Arts Speak

Square Roots

By Drew Gieseke

Angad Arts Hotel, the only art hotel in St. Louis, is hosting its most ambitious exhibition yet. Featuring 81 artists and 159 works, spanning a vast range of styles, the 12 x 12 Exhibition includes artwork in, you guessed it, the dimensions of 12 by 12 inches and demonstrates that creativity that runs deep within the region.

Despite this spatial limitation (or maybe because of it), visitors will find that this show is anything but square.

“The submission process was only accepting smaller works – only square,” arts relations manager Vanessa Rudloff says. “Because the visual aspect was all these small little squares, it gave us a unique opportunity to feature so many more artists than in the past.”

The 12 x 12 Exhibition is the Angad Arts Hotel‘s seventh biannual exhibition and its largest since the series launched in 2018. It represents not only a unique take on the traditional art show, but also one that highlights only local pieces. The key submission requirements were simple: Artists must be located within 200 miles of the hotel and works must be presented in a 12-by-12 format. Pieces will be on display through April 2023 and are available for purchase.

“I didn’t curate as much until I had almost all the submissions,” Rudloff says. “The vetting process is like doing a puzzle. There are a few that don’t fit, and you start to see how others may fit together, like working on the corners. In this particular show, I was thinking about how certain pieces fit together.”

The result is a staggering display of creativity in the 146-room hotel. From one wall to the next, onlookers may encounter sculptures alongside abstract pieces, color-block works and even a portrait featuring a LEGO man. Although these works are seemingly disparate, the show takes on an eclectic quality that represents the diversity of the St. Louis art scene.

“There are so many different pockets of arts here,” Rudloff says. “What we showcase at the hotel is incredibly inclusive; there are so many different backgrounds and ages and works.”

Rudloff points out that traditional galleries attract traditional arts appreciators. Although there’s certainly a place for that in St. Louis’ art scene, the Angad – through its programming that includes this latest exhibition – prefers to operate in a looser space for both the artists and onlookers.

Not every submission for the 12 x 12 Exhibition was created by a professional, established artist. That’s what Rudloff says makes the community the Angad has developed through the years so special. Artists want to create, but if they don’t know what to do with their work, at some point, they need a place for it to go. In the past, many have departed for New York City or Chicago for more exposure. But, as Rudloff sees it, the more opportunities we can create for artists in St. Louis, the more likely it is they stay here.

“What’s amazing about having these shows here at the hotel – and also why St. Louis is so great – is there aren’t that many opportunities, and the hotel really creates something unique,” Rudloff says. “It encourages artists to be prolific and really explore.” ln Angad Arts Hotel, 3550 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis, 314-561-0033, angadartshotel.com