HIGHLIGHTS IN CAM’S HISTORY

1979                                   

• A group of civic, cultural, and educational leaders, alarmed with the prospect of an “artless” downtown, come together with the hope of maintaining the presence of art as a complement to commercial activity. They hold initial meetings to form a cultural center in Laclede’s Landing. 
• The Center for Metropolitan Studies, University of Missouri – St. Louis agrees to serve as organizational office.
• Concept for new arts center is presented to the Laclede’s Landing Redevelopment Corporation.

1980 

• The First Street Forum (CAM’s original name) is named to reflect the purpose of the organization as a forum to “foster open discussions on issues of public interest.”
• First Street Forum is incorporated in State of Missouri
• Jean S. Tucker voted first Chair of Board of Directors
• First Street Forum hosts a promotional event sponsored by Ralston-Purina to introduce the concept to prospective supporters.
• Architectural plans for renovating a 1,600 sq. ft. space at 717 N. First Street, (Raeder Place) are presented to Kimble A. Cohn & Associates.  First Street Redevelopment Partnership announces a contribution of two years free rent.
• Renovation of First Street Forum’s 1,600 sq. ft. space begins in October.

1981

• Laurel Meinig is appointed the first Executive Director
• The First Street Forum opens to the public.   Inaugural exhibition, from the Museum of American Folk Art, New York, opens, Small Folk: A Celebration of Childhood in America.  Ongoing programming begins with first year budget of $151,000.
• “The Forum is, in fact, a new and refreshing kind of institution, part cultural and part something else, and that something else drives from the meaning of Forum – for it is a place where timely issues may be discussed and opinions expressed, a place of cataclysms for the public good, a place which, while doing these things, will place no inordinate burden on the public’s ability to support it.” Jean S. Tucker, First Street Forum Board President, October 1, 1981.

1984

• Harriet Traurig named second Executive Director

1987

• After a year of review and a feasibility study with extensive community input, the Forum’s Board of Directors initiates a $500,000 development campaign to relocate the Forum to 555 Washington Avenue in the heart of St. Louis’ downtown central business district. “The 5,500 square foot space will house a gallery area twice the size of our previous gallery so we can offer larger and more comprehensive exhibits. The meetings, lectures, performances, educational programs, volunteer activities and private functions. There will be a store front retail area to provide a stream of revenue for our continued financial stability. Our new facility will increase community involvement and enhance our membership development. Our highly visible location in the middle of one of St. Louis’ busiest redevelopment areas will greatly improve our traffic flow.”

1988 

• Andrea Kirsh named third Executive Director.
• The First Street Forum changes its name to “The Forum” and moves to 555 Washington Avenue. The new facilities allow for larger and more complex exhibitions and a lecture/performance space. Most importantly, the new location offers access to a larger number of people and the opportunity for a wide range of programs that interest them.

1991

• Betsy Millard named as fourth Executive Director.

1992

• The Forum is renamed the “Forum for Contemporary Art” and relocates to the recently created Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District. The Board realizes the importance of this opportunity to become the visual arts anchor for this ambitious development.

1995 

• New Art in the Neighborhood, an education program providing arts education to local teens, is launched by FCA Education Director Roseann Weiss.

1998 

• Capital and Endowment Campaign kicks off to raise funds for a new permanent building in Grand Center.

2001 

• The ground-breaking of construction on the new, permanent building at 3750 Washington Blvd. designed by Architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture.
• Paul Ha recruited from Yale University to serve as first Director of the new Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

2003

• Inaugural Gala, a star-studded event, celebrates the opening of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
• Curator Shannon Fitzgerald organizes the Contemporary’s inaugural exhibition, A Fiction of Authenticity: Contemporary Africa Abroad.

2004

• The first Great Rivers Biennial highlights the work of three emerging artists from the St. Louis area.
• First Annual Distinguished Speaker Series lecture by Glenn Lowry, Director of the Museum of Modern Art.

2005 

• The $5 million Contemporary Challenge endowment campaign is launched
• The Contemporary ArtReach education program launched, bringing contemporary art into St. Louis Public Schools.
• The Contemporary starts podcasting and blogging, and is among the first museums in the country to do so.
• First issue of MESH magazine published
• Monthly Select Nights, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, make the Contemporary the place to be in St. Louis for twenty and thirty-somethings.

2006 

• The Contemporary launches ArtLink, a collaborative young friends group, with other St. Louis art organizations.
• First City-Wide Open Studios held to connect the St. Louis community with regional artists.
• Contemporary introduces Flat Files program to make artwork from area artists available to public

2007 

• The Contemporary successfully meets the Pulitzer Challenge and pays off all building debt, and raises a $5 million endowment—before its 4th birthday.
• New Chief Curator Anthony Huberman takes the helm at the Contemporary.

2008 

• Contemporary launches The Front Room series of short exhibitions by artists and others.

2009 

• The Contemporary hosts its 5th Anniversary Gala honoring two St. Louis greats, Ernest Trova and Tom Friedman

2010 

• The Contemporary honors Emily Rauh Pulitzer at its Annual Gala
• Contemporary launches new Teen Museum Studies program, first of its kind in nation
• New Chief Curator Dominic Molon joins from MCA Chicago
• The Contemporary begins using QR codes to convey digital information to visitors

2011 

• The Contemporary reintroduces itself as “CAM” with a new design look and website
• CAM launches iPod digital gallery tours to all visitors
• The Museum publishes the CAM Channel, which chronicles the exhibitions and programs at the museum through on ongoing series of videos featuring leading curators, educators, and the most innovative artists today
• CAM is one of the first art museums in the nation to launch a fully customized app for iPhone and Android platforms 

2012

• After an eleven-year tenure at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, where she served as Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Programs, CAM welcomes Lisa Melandri as its new Director. Ms. Melandri brings considerable expertise to the position, having curated solo exhibitions of work by Mickalene Thomas and William Pope.L, among other noted contemporary artists, and overseeing dynamic new museum initiatives such as the Project Room, an exhibition series focused on emerging artists. She holds an MA in art history from Williams College and a BA from Harvard.