The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is marking a major milestone in 2026: its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, the museum will present “Dialogues & Conversations,” a deeply personal exhibition organized by founder and board chair Emily Rauh Pulitzer.
Credit: Photos courtesy of Pulitzer Arts Foundation
Running from March 6 through August 9, 2026, the exhibition brings together approximately 70 works—sculptures, drawings, paintings, and photographs—by artists ranging from Edgar Degas and Medardo Rosso to Alberto Giacometti and Doris Salcedo. Many of the pieces come directly from Mrs. Pulitzer’s own collection, assembled over decades with her late husband, Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. Others are drawn from the permanent collections of the Harvard Art Museums and the Saint Louis Art Museum, where she began her curatorial career.
At its core, “Dialogues & Conversations” explores how artistic influences and exchanges shape both the broad sweep of art history and the life of a single collector. The exhibition reflects Mrs. Pulitzer’s lifelong passion for the history of drawing and the evolution of sculpture in modern and contemporary art. That interest was nurtured by her extended dialogues with artists such as Dan Flavin, Ellsworth Kelly, and Richard Serra—relationships that helped spark her vision for the Pulitzer Arts Foundation itself.
By situating these works within the interdisciplinary approach that has defined the Pulitzer for 25 years, the exhibition offers visitors a chance to see how personal connections and conversations can ripple outward into cultural institutions and artistic movements.
Credit: Photos courtesy of Pulitzer Arts Foundation
The anniversary celebration extends beyond the gallery walls. The Pulitzer will publish a definitive history of its founding and growth into an internationally recognized museum. The volume will include twelve essays, among them:
- Architect Tadao Ando reflecting on the Pulitzer’s building design.
- Recollections from Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Serra on their permanent installations created in 2001.
- An essay by artist Glenn Ligon revisiting his 2017 exhibition at the museum.
- A wide-ranging conversation between Emily Rauh Pulitzer, emeritus board member James Cuno, and current executive director Cara Starke.
Together, these writings provide a layered portrait of the institution’s past, present, and future.
Located in the Grand Center Arts District, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation has become a cultural anchor for St. Louis. It is known for exhibitions that span contemporary and historic art and for free public programs in music, literature, dance, and cultural dialogue.
Admission to “Dialogues & Conversations” will be free. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, visit pulitzerarts.org.