José Bedia exhibition opens June 21, 2002 at Laumeier Sculpture Park

The St. Louis debut of Cuban contemporary artist José Bedia will take place Friday, June 21, 2002 at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

The St. Louis debut of Cuban contemporary artist José Bedia will take place at Laumeier Sculpture Park on June 21, 2002. A reception to view the exhibition and meet the artist will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the gallery, and will be followed by an outdoor concert by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at 7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. José Bedia will create a site-specific outdoor installation at Laumeier in conjunction with the gallery exhibition.

In addition, Bedia will give a lecture at Webster University on Thursday, June 20 at noon. The public is invited to attend the lecture, which will take place in the Sverdrup Building, Room 123, 8830 Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis.

Bedia, whose paintings and installations have been exhibited in more than 23 countries, including the 1987 Sao Paulo and 1990 Venice biennials, is a spiritualist who felt an instant intrinsic connection with Cahokia Mounds upon visiting the Native American burial site in Cahokia, Illinois. Bedias Cahokia affinity attracted him to Laumeiers invitation for this indoor/outdoor exhibition of sculpture and mixed media works.

We are pleased to be able to introduce José Bedia to the St. Louis community," said Glen P. Gentele, Director of Laumeier Sculpture Park. Laumeier has always encouraged the exchange of cultural ideas, and this exhibition continues that tradition. It extends the concept of community" to international levels, by drawing on, and inviting in, Cubas Spanish, Africa, Asian and Amerindian roots, to further the experience of the larger world community."

José Bedia currently lives and works in Miami, Florida. He was born in Havana, Cuba in 1959 and immigrated to Mexico in 1991. Two years later, he immigrated to the U.S. He is represented by the Fredric Snitzer Gallery in Miami. Many of Bedias drawings represent the passage of man in his journey through life as the world is revealed to him through signs, symbols and phrases of oral tradition. His drawings also show the encounter of the common man with forces that are foreign or threatening. His work suggests the crossroads of cultures: the materialist world of the industrialized West versus cultures more in touch with the land and spirit world. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded a grant to Laumeier for this exhibition. José Bedias gallery exhibition will run from June 21, 2002 through the end of the year. The outdoor installation on the grounds at Laumeier will remain on view until May 31, 2003.

The fine exhibitions and family programming presented at Laumeier would not be possible without the financial support of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, the St. Louis Community Foundation, the Trio Foundation, St. Louis County Parks, and our generous Friends.

Laumeier Sculpture Park is proud to partner with St. Louis County Parks in the development, operation and preservation of this unique cultural institution.

It is Laumeiers mission to initiate a lifelong process of cultural awareness, enrich lives, and encourage creative thinking by actively engaging people in experiences of sculpture and nature simultaneously.

Laumeier Sculpture Park is located at 12580 Rott Road in Sunset Hills, near Interstate 44 and Lindbergh Boulevard. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. until 1/2 hour past sunset. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, call (314) 821-1209 or visit us at www.laumeier.org.

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