Pulitzer Arts Foundation

the space is incredible. great shows. free reception, free drinks. very kind and friendly staff. the best place for people watching in STL. what else could one want?
I love it.

I’m not sure how I feel about the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in general, but the building is fascinating.
The museum is a cement slab next to the Contemporary. From the outset, you can tell that anything within will be modern. Inside, there’s someone to talk to you about the featured exhibit and offer you maps and guides. In my case, the exhibit was devoted to Donald Judd, an artist who put metal «boxes» together in different sizes and color combinations. As my friend and I wound through each room of the building, docents were around to answer questions and make sure nobody touched the exhibit materials, even suggesting that we slip outside to a «secret» (ok, not a secret, but it felt special) patio where we could stand above a water featre and see Midtown’s gorgeous buildings.
The building is not very big, and it only has three floors (I think): the main floor, a lower exhibit space, and a top floor. The lower floor had several rooms for art installations and a long hall that led to elevators, restrooms and the artist’s original notes from decades ago. The top floor had a couple of metal chairs, a green roof and a patio. The inside of the building mostly was smooth slab concrete just like the outside.
As we were leaving, the person at the front table suggested that we take a couple of thick paperbacks on Judd’s work with us. We had initially thought that these were for purchase only, but they were free, so we each took one. Glad we did! Inside, there’s all kinds of information about the exhibit, plus many photos of Judd’s art. This easily is a coffeetable book. The person also gave us some pins and the museum newsletter. Looking forward to the breakdancing contest in January! Wow! What a way to marry art forms!
Not bad for a free museum! I’ll have to return to see how the space holds up for another exhibit.

The shows are really awesome but the staff make it unpleasant to be there because of their snobby attitudes. I’m an art historian who goes to museums and galleries a lot so I don’t appreciate visiting somewhere with such a negative vibe.

I went here a year ago with a teacher and couple of fellow students and really found the art here to be pretty cozy.
One of the pluses of this place is the design of the building. The signature thing here which isn’t even a piece of art is a small little section of water between 2 sides of the building; it is very unique.
We walked around, looked at the art, and had all our questions answered by the helpful staff.
Definitely recommend as one of the museum-​like places to see in Saint Louis.

I’ll keep this simple: it’s an amazing building that would be infinitely better if it were left totally empty. Outside of a few exhibitions in the past 8 – 10 years, there’s been little to remember about this place outside of the amazing architecture. Three stars because it’s among the finest buildings I’ve seen anywhere in the world, but only three because it’s intended to be more than that.

Came here today to see an exhibition on break-​ups upon invitation from a friend. Having recently gone through one (I did it through calling), this exhibition provided a little comic relief. At one point, I had to use the bathroom. Quite stark & clean. And only 1 toilet! Seriously, seriously! I have a GI disorder where sometimes I have to use the bathroom at a moment’s notice. Sometimes, you don’t know what’s real in an art place like this. There is a gorgeous outdoor endless pool that looked like there was water bubbling. Only, it was raining. Quite an illusion. You don’t realize it’s really raining until you look outside the entrance.

Taking in the Buddha Exhibit with the South City Girls!
I adore this space! The staff was very helpful & knowledgeable. If you ever have the chance to stop by and take in an exhibit you should not pass it up! There are indoor and outdoor exhibit pieces. The architecture is phenomenal!
For this exhibit they had a glossy full color book to take along with you while you examined the pieces, very nice touch, as you could tell they spent a pretty penny on their creation… but it was free! I’ve paid $ 20.00 or more at other exhibits for the same type of souvenir.
Parking is pretty good and there are tons of wonderful restaurants (my personal fave is Kota) within walking distance to grab a bite after you tour the exhibit.

I like anything that promotes the art and cultural scene in St. Louis. That being said, I don’t like the Pulitzer as much as I thought I would.
The big thing about the Pulitzer is the architecture. And if I was rating the architecture alone, it definitely gets five stars. Created by Tadao Ando, the structure is as precise as it is symbolic to providing a blank slate to encourage discussion of the artwork that it holds within its walls. Connected to the CAM by a courtyard, it’s easy to see that in both places, the architecture itself speaks volume of the art it is trying to portray. I think the infinity pool itself is the best part of the Pulitzer, worth the trip alone.
Whenever I enter, it’s very hushed, and I always feel like I have to speak in a whisper, especially once in the galleries because everything echoes. But it’s not a good kind of quiet… it almost has a pompous feel to it. Everything feels transient in the galleries as they have explanations and guides to the exhibits printed on laminated brochures instead of on the walls. There is plenty of room between exhibits, which gives it almost an empty and desolate feeling to the area. Which detracts from the entire experience, as I think the atmosphere supersedes the art, while it should be the opposite.
If you’re an architectural buff or just need some time to sit somewhere and reflect, this is the place to go. Otherwise, there are other better artsy places in St. Louis to hit up.

The Pulitzer is a very nice museum. The building itself is noteworthy for its architectural originality. There is truly no other place like it in St. Louis. I visited it on the same day as the Kemper and CAM. Those are nice museums, but this one kind of stands out. It probably didn’t hurt that the items on exhibit were priceless.
If you go, be sure and take a walk into the Serra sculpture «Joe» outside. If you’re a sketchy character like me, one of the attendants might follow you in, which is kind of weird but understandable.
The museum is always free, so there is no reason not to stop by every once in a while if you’re any kind of art lover. Every exhibit might not be your cup of tea, but take a chance and maybe expand your horizons just a bit.
I’m not really that sketchy, by the way.

A hidden sanctuary in the city. I love the architecture and of course Richard Serra’s sculpture. I am looking forward to coming back on the rainy days and snowy days. It must have different ambiance to the space.

As far as buildings go, this one is a real gem! I’ve seen a handful of Ando buildings and this one pretty much holds up next to the others. I would imagine, for non-​architects, it may be hard to see the beauty in a concrete structure. But I would encourage those people to take the time and learn about the building itself.
The exhibit I saw was an interesting one, but I was disappointed that the collection of art was not bigger and that the exhibit itself stayed in the building for many months before a new one comes along! If I actually lived in St Louis, that will be really disappointing!
Also, the museum does something unique in not putting explanatory signage next to the art. Instead they give you a program, «take-​away», that describes the art. Not sure if I like this method because those are usually the kinds of things I put in my «to-​do» pile and then after months of not doing them they land in the trash!

This is a wonderful cultural resource for the City of St. Louis. This is not a museum, but on the days that it is open to the public, it functions like one.
My favorite part (as an architect) is the building itself. This is a fine work by a master architect, Mr. Tadao Ando. We’re lucky to have a great work by such a great artist open to the public. The space is very modern, minimalist, introspective, and quintessentially Japanese.
The building is not very large so there tend to be a small number of works on display. But, coupled with the great space and outdoor sculpture courtyard (shared with the Contemporary Art Musuem) it is a great place to experience world-​class art & architecture.

The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts is a fantastic gem that St. Louis is lucky to have. I was so excited to visit and to learn more about Pulitzer. He was a Hungarian who settled in St. Louis in the 1800s and started work on a newspaper, which became our St. Louis Post Dispatch. Down the line came the Pulitzer Prize.
The building itself is a marvel, and is the work of a famous Japanese architect. There are many installations here that draw you in, and one that does this literally [check it out and you’ll find it]. It feels good just being here, as this artistic space was created with a great sense of peace. There are wide spaces and small areas, and there is even a pond that you can stop to look at.
Admission is free, which I really like. I just caught the Dan Flavin exhibit and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are into art, this is definitely a place that you’ll want to check out. I’ll be back… a lot. I think it took me so long to find them because of their strange hours.

adjacent to the contemporary art museum of saint louis, the pulitzer foundation for the arts has consistently well-​curated rotating exhibitions. the space is well designed, and the pieces are given plenty of room for viewing [unlike many more traditional museums and galleries].
it’s worth visiting during the day to fully appreciate the building’s interior and exterior design, while the nighttime events are perfect for socialising with artists, art lovers, and curious passersby.