Show-Me State Times

Two new exhibitions are set to open at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA), showcasing diverse historical and artistic narratives. The first exhibition, "Renaissance Man," is curated by art history students from Saint Louis University (SLU) and features selected works of Judge Nathan B. Young Jr. Known for his multifaceted career as a lawyer, judge, historian, journalist, novelist, musician, and artist, Young co-founded the St. Louis American newspaper and served as its publisher for over four decades.

Young's artwork delves into themes of race, anti-slavery, and civil rights. Before his passing in 1993, SLU Archives collaborated with him to preserve his personal collections which include over 500 acrylic-on-canvas paintings created between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s. The exhibition presents a selection of these works that highlight Young’s engagement with racial themes through art history.

Bradley Bailey, Ph.D., an associate professor of art history at SLU, assisted students in selecting pieces from Young's extensive collection for the exhibit. "Judge Young worked from some iconic pieces of art and his paintings reimagine these works with a focus on civil rights," Bailey noted.

The student curators include Martha Barnds, Ella Bullock, Katherine Hoerner, Owen Hopper, Karson Million, Lucas Perez, Lear Rose, Madeline Shormas, Cindy Ton and Jasmine Williams.

The second exhibition titled "The Past Beneath Our Feet" showcases findings from Thomas Finan’s two decades of archaeological exploration in Ireland. Finan is an associate professor of history at SLU who has focused on medieval Ireland's borderlands during the 13th and 14th centuries.

As director of the North Roscommon Archaeological Projects, Finan conducts surveys and excavations to explore social dynamics within this historically significant region. The exhibit offers insights into archaeological practices including geophysical surveying and aerial photography used in uncovering artifacts which are then conserved before being sent to Ireland’s National Museum.

Both exhibitions will be open to the public free of charge from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15 at SLUMA located at 3663 Lindell Blvd.