a remote region and the atmosphere of hometown pride is displaced.

“When Mark Twain Bank was around, they were very supportive of local artists.” remembers Shearburn. “They would come in and they would spend and they would want to know locally the people I represent. They would want to participate on all levels.”

Back in the ’90s, when big banks became mega-banks by swallowing others, Mark Twain Bancshares was bought by Mercantile. Since then, it has changed names and hands more than once. Its championing work for the arts has not been preserved by its successors. As has happened repeatedly in the past ten years, the bottom line for profits has depleted business’s inclination toward recognizing those that offer less tangible rewards.

Companies that have in the past profited from big name art investments might reconsider their position.In another ten years’ time, it’s quite possible that there will be a shortage of blue chip names from the ’90s and ’00s in which to invest. Play by Play

from page 19

before the inevitable crash. Yorn creates straightforward rock ’n’ roll without the trappings of “modern rock” and the glut of garage revivalists. There are faint echoes of Jim Morrison on “Carlos: Don’t Let it Go to Your Head” and David Bowie on “When You See the Light.”

Above all, Yorn has a unique gift for writing realistic love songs. On this album, absent is the Your Body Is a Wonderland imagery of more radio-friendly fare and in its place is a strange little gem called “Burrito.” Yorn croons, “It’s a 7-11/Do you wanna take a walk outside/If you want a burrito/You can have a bite of mine…/Come on over tonight.” Though Yorn delivers the album with an expressive voice, he has yet to master vocals like the other dozens of instruments he plays on Day I Forgot. Fans of musicforthemorningafter will not be disappointed, but Yorn has left himself with some room to grow. —Ross Todd

VARIOUS ARTISTS: 50(Saddle Creek)

All right, I’ll admit it: I’m a Saddle Creek whore. I’ve reviewed a release of theirs every month for the past three months, andI’ve put a Saddle Creek band on the cover this month. The truth is, I’ve never heard a Saddle Creek release I didn’t like. I have, however, been privy to an advance copy of their 50th release, a two-disc compilation entitled, simply, 50.The set features two songs each from 10 of their top artists—one old, one new and unreleased—and it will quickly revive your sagging faith in compilations.

Those who long for the goth-edged techno dance music of the ’80s will take instantly to the Faint, Omaha’s hard-hitting techno band who kick off disc one. “Worked up so Sexual” is reminiscent of mid-career Cure; Todd Baechle sings with a lazy loll, backed by an underlying buzz of synthesizers. Their second offering, “Take Me to the Hospital,” has more of a contemporary trance feel to it, with vocal distortions and a slower, more serious beat. Now It’s Overhead gives us “Wonderful Star” and “Dark Cycle,” and on both tracks, Andy LeMaster sounds like he would be just as comfortable singing country music. The second track is especially nice, a gentle and somber reflection about being caught in a depressive loop; vocal distortions heighten the solitary effect.

L.A.’s Rilo Kiley, hot on the indie scene, offer the country-tinged “With Arms Outstretched,” complete with end choir. “Jenny, You’re Barely Alive” is more indicative of the band’s indie rock strengths. Cursive’s offerings include “The Martyr” (from their 2000 release, Domestica) and “Nonsense,” both strong, both obviously Cursive with their sharply contrasting sounds and Tim Kasher’s deprecating wails. continued on next page