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.
