Every month as a part of our Third Friday open house, we welcome a new local 2D artist to showcase their work in our East Gallery. This month, our gallery is adorned with the beautiful paintings of artist Doug Weaver. Read more about his show below.
About the show:
St. Louis has one of the most iconic and recognizable skylines in the United States, and this city’s rich history is rooted in its architecture. Since returning to St. Louis in 2015 after a two year stint in Rwanda, Doug Weaver has painted the Gateway Arch more than a dozen times. Weaver lives in a historic brick home in Old North, St. Louis. His view of Downtown has caused him to fall in love with and really explore this cityscape. Despite its urban nature, St. Louis is really a combination of small towns in its mix of historic and ever-changing neighborhoods. This show explores many of the striking views of St. Louis’ buildings and parks, both past and present.
About the artist:
Doug Weaver originally moved to St. Louis in 2011 to attend graduate school at Fontbonne University where he received his MFA in Painting. From 2013 to 2015, Weaver taught art, music, and drama in Rwanda as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Over the past three years, Weaver has dived into the guts of St. Louis. He has worked as a case manager in homelessness prevention from displacement due to gentrification in the Tower Grove area. He spends much of his time building awareness of systemic disparities in social infrastructure due to region, race, and income. Weaver is a foster parent of teenagers in St. Louis City, giving him constant interaction with St. Louis Public Schools, Public health, St. Louis Judicial System, St. Louis Police Department, and many of St. Louis’s many great non-profit and community based organizations.
Weaver’s love for St. Louis is matched only for his love of painting. He hand-grinds his own oil paints from locally sourced materials including oil from local farms, beeswax from a local beekeeper, and pigments that he makes himself from dye plants that he grows at the 13th Street Community Garden in Old North.
City Views will be on display at Third Degree through Wednesday, July 17. See more of Michael’s work on his website, or stop by to visit! We’re open Monday-Saturday 10:00a-5:00p & Sunday 11:00a-4:00p.