Laumeier Sculpture Park announces that 2026 will mark its 50th anniversary with a year-long celebration featuring special exhibitions, new artwork commissions, public programs, community storytelling, and the release of an accompanying publication.
At the heart of the anniversary celebration is the theme “Where Wander Turns to Wonder.” This theme — and its visual identity — captures the experience of moving through the park with feet firmly on the ground and minds open to new possibilities. A place where sculptures emerge from the living landscape, nature shifts with the seasons, and even familiar paths reveal fresh perspectives. The theme reflects Laumeier’s many dualities: art and nature, museum and park, cerebral and physical, tangible and intangible, past and future.
One of the first and largest sculpture parks in the country, Laumeier is a community gem esteemed within both the local and national cultural landscapes. Executive Director Lauren Ross states, “For five decades, Laumeier has inspired curiosity, fostered creativity, and promoted social connection for millions of visitors. This anniversary year honors the past, present, and future of a place that is essential to generations of St. Louisans.”
EXHIBITIONS + PROGRAMMING
Exhibitions, commissions, and public programs will unfold throughout the year, inviting visitors to engage with Laumeier in new and meaningful ways. Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting opens the anniversary year as an indoor exhibition at Laumeier Sculpture Park, running February 7 to December 13. The exhibition explores five decades of artist commissions, features work by hundreds of artists, revisits artworks that have come and gone, and reflects on Laumeier’s enduring relationships with artists and the natural environment.
ANNIVERSARY EVENTS – SAVE THE DATE
February 7 | Art & Nature Day + Exhibition Opening — Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting
Celebrate the opening of Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting and the reopening of the Aronson Fine Arts Center. The day features a gallery talk with Curator Dana Turkovic, family-friendly puppet-making with members from the Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis, and hands-on activities in the interactive Family Play Space.
April 18 | Art & Nature Day + Exhibition Opening — Begin Again: Juan William Chavez, Garden Wak’a
Explore the opening of Begin Again: Juan William Chávez, Garden Wak’a, Laumeier’s 2026 Visiting Artist in Residence, in collaboration with 2026 Kranzberg Exhibition Artist Kiersten Torrez. Programming includes a gallery talk with the artists and curator Dana Turkovic, a guided migration bird walk, nature-inspired play in the Family Play Space, and a native pollinator and plant workshop led by Torrez.
“Empire Flight, 2013” by Bernard Williams at Laumeier Sculpture Park. Photo by Kevin J. Miyazaki, 2014.
May 8–10 | 39th Annual Art Fair
Enjoy Laumeier’s signature Art Fair over Mother’s Day weekend, featuring 150+ juried artists from across the country, a wide variety of fine art mediums, local food and beverage vendors, hands-on activities for all ages, and live music all weekend.
October 3 | Art & Nature Day + Exhibition Openings — Begin Again: Ursula von Rydingsvard, Untitled and Begin Again: Alison Saar, Honey Chile’
Mark the opening of Begin Again: Ursula von Rydingsvard, Untitled and Begin Again: Alison Saar, Honey Chile’ with a gallery talk between Alison Saar and curator Dana Turkovic. Take part in hands-on art activities using natural materials inspired by Garden Wak’a and creative play in the Family Play Space.
November 7 | Laumeier After Dark
Experience the park after hours during this immersive nighttime event showcasing temporary light-based art installations and performances amid Laumeier’s illuminated sculptures and trails. The evening also includes a market of local makers, food and beverage vendors, and live music.
December 5 & 12 | Laumeier’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Shop local at Laumeier’s curated holiday pop-up markets featuring area makers and their work, while enjoying food, beverages, and fire pits in the festive atmosphere of the park.
COMMUNITY STORYTELLING: LAUMEIER STORIES
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Laumeier invites the public to share stories, videos, photographs, and reflections through Laumeier Stories, a community-driven digital storytelling project.
Selected submissions may be featured on social media, in Laumeier’s e-newsletter, and on its website. Submissions that reflect personal connections and lived experiences with the park will help tell the collective story of Laumeier Sculpture Park and the community it serves.
For more information, to participate, and to stay updated on anniversary events, visit laumeiersculpturepark.org/50years.
Top image: Susan Crowder, Formal Garden, Study for Hedges, 1992. Charcoal on paper. Laumeier Sculpture Park Collection.
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