WashU Kemper Art Museum

WashU Kemper Art Museum Renowned collection, thought-provoking exhibitions, exciting programs. Free & open to all.
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At the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum an outstanding art collection and special exhibitions featuring modern and contemporary art come together in a dynamic learning environment. Building on over one hundred years of tradition, the Kemper Art Museum promotes critical thinking and visual literacy within Washington University, in the regional community, and nationally and abroad—through its internat

ionally renowned collection, exhibitions and scholarship, and its innovative outreach and educational programs.

05/16/2026

From exhibition banners to life on the go ♻️ 
 
Each of our upcycled Rareform bags is one of a kind.

⬅️ 👀 Take a closer look at “Knick Knack Peddler,” a photograph by Wang Qingsong on view now in the exhibition “Looking B...
05/13/2026

⬅️ 👀 Take a closer look at “Knick Knack Peddler,” a photograph by Wang Qingsong on view now in the exhibition “Looking Back Toward the Future.” 
 
Wang draws on a popular painting tradition from China’s Song dynasty, wherein children follow a merchant selling everyday goods. In this twenty-first-century version, those traditional objects are replaced with items from iconic Western brands—from Coca-Cola to McDonald’s—pointing to the rapid replacement of traditional customs with Western culture in 1990s China.  
 
Fun fact: the crying baby in the scene is the artist’s own son. Can you spot him? 
 
Artwork: 
Wang Qingsong (Chinese, b. 1966), “Knick Knack Peddler,” 2002. Color photograph, 9/25, 23 9/16 × 78 3/4 in. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis. Gift of Larry Warsh, 2024.

Congratulations to the MFA-VA Class of 2026 on the opening of “Apparition” 🎉  and thank you to everyone who joined us to...
05/12/2026

Congratulations to the MFA-VA Class of 2026 on the opening of “Apparition” 🎉  and thank you to everyone who joined us to toast to these artists and the culmination of their work.  
 
The exhibition will be on view until July 27! 
 
Featured Artists:  
Zain Almutawa 
Yitian Chen 
Emily Eid 
Shiyao Fu 
Zach T. Johnson 
Virginia Liu (Jingyi Liu) 
Brittni Mosby 
Emilia-Qian Shen 
Dallas Spears 
Levi Anthony Walker 
Violet L. White 
Tianqing Xu 
Yixiao Zhang 张祎潇 
 
📸

05/08/2026

Experimentation, innovation, and new artistic energies take center stage in “Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China.” 📸 Sabine Eckmann reflects on how the works in this exhibition pushed the boundaries of photography while engaging a pivotal historical moment.

Featuring more than forty large-scale photographs created in China between 1993 and 2006, the exhibition is on view through July 20.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! 🍎✏️  To the educators who lead students through special tours and engage in our teacher ...
05/05/2026

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! 🍎✏️ 
 
To the educators who lead students through special tours and engage in our teacher workshops—thank you! We’re grateful for all the ways you foster curiosity and creativity in the next generation.

05/01/2026

“Apparition” is now open! 👏

Join us for an opening reception at 5:30 pm this evening to celebrate and meet the artists from the 2026 graduating class of Sam Fox School’s MFA in Visual Art program.

04/24/2026

Our Museum Shop is a go-to for art lovers—but did you know you can purchase books created by our very own Kemper Art Museum team? 📚

Our scholarly catalogs focus on modern and contemporary art, offering a deeper look at the ideas and stories behind our exhibitions and collection.

A perfect way to celebrate World Book Day and carry the inspiration beyond the gallery. Members receive 10% off!

This Earth Day, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at Carolina Caycedo’s in-progress “Prairie Root Portraits” 🌎🌾🌿   ...
04/22/2026

This Earth Day, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at Carolina Caycedo’s in-progress “Prairie Root Portraits” 🌎🌾🌿  
  
Developed during her recent residency at Island Press, the Sam Fox School’s printmaking workshop, this new series examines systems of reciprocity between people and plants, with a focus on the underground root-to-soil relationships of Midwestern prairie grasses. 
  
Come to the Kemper Art Museum this fall to discover the finished works in Caycedo’s highly anticipated solo exhibition, “Growing Deep Roots,” opening September 9. 
  
📸 Kate Munsch

04/15/2026

Happy World Art Day! Did you know that St. Louis’s Kemper Art Museum is free and open to all?

Tucked into WashU’s Danforth Campus near Forest Park, the Kemper Art Museum is one of the oldest teaching museums in the country—and the oldest art museum west of the Mississippi.

Home to an internationally renowned collection of more than 8,700 artworks, with especially strong holdings of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century European and American art, the Museum is housed in a striking building designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Fumihiko Maki.

Parking is easy in WashU’s East End Garage, just steps from our entrance. Your next art discovery starts here 🎨

🎉  Fun fact: three living artists currently on view at the Kemper Art Museum were all born on the same day—April 14!    ...
04/14/2026

🎉  Fun fact: three living artists currently on view at the Kemper Art Museum were all born on the same day—April 14!   
   
Celebrate Gary Simmons, Catherine Opie, and Howardena Pindell. Their works are currently on view in the James M. Kemper Gallery and Garen Gallery as part of permanent collection installations exploring contemporary art from the postwar period through the early 2010s.  
   
Come visit the Museum to discover the stories behind these compelling artworks.  
    
Image Credits:   
Gary Simmons (American, b. 1964), “Plaza Inferno Grid,” 2008. Oil and pigment on six pieces of gessoed paper, 102 x 67 1/2 x 2 in. University purchase, Bixby Fund, 2012.
 
Catherine Opie (American, b. 1961), “L.A. Uprising, Catalina Rooftop, 1992,” 1992, printed 2024. Pigment print, 30 x 37 1/2 in. University purchase, with funds from Joanne Gold, Pamela Mass, and Helen Kornblum, 2024.   
 
Catherine Opie (American, b. 1961), “Trash,”1994. Chromogenic color print, 60 x 30 in. University purchase, Bixby Fund, and with funds from Helen Kornblum, 2012.   
 
Howardena Pindell (American, b. 1943), “Free, White and 21,” 1980. Color video with sound, 12:15 min. University purchase, Bixby Fund, 2012.

Address

Washington University In St. Louis, One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO
63130

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

(314) 935-4523

Website

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