ARTS SPEAK
CITYSCAPES WITH ÉCLAT Ballwin artist Janet Muhm’s visual gems displayed under the rubric A Year in the City recall the deceptively simple elegance of contemporary Franco-American illustrator Guy Billout. Since 2018, Muhm has issued blissful calendars (and subsequently, cards of various types, bookmarks, framed and unframed archival prints, and T-shirts) spotlighting area landmarks like Art Hill under snow, the Katy Trail during prime bicycling season and the Sheldon just before a concert. Muhm recently paused amid her artistic endeavors to briefly discuss A Year in the City. What artists do you regard as your greatest influences? “I was fascinated by the illustrations of Peter Max and Milton Glaser when I was a kid. I loved the bright colors and humor in their work. When I was 8, I started keeping sketchbooks with my own Glaser/Max-style drawings and ads for makebelieve companies. My Wash U education kept me headed in that direction. I studied with Gene Hoefel, who taught me that it was all about the big idea. And I took color theory and illustration from Bill Kohn. I use those principles every day in my work for A Year in the City.” Since your first A Year in the City calendar, which single image has most enchanted you personally? “I’m crazy about the McDonnell Planetarium, not just for the art, but for the story. The kids are
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looking up at the statue. The statue is looking up at the stars. There are layers of childlike wonder there, and the colors are beautiful. But truthfully, my favorite illustration is whichever one I’m working on at the moment! St. Louis’ favorite places come to life when you put people in them. What starts off as a building or a park or a statue becomes a visual story.” Which image has most challenged you in its creation? “City Museum was challenging for a few reasons. First, I was creating art from art, so out of respect for [museum founder] Bob Cassilly, I wanted to stay true to the real thing. Second, there was an insane amount of detail. And finally, the natural materials made it hard to capture that
detail. But in the end, it was worth every minute I put into it. City Museum is a treasure. The art draws you in.” What lessons have you brought to your augmented camera-plus-Adobe Illustrator artistic procedure? “I no longer worry about taking great pictures. I take mediocre pictures that capture lots of detail. The photos will get tossed. The colors and light will be addressed as part of the illustrative process. My process has stayed the same since the beginning, but my illustration is evolving. For one thing, I’m much more detailed than I was five years ago. Sometimes, the details carry a picture, so I push myself to go the extra mile.” What teasers would you care to share regarding subjects for the 2023 A Year in the City calendar? “I create at least one Forest Park image a year because there’s so much to see there. For 2023, I’ll be featuring the World’s Fair Pavilion on the cover. I think it has a “big park” feel to it, the sense that there’s plenty of park for all of us to share and enjoy. In addition to the 2023 calendar, I’ll be expanding my product line this year to include new greeting cards and a new limited-edition T-shirt. My only rules for new products are that they tell a St. Louis story and bring joy!”
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A Year in the City, ayearinthecity.com
JANET MUHM PHOTO BY LANCE TILFORD
By Bryan A. Hollerbach | Images courtesy of Janet Muhm
