Public Programs
Public Programs at CAM are created to accompany and interpret exhibitions by facilitating open, interactive discussion while integrating contemporary art education and entertainment.
Through partnerships with the local community, various cultural organizations, and creative individuals, the public programs are designed to provide accessible experiences for a wide range of audiences while promoting meaningful engagement with the most relevant and innovative art being made today.
Opening Nights
Opening Nights at CAM are exciting and diverse. Held three times a year on the occasion of new Main Gallery exhibitions, each Opening Night welcomes over 1,000 people — from art patrons to art students.
Contemporary Conversations
Contemporary Conversations include lectures and informal discussions with artists and curators. The series includes an Opening Weekend conversation with exhibiting artists and curators, plus a “Last Word” curatorial lecture prior to an exhibition closing.
CAM Nights
Get your weekend started early at CAM Nights, an ever-changing mix of culture and music on the third Thursday of each month. Mingle with friends and meet other young professionals while listening to the music of a new local DJ each month!
Feast Your Eyes
Join us on the first Saturday of each month for Food for Thought – a combination gallery tour and tasting by a local chef followed by a hands-on workshop with a local artist. The prorgram is free and no RSVP required. A great way to spend a Saturday at CAM!
Susan Sherman Annual Distinguished Speaker
Each year, CAM invites a distinguished art critic, curator, or director to give a stimulating public lecture. Past speakers have included Museum of Modern Art Director Glenn Lowry, New York Times Chief Art Critic Michael Kimmelman, Artist Maya Lin, Metropolitan Museum of Art Curator Jeff Rosenheim, Dean of the Yale University School of Art Robert Storr, and New York Magazine Chief Art Critic Jerry Saltz.
City-Wide Open Studios
CAM offers many ways for the public to see the work of local artists and enjoy one of the most exciting aspects of contemporary art—the chance to talk with the artists themselves! Every summer, artists throughout St. Louis open their studios to the public for CAM’s City-Wide Open Studios weekend.
Free Family Programs
CAM is a great place for kids of all ages. Parents with infants in tow can join Stroller Tours before CAM opens, while the toddler set can get their hands dirty with art projects and storytelling at Tiny Tots Play Dates. Or, bring the whole family for special Halloween and Valentine’s Day Free Family Days each year.
Homegrown Summer
As St. Louis’s premiere institution for contemporary art, CAM celebrates the city’s diverse and dynamic cultural landscape, all under the umbrella of our Homegrown Summer theme. Alongside our latest Great Rivers Biennialexhibition – featuring three incredible artists (David Johnson, Asma Kazmi, and Mel Trad) living and working in St. Louis – we are proud to present a whole season of engaging programs that feature artists, performers, and practitioners that have all, at one point or another, called this city home.
