Hip-Hop Exhibit Opens Saturday at the St. Louis Art Museum

See major paintings and learn about emceeing, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti and more

Aug 15, 2023 at 12:08 pm

Courtesy St. Louis Art Museum

As part of the Five Pillars of Hip Hop community collaborations, St. Louis ArtWorks is hosting a 13-week graffiti mural residency.

Hip-hop celebrates half a century in existence this year, and the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive, 314-721-0072) is joining the celebration with an entire exhibit based on the emceeing, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti that make up the pillars of hip-hop.

Its exhibit The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century looks at the history of hip-hop worldwide, and includes paintings from artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, Julie Mehretu, Carrie Mae Weems and more; fashion from Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton collection and streetwear brand Cross Colours; and plenty of other “music ephemera,” as it’s described in promotional materials.

The exhibit opens at noon on Saturday, August 19, with the SLAM Block Party, a free festival that will be held in SLAM’s parking and will feature performances by a bevy of St. Louis’ finest hip-hop artists, including Run the Jewels DJ Trackstar, who will be joined by the likes of Rockwell Knuckles, Daemon & T-Dubb-O; Preacher in the Trap, a collaboration between Blvck Spvde and Tef Poe; the Beat Street DJs and many more.

Additional attractions will include graffiti demos, food trucks, dance battles and a school supply drive. Attendance is free. Visit slam.org/event/slam-block-party for more details.