Since 1976, Laumeier Sculpture Park has been home to a wide array of artworks by over 1,000 artists. Laumeier’s “Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting” exhibit showcases pieces from each decade of its history with an emphasis on works not typically available to the public, and on the processes of their creation and preparation for display.
The exhibit runs at Laumeier’s Aronson Fine Arts Center from Feb. 7 -Dec. 13, 2026. Laumeier’s curator, Dana Turkovic, said that she chose specific pieces to reflect the park’s hidden history through years of change.
“[The exhibit] illustrates the diversity, scale, imagination, experimentation and approach to Laumeier as a dynamic, changing space rather than a ‘one-and-done’ experience,” Turkovic said.
The exhibit features sketches, photographs, models and more from Laumeier’s collections and archives, intended to show the creative processes behind the artwork. This exhibits reflective nature provides insight into the various mediums sculptors use and the steps involved in conceptualizing a commission.
Turkovic said that looking back on past works and their history at Laumeier honors the often unseen artists who have contributed to the park over its decades of service.
“[Since] they can’t be seen now doesn’t mean that those works can’t hold space,” Turkovic said. “This exhibition gave space to show works that haven’t been on view since the artist’s original exhibitions or not at all.”
Laumeier is not only displaying artworks from its past but will also unveil a new piece in the exhibit by Juan William Chávez, Laumeier’s 2026 visiting artist in residence, in collaboration with the 2026 Kranzberg exhibition artist Kiersten Torrez, titled “Wak’a Garden”.
This installation opened on April 18 as part of Laumeier’s Art and Nature Day. The artwork is made from reclaimed pieces of wood and other materials from nature in an amphitheater-like shape to serve as a community dedicated to plants and pollinators.
Turkovic said she wants people to experience creativity and community at Laumeier.
“[We are] unafraid of experimentation and innovation … almost everything was like making something out of nothing,” Turkovic said, “Everything we do links back to our relationship with nature but also with each other, how an art museum can make community.”
The “Begin Again” exhibit showcases the variety of art and the expansive history of Laumeier while acknowledging that change is okay and can be honored in a meaningful way.
For those desiring time with nature and art as the weather warms, head to Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis County and check out the Aronson Fine Arts Center to see the “Begin Again” exhibit, on display until Dec. 13, 2026.
