Long-Term Memory

As the arts scene in St. Louis continues to expand, the venerable Philip Slein Gallery (1319 Washington Avenue) remembers two of our late leading modernists: Arthur Osver and Ernestine Betsberg. They came to St. Louis in 1960 when Osver was hired as an instructor at Washington University; he was coming off a teaching stint at Yale and a tenure-track position as a Greenwich Village scenester. Betsberg was his partner for more than 70 years, and the artists’ works are strikingly complementary. Osver and Betsberg continued painting throughout their long lives (her work is pictured), and the In Memoriam show at the Slein gallery bookends their globe-hopping careers with an exhibition of some of their earliest and last works. With the multiplicity of gallery births in St. Louis -- Cherokee Street, Maplewood, Clayton and Wash. Ave. are home to many -- it’s good to check out work by top-tier artists like Osver and Betsberg, who gave this city their best years. In Memoriam opens Friday, July 6, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m., and it remains on view through Friday, August 31. Call 314-621-4634 or visit www.philipsleingallery.com for more information.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 6. Continues through Aug. 31