Preserving Community to Be Focus of Pulitzer's 'Lost Buildings' Event

In Conversation: Michael Allen and Robert Green will cover much more than salvaging buildings

By Sarah Fenske

Jan 22, 2024 at 6:00 am

Image: The event is presented in conjunction with the last week of the art museum's Urban Archaeology: The Lost Buildings of St. Louis exhibit.

The event is presented in conjunction with the last week of the art museum's Urban Archaeology: The Lost Buildings of St. Louis exhibit. COURTESY PHOTO

For the past four months, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation (3716 Washington Avenue) has featured in its modernist concrete halls some of the most beautiful ghosts in a city that's full of them.

In conjunction with the National Building Arts Center based in Sauget, Illinois, its Urban Archaeology: The Lost Buildings of St. Louis exhibit gives our city's detritus the attention it deserves, even as it asks important questions about what gets saved and what gets destroyed.

Not only is this week one of your final chances to see this moving exhibit, but it's also a great opportunity to hear Michael Allen, executive director of the National Building Arts Center, tease out the bigger themes behind the beautiful bric-a-brac on display.

In Conversation: Michael Allen and Robert Green features Allen talking with Robert Green, an artist, activist and owner of Rudo Studio in the St. Louis Place neighborhood who has worked to reclaim historical artifacts honoring the city's African American population. They'll talk about salvage and, equally importantly, community preservation.

The conversation takes place on Wednesday, January 24, at 6:30 p.m., and it's free and open to the public. Details at pulitzerarts.org.

This limestone relief panel was part of the West End Hotel, which was constructed in 1891 and razed in 1972.

New Pulitzer Exhibit Showcases the Beauty of St. Louis' Lost Buildings: Urban Archaeology: Lost Buildings of St. Louis features salvaged architectural pieces from Sauget's National Building Arts Center

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Arts Stories & Interviews St. Louis events things to do urban archaeology Pulitzer Arts Foundation Michael Allen National Building Arts Center

About The Author

Sarah Fenske

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