Solo Exhibitions

Scouts or Sports?
Saint Louis Art Museum
St. Louis, Missouri
October 23, 2015 – February 14, 2016

Curated by Simon Kelly, with Molly Moog

Installation photos courtesy of Saint Louis Art Museum

Dad ‘N’ Ladd, 2015: The central landscape on the floor was made of hand-crafted grid boxes which could stack into a towering sculpture or open up and spread across the ground like thousands of miniature tents. It was inspired by a Cub Scout trip called “Dad and Ladd.”

Growing up in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Art Museum was one of our first encounters with the visual arts. Our mom made sure we visited regularly. As kids, we giggled at Roman statues, marveled at contemporary works, and were hypnotized by Ellsworth Kelly’s Spectrum. So when we were invited to exhibit there, it felt like coming full circle.

Currents 111: Scouts or Sports? was rooted in a childhood turning point. In fifth grade, our parents, overwhelmed by shuttling four kids to activities, gave us a choice: Scouts or sports. Though many assume we picked Scouts, given our handmade practice, we all chose sports! The show explored memories from both paths—peppered with humor, nostalgia, and moments of vulnerability.

“We also hosted a massive Scrollathon, engaging nearly 750 participants from across St. Louis. The final collaborative piece was installed at the museum alongside our solo works.”

One standout work was Kids in the Car, a green scroll-based landscape inspired by a quirky backseat game—clacking our teeth every time we passed a pristine lawn. Other works like Injury reflected the chaos of youth, while the blown-glass ants paid tribute to a childhood ant infestation that, over time, became a symbol of family and community.

“The opening night was unforgettable—over 2,400 people came. Family, old classmates, neighbors, even the gas station owner from Steven’s first job showed up (and later mailed us his oil-stained shirt as a memento). It was a night of celebration, memory, and deep connection to our roots.”

The exhibition featured twelve wall-mounted color landscapes, a monumental central sculpture, and site-specific installations—including interventions into the museum’s historic period rooms. Each piece recalled a story: from Cub Scout trips to Missouri caverns, to fiery high school football games, to the silent trauma of being closeted in an all-boys school.

A Scrollathon engaging nearly 750 people from across St. Louis was also staged. The final collaborative piece was installed at the museum alongside our solo works.

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