ST. LOUIS — An art show some call controversial is headed to a popular family destination in St. Louis.
Some of the works on display at City Museum this August will feature female nudity. The idea for the show sparked a debate online about whether it's appropriate around children.
The City Museum is known as a place of whimsical wonder for kids and adults.
“City museum has something for everyone. We have play, we have art,” said Stephanie von Drasek, the venue’s retail and admissions director. That's why she’s a little surprised by the controversy surrounding an August 17th art show with work by Tara McPherson.
“Tara’s work is going to fit in great here,” said von Drasek. “She has a huge following and a great appeal to a lot of people across many generations.”
McPherson's paintings often include the female form. Sometimes, they include nudity that we can’t show on tv. And that's the part that has some people upset. Click here to visit her website(some of the images on her website may not be suitable for work).
The Facebook page for the event is alive with comments like this one from Michelle Ellis who says, "This is a very inappropriate image for a children's museum."
Erika Krull added "Thankful this won't be there when we are. Just checked the site and there are not enough words to explain some of these images to littles."
And Patty Hubmann Dickinson said, "I feel there are more appropriate venues for this type of artwork."
But von Drasek says artistic female nudity is on display at City Museum every day.
“The female form is celebrated all over city museum. It’s one of the first things you see when you come in the front entrance,” she said, motioning to a statue.
5 On Your Side learned the exhibit will be held in its own wing inside the Architectural Hall on the museum's third floor. And von Drasek says visitors who aren't interested in the show won't have a problem avoiding it.
“It's not like it's going to be in the first-floor lobby, you know?”
We reached out to Tara McPherson for her thoughts on the controversy. She responded with an email that read:
“I love portraiture and capturing an idealized moment in time, celebrating the art and concept with a traditional figurative technique. For me, using the human form to convey a message is a raw truth. The figures are stripped of artifice and any hints to the current time we are living in. I feel this has the ability to reveal honesty in the figure and the concept of the art, while transporting the viewer to an alternate time and place. It’s about capturing the strength and beauty of femininity, while showcasing the frailty of our existence.”
McPherson’s show will be held Friday, August 17 from 7-9 p.m.
