Dutchtown is getting a new public art installation to honor the neighborhood’s heart, soul and grit through visual storytelling.
Artist Kyle Brandt-Lubart created Remnants, Shadows & Pathways, an assemblage of sculptures, by using discarded objects found on the streets of Dutchtown. Brandt-Lubart’s sculptures were inspired by the neighborhood’s history and nuanced identity.
“To me, the most important angles were the idea of human movement, and the importance of immigration and immigrant community members being pillars within the neighborhood,” Brandt-Lubart says. "I think that's one of the things that's felt important to me and thinking about this idea of human movement, and just acknowledging that other piece of human movement that is the impact of white flight in the city of St. Louis, the region, the country, but certainly in the Dutchtown neighborhood.”
Brandt-Lubart has lived and worked in Dutchtown since 2015, and holds the neighborhood close to her heart. So much so that she also currently serves as community co-chair for Dutchtown Main Streets’ Design Committee.
The idea for her sculptures sprang from a walk through the neighborhood during which she spotted an interesting shadow, which sparked her creativity and inspired her to keep the shadows in mind while creating her sculptures.
“There's nine individual pieces,” she says. “In the pocket park there's this really big tree right in the middle and to maximize the shadow effect, the idea was to hang different things on and around and from the tree to make it almost like a mobile.”
Though there’s a handful to choose from, Brandt-Lubart’s favorite pieces are ones she created out of old railroad spikes near the Missouri Pacific Railroad Line, rust-dyed recycled fabric from Thomas Dunn Learning Center and and old wooden ladder she found in an alley that she cut up to make different window-like shapes.
Remnants, Shadows & Pathways' installation will take place Saturday, April 6, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the VAL Pocket Park (4755 Virginia Avenue). VAL Pocket Park is a newly established green space in Dutchtown, with Brandt-Lubart’s Regional Arts Commission-funded installation being the first of many arts-based initiatives to help activate the community space.
During the installation, community members will have the chance to enjoy music by DJ Jillian as well as some local foods and drinks. For more information, visit the Regional Art Commission's website.
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