FREE TOUR Sunday 2:00 - June 7,
2015 at Laumeier Sculpture Park
The tour is scheduled to begin at 2:00 sharp. I am typically
early and was on this day. However, I did not fully manage my time well as I
was anxious to see Heritage Schooler re-installed, the Donald Judd and the
seasonal return of the Tree Tent. It’s 2:02 and I was engaged in a conversation
with a local couple at Marie Watt’s Earthmover. In the midst of explaining the
connection to the Mound City exhibit we are joined by a woman who came for the
tour. She found me but a couple and another lady bailed at 2:02 – that tells me
something about the expectation of the FREE tour. Maybe they think “you get
what you pay for…” or maybe they just don’t feel like waiting in the hot sun on
a day when the weather is 93 degrees. I
feel like that timing mishap is unfortunate.
Part of my delay however is due to engagements around the
park between 1:00 and 2:02. A lovely young couple with a sweet little girl
wearing a St. Louis Zoo floppy hat on dad’s shoulders. “You are so cute. Can I
take your picture?” Dad says “I prefer not.” Okay, no worries. It turns out
this new family is new to St. Louis and have already found the Zoo and the
Sculpture Park. “Thanks for coming. We’re glad you are here. We hope you will
come back again and again.”
The woman who came for a tour certainly got one. Compelled
to show her something she would not have seen on a self-guided tour – I took
her on the trail to see the Triangular Bridge, Reading Room, Pool Complex and
Cromlech Glen. She is definitely bringing her granddaughter with her next time.
She loved Linked Forms (especially since I paused with her at Tower Hybrid earlier).
A guy with an iPhone camera is near the children’s garden
and asks me for a little more information on the layout. He is originally from
Texas and currently living in North Carolina but is likely to be in town on
business for more than a week. “I have a couple of little girls who love art. I
like to take pictures to give them ideas,” he says. He loved the piece he
called the “inchworm” (Lipski’s Ball? Ball! Wall? Wall!).
Finally I returned to the shady area where another couple
found a place to sit adjacent to DeSuvero’s Bornibus. They lived in St. Louis
20 years ago and admit to being on a “junk food” tour. (Imo’s Pizza, Ted
Drewes, Toasted Ravioli etc). They are interested in the tour but look so
comfortable that I offer them an overview that will not require them to move an
inch. They are grateful. From that spot I was able to talk about the estate
house, the new Fine Arts building, Bornibus, the EYE, the Tree Tent, Dark
Garden, Intricate Wall. “Does the park still host concerts?” Well I have to be
truthful “Well yes and no. Generally the music is here in conjunction with Art
Fair, Food Truck events and other times when the music is FREE while you spend
money on food.” This couple is currently living in the Boston area.
A lovely day with plenty of activity. The FREE tour needs a
bit more anticipation so a group can gather. I love the one-on-one time,
couples and small groups. Two hours is never enough time for me to tell people
what to see. I always encourage them to return. I hope they do.
