ST. LOUIS, MO.- St. Louisans and tourists have flocked to the
Saint Louis Art Museum, which welcomed 171,488 to Sunken Cities: Egypts Lost Worlds. The exhibition, which closed Sunday, made its North American premiere in St. Louis after touring Europe.
Before it made its North American premiere in St. Louis, the exhibition of treasures discovered by underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio already had proven an international sensation. It previously was shown at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, the British Museum in London and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. The exhibition now moves to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where it opens Nov. 4.
Museum officials set a goal of 100,000 visitors, which was exceeded in early July. Sunken Cities was the best-attended exhibition since the museum relocated its main exhibition galleries to the new East Building in 2013.
Our visitors embraced Sunken Cities, and we are grateful for their enthusiasm, said Brent R. Benjamin, the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. This exhibition brought St. Louisans to the museum as well as many new visitors from across the region, and it gave them the opportunity to rediscover great works of art from a culture different and distant from our own. I look forward to welcoming them for future exhibitions and in the collection galleries in the years to come.
The museums next ticketed exhibition is Graphic Revolution: American Prints 1960 to Now, opening Nov. 11. The exhibition presents the story of contemporary American printmaking through more than 110 prints and artists editions by a diverse group of artists whose visual imagery helped define the spirit of their time.