The Sheldon Art Galleries presents the 7th annual Golf the Galleries interactive exhibition, June 14 – August 11, 2024, sponsored by UMB Bank. The playable, artist-designed, nine-hole mini golf installation will again be in the Sheldon Art Galleries space and is designed to be inclusive, family-friendly and accessible. The nine unique mini golf holes are designed by St. Louis area artists, architects and creative agencies. Tickets are $12 adults / $10 children 12 and under. Golf the Galleries is open Tuesday – Thursday, 12 – 5 p.m.; Friday, 12 – 8 p.m.; and Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. No advanced reservations will be offered this season. Sales will be accepted at the door only for maximum flexibility. All proceeds from Golf the Galleries support The Sheldon’s visual arts programming, which offers local and national artists opportunities to share their work with the St. Louis community through free gallery exhibition and education programs.  

Here is what you will see at Golf the Galleries: 

Treads and Tones by Trivers

This hole introduces a contest between two players, using a ‘staircase’ of varying rhythm and obstacle with the guarantee of a hole-in-one — though this is the only guarantee to be found at this hole. Designed as an inherently inclusive race between two competitors, each play results in its own serendipity — from the various paths the balls travel, to the obstacles each encounters, to the ever-changing duets they compose through sound, each play is distinct and unrepeatable with the exception of a universally shared finale — the culminating clang of the predetermined hole: the cowbell.

Trivers is an architecture, planning, urban design and interiors firm, founded in 1975. We have expertise in both historic renovation and new construction of higher education, government, housing and treatment center facilities. We have been recognized for numerous awards for architectural excellence, including five AIA awards in the last three years for the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, Flance Early Learning Center, Washington University Women’s Building and the SIUE Art and Design Expansion.

Still Standing, STL by Dave Kish

At risk buildings tell stories through their facades, and there’s an element of archaeology to discovering and rendering them. While many St. Louis buildings are in ruins, the interest and proficiency in preservation is far greater here than other historic districts.

Dave Kish is a graduate of the Lehigh University Department of Art and Architecture. He also studied at the international design think-tank, SCI-Arc, and lectured on architecture history at the University of Arizona. He has worked in the architecture profession as a manual draftsman, model maker, designer, builder, and handyman. From 2010 to 2014, Dave taught full-time at a charter school in southern Arizona where he developed an architecture curriculum for underprivileged youth. That’s where he began using scavenged cardboard as an art-making medium.

Keep Your Ball on the Eye by Paradowski Creative

 Immerse yourself in a fusion of visual art and auditory wonder with our mini golf art installation. This course is a multisensory mini adventure where dynamic soundscapes created by the player blend with playful visual aesthetic. As you navigate the course, your senses will be delighted and challenged, creating an experience that celebrates the harmonious interplay between sight and sound.

Paradowski Creative is a full-service creative agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. Those who drop by the agency would find roughly 100 writers, designers, strategists, producers, and developers working on all kinds of amazing stuff. Our team builds brands, campaigns, and digital experiences for some of the largest companies on the planet, as well as some of the smallest, not-for-profit organizations. We combine strategy, creativity, and innovative technology to bring the benefits of great design to the constantly changing world of brand expression. Basically, we do work we believe in for clients we believe in.

The Doughnut Hole by Martin Lammert

Join artist Martin Lammert for coffee and doughnuts. The challenge will be to make it through the box of donuts without taking one! Watch out for the spilled coffee!

Lammert was born in 1990 in St. Louis Missouri and currently lives in University City. Receiving his MFA from Washington University in 2022, Martins multidisciplinary work often composes itself as large scale kinetic and interactive installations. He enjoys transforming basic, used and store-bought materials to make sculpture; insulation foam, rags, lumber, steel, PVC, buckets, tarps, factory sealed goods, towels and car repair putty. His formal decisions involve size, color, material, and balance, while themes of allegory, word play, and chance make conceptual contributions. He utilizes geometry as a restraint to evoke a sense of non-confrontational care and attention.

Wonderland Whirl by City Museum 

City Museum’s Wonderland Whirl is a whimsical mini golf experience that takes players on a journey through the enchanting world of Wonderland. Tee off at the magical teacup, the beginning of a fantastic adventure! The golf hole embraces sustainability by incorporating a foundation of sturdy repurposed wood. It features a touch of environmental consciousness utilizing recycled cans and other upcycled material throughout, aligning with city Museum’s commitment to repurposing. 

Ash and Smoke by Jedidiah Moody

“J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy has had a special place in my heart since I was six years old. When my older siblings first watched the films, I joined the audience by hiding under the dining room table, using the tablecloth as camouflage from my mother who deemed me too young for such adventures. From that moment on, my blankets were hooded cloaks, and my long johns were chain mail. Today, my love for Tolkien’s world collides with my passion for carpentry, using volcanic rock, clay, and reclaimed materials to recreate the realm of Mordor. Follow the path taken by Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes, past the Black Gate, and across the rocky plains into the Fires of Mt. Doom. The song playing in the room is Ash and Smoke by Howard Shore, from the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”                                                                                                                 ~ Jedidiah Moody

Jedidiah Moody is the Facilities Assistant at the Sheldon and lives in St. Louis, Missouri. With a rural upbringing and a background in construction, Jedidiah is often found helping friends and family with various construction and remodeling projects, repurposing old materials from his family’s farm. In his spare time, Jedidiah enjoys hiking and playing guitar.

River Monsters by Webster University Sculpture Department

 Visiting Assistant Professor Noah Kirby and his beginning sculpture students from Webster University’s Department of Art, Design and Art History present River Monsters. The students learned to work in steel and other mediums during the spring semester to create sculptures that explore imaginary creatures of the Mississippi river.

The mission of The Department of Art, Design and Art History (DADAH) within the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University is to provide students with the artistic training, preparation and scholarship necessary to achieve excellence in the arts as emerging professionals. Students get an art academy- like education within a liberal arts institution while confronting challenging ideas and technologies into a synthesis of tradition and innovation. The faculty and students share a passion for learning and hold the belief that in a diverse and technologically advancing world, Art serves as an expression of our culture’s deeper values. DADAH creates a space for fostering creativity, inclusivity, and Art-Making that is part of a larger world.

Welcome to the Rink by LitShop

Hole Sponsored by Dick and Mary Ann Shaw

 Welcome to the Rink is LitShop’s third consecutive contribution to Golf the Galleries. Our hole is a tribute to the timeless icon of Americana, the local roller rink. Included in our design are ubiquitous elements of roller rinks in communities across the country, such as concession stands, common rink games, rink decor, roller derby, and the iconic brown and orange rink skate.

 LitShop is a non-profit organization that pairs literacy with hands-on making and building for girls and gender-expansive youth ages 10-16. Founded in 2019, LitShop offers workshops in reading, writing, building, and making through modalities such as design, woodworking, carpentry, printmaking, and fiber arts. They partner with local organizations such as Women in Architecture, Ballet 314, APA of MO, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and Intersect Arts Center to collaboratively facilitate real-world project opportunities for our builders. By providing St. Louis kids with a supportive and creative environment, LitShop empowers them to write the stories they want to tell and build the world they want to see. The youth builders of LitShop who envisioned this golf hole have all participated in multiple camps or workshops and are vital and active members of our community.

The CLAAAAAAAWWWW! by Kelsey and Philip Jordan

The 9th hole combines the traditionally masculine aspects of arcade games – such as a claw machine – and golf with the fun and whimsical aspects of candy! Feel free to take pictures with the life size gummy bear but try to resist taking a bite out of it! At the end of the hole, the artists encourage you to use the claw to put your ball in the prize drop – which is used as the ball collector. Using the claw does not add to your strokes since it’s not a stroke of a golf club.

Together, Philip and Kelsey Jordan are experienced in construction as well as architectural and graphic design. Combining their experience with their enthusiasm and love for creating playful solutions to difficult problems, they create spaces with an emphasis on the end user and the feelings that environments provoke.

Get your group together and Golf the Galleries! A great way to celebrate birthdays, family reunions and more, we’re happy to help set up a custom party package for your special day! Email our Events Department to get started!