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“font-family: Verdana;”>“Everyone talks about St. Louis in a way that makes it seem like it is coming apart,” said Patricia Smith Thurman, co-founder of 10th Street Gallery. “I say if we choose to live here, let’s make an investment in the city. The gallery is our investment.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Through it, husband and wife team Solomon and Patricia Smith Thurman hope to build artistic diversity and foster a love for the arts.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We’ve been carrying this idea around with us for a long time,” said Solomon Thurman, a celebrated visual artist throughout the U.S. and Canada. “When this space became available and a chance to display art to the public as they go down the street and grab their attention, we decided to go for it.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The idea was planted in them 15 years ago when they were living in Canada and Solomon was part of a cooperative arts group that operated its own gallery. Since then they’ve wanted to open a gallery of their own in St. Louis.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It was a coincidence that the grounds of the newly opened gallery happened to be located on 10th Street downtown.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We were trying to come up with the name and I thought about the 10th Street gallery – which came out during the ‘50s and ‘60s and along lower Manhattan,” Solomon said. “The artists of lower Manhattan were not asked to exhibit on Wall Street, so it was a place they created where they could exhibit.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The 10th Street Galleries were a cooperative set of artist-run art galleries that began opening in the early 1950s in New York City. They
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>were an avant-garde alternative to the Madison Avenue and 57th Street galleries that were conservative and highly selective. Several older and more established artists such as Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline and Milton Resnick maintained studios nearby and often served a supporting role for the many younger artists who polished their talents there.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The mentoring spirit of de Kooning and others who helped the artists within the original 10th Street Galleries scene is what the Thurmans hope to offer St. Louis.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Hopefully for artists who live here in St. Louis, the gallery offers answers to the challenges of how to create and present,” Solomon said.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The notion of 10th Street came from guests enjoying the art housed in the Thurman home. They wanted to recreate the experience of houseguests in a public setting –and provide the opportunity to purchase art and allow others to develop their own collections.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It started out with the idea of a place to exhibit and sell art, but this has become a focal point to educate the public that might be interested in art – both the artists and the patrons,” Patricia said.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“In the 30 days since our soft opening, we’ve been approached by an enormous amount of people who want to learn about the art business. We’ve seen a lot of young people who are just eager to learn.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A longtime executive, Patricia’s background is in Information Technology. But she is the first to defend the arts as an essential component to developing the mind.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I have an IT background, but over the years I see the connection in art and science in art and technology, and I believe we need to nurture this connection,” Patricia said.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Art allows you to flex mental muscle by working a series of problem-solving until you generate a creative thought. I think that it can be simplified to the point where everyone can do it, and I am convinced that everyone can understand art if they understand the simple rules of the thought process.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Thurmans believe that learning to become active patrons of visual arts is just as important as developing the skill to create and that through support comes culture and community.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I think if people become patrons and become buyers of original artwork they can make a connection,” Solomon said.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“You can appreciate original artwork in your home you like it, and it will inspire you. You will have stories about it that you can share with your guests. It’s the gift that keeps on giving – one that you can give to yourself and pass it on. The joy of owning original art is an international pleasure.”
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>10th Street “font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Gallery (419 N. 10th St.) will open on Thursday, Oct. 6, with a special reception from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. with a showing of works by Solomon Thurman, Lance Omar Thurman, C’Babi Bayoc and other artists. For more information, call (314) 436-1806 or visit www.solomonthurman.com.
