THE REGIONAL ARTS COMMISSION PRESENTS ‘HAL POTH: OFF THE WALL’

Late St. Louisan’s original artworks will be showcased in a gallery exhibition and
sold to benefit local nonprofit arts organizations

ST. LOUIS (May 9, 2019) — The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC), the largest funder of the arts in the St. Louis region, announced today a new exhibition, “Hal Poth: Off the Wall,” to open May 31 at The Gallery at RAC. The exhibition features a curated selection of original artworks – including paintings, works on paper, three-dimensional sculptures, wood carvings and more – donated to RAC by the late St. Louis visual artist Harold “Hal” Poth. Artwork will be offered for purchase with proceeds benefiting local nonprofit visual arts organizations.

“Poth wanted to ensure that proceeds of the sale of his collection served to encourage people, particularly youth and senior citizens, to enjoy the benefits of art making,” said Felicia Shaw, executive director of RAC. “Exhibition attendees will have the unique opportunity to take Poth’s art, often characterized as whimsical and playful, off the wall and into their homes to support local arts organizations and the great work they are doing in the community.”

The exhibition, curated by Stefanie Kirkland, will group the works by medium and theme to give visitors a sense of the wide range of subject matter and creative approaches Poth explored during his lifetime. It will also provide a platform for discussing aging and creativity, demonstrating people have the capacity for imagination and innovation throughout every stage of life. 

In June, RAC will host two panel discussions featuring individuals and organizations committed to supporting and enhancing the lives of artists. Both panels are free and open to the public:  

• “Unleashing Joy Through Creativity” (June 7, 4-6 p.m.) – The first panel will focus on the  benefits of living a creative life and the programs available for seniors who are interested in furthering their work as artists.
• “Creating a Living Legacy” (June 14, 5-7 p.m.) – The second panel will center on artists’ legacies and provide tips for artists of all ages to protect and preserve their works of art during their life and after.

Poth was born in St. Louis in 1924 and graduated from Washington University’s School of Fine Arts with a degree in design in 1947. He worked professionally as a commercial artist and art director for H. George Bloch and Mel Roman Advertising in St. Louis before starting his own company, Visual Communications, in the 1960s. He passed away Feb. 24, 2017.

In 2017, RAC was gifted more than 2,000 works of art from Poth’s estate with instructions that the items be sold and the net proceeds allocated to support the artistic development of youth and seniors. Nonprofits benefitting from the sale of Poth’s work include:

• All the Art, the Visual Art Quarterly of St. Louis
• Art St. Louis
• Art Unleashed, Inc.
• Artists First
• Artscope – South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children
• Central Print
• COCA-Center of Creative Arts
• Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
• Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design
• Critical Mass for the Visual Arts
• Design Build Workshop – Building Futures
• Freedom Arts and Education Center
• Good Shepherd Arts Center
• International Photography Hall of Fame
• Intersect Arts Center
• Laumeier Sculpture Park
• Maturity and its Muse
• South Broadway Art Project
• Springboard to Learning
• St. Louis Artist’ Guild
• St. Louis ArtWorks
• The Luminary
• Urban Artist Alliance for Child Development, Inc.
• Yeyo Arts Collective

The opening of the exhibition of “Hal Poth: Off the Wall” will take place on Friday, May 31 from 5:00pm-7:00pm. The exhibition will run through June 22. 

The Gallery will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning June 3 through June 21 and Saturday, June 22 from 12pm – 7pm to coincide with the Delmar Loop Arts Festival. 

Admission is free.

For more information on the exhibition, visit www.racstl.org.