CAM’s Teen Museum Studies program (TMS) is a summer-intensive internship that guides high school-aged participants through the process of selecting a St. Louis-based artist and presenting an exhibition of their work. The 2026 TMS cohort selected Neeka Allsup for her dedication to self discovery and personal reflection through surrealist paintings.

Allsup’s work is deeply inspired by her interests in psychology, tarot cards, and dream analysis. This imbues her art with a personal, mysterious component that explores symbolism within the subconscious. Her exhibition, Infinite Landscapes, invites viewers to incorporate their unique personalities into the artwork through custom interactive tarot cards that allow for hundreds of thousands of permutations.

Her idea for the dream-like landscape is to create a welcoming environment for introspection that isn’t given enough space in the fast-paced modern world—where social media distracts us with the carefully-curated lives of others. Allsup’s work hopes to reground us in our own identities and aspirations by inviting us to look inward and find clarity in the surreal.

Neeka Allsup: Infinite Landscapes is organized for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis by the 2026 Teen Museum Studies cohort: Vajra Binion-Anderson, Claire Eltoft, Ivy Kanak, Estella Meyr, Suraq Sahed, Sophia Samaki, Lennon Sharp, Geronimo Thomas, Wyatt Valleroy, Khloe Wallace, Phoenix Whetstone, and Jacob Williams, with support from Brandon Barr, Teen and Adult Programs Manager.