THE VISION

It all began in 1985 when John and J. Luray Schaffner arrived on the St Louis art scene from Alexandria, Virginia. John, an architect with the May Company and sculptor, and J. Luray, a mixed media artist were transferred to St. Louis. Both J. Luray and John were founding board members of the Torpedo Factory. Joyce Rosen, founding director, along with the Schaffner’s, had many brainstorming conversations about the Torpedo Factory and how we needed a facility like this in the St. Louis area. In 1990 after many visits to the Torpedo Factory, Joyce realized the potential and began writing the business plan for an art facility.

THE BIRTH OF THE FOUNDRY ART CENTRE

In 1993, through Mosaics Missouri Festival of the Arts, Grace Nichols, Mayor of the City of St. Charles, 1987-1995, and Richard Sacks, who served as board members of the festival were shown the plan. So began the development of the Foundry Art Centre, a joint venture between community leaders and officials from the City of St. Charles. Without the avid sponsorship of the mayor and the city council there was no way this project could have been completed.

A special word of thanks must go to Tom Engel who devoted much of his time to make the Foundry Art Centre a reality. In February 2003 a group traveled with Paric to The Torpedo Factory, located in Alexandria, Virginia. Chris Malone, Project Supervisor, at Paric, said to Joyce Rosen lets go to the Torpedo Factory, show us what you want. Special recognition of the following Board of Directors, the late Jill Baue, Chuck Gross, Mayor York, Rory Riddler, and Tom Engel for believing in the vision, we remain most grateful for all that you did to make so much possible.

HISTORY OF THE FOUNDRY ART CENTRE

The Foundry Art Centre resides in what was once a train car factory; a 1940’s structure that housed that was owned by The American Car & Foundry. Rather than demolish this 36,800 square foot building, the dedicated Executive Director, Board of Directors and Artist Advisory Board of the Foundry, along with the officials with the City of St. Charles, worked tirelessly to complete the 2.2 million dollar renovation and open the regions’ premiere, interactive, interdisciplinary art center.

Financially, the Foundry Art Centre was a complex venture. The City of St. Charles made the project possible with a transaction for the purchase of the property and a financial commitment for renovation and ongoing support. A 2.2 million dollar commitment for the renovation of the 1940’s American Car & Foundry building in St. Charles, Missouri, was made by the city. It originally allocated a two hundred thousand dollars management fee annually to the Foundry Art Centre, which is currently used to pay the debt service on the bonds and the annual cost of the City parking lot adjacent to the Foundry. The City commitment of $1.6 million was financed through the issuance of bonds by the City of St. Charles. The rest of the renovation costs was the responsibility of the Foundry Board and this has been paid in full. We rely on grants, contributions, bequests and user fees to carry the operating load and to fund exhibitions and activities.

THE IMPACT OF THE NEW CENTRE

As a vibrant home to the arts, the Foundry Art Centre raises awareness and appreciation of the arts throughout the region. Alive with activity, the Center’s programming reinforces the importance of the arts and help ensure that arts and culture remain vital. Artists, patrons, young people, and the community at large find new ways to interact at this unique facility.
For the visual arts, the Foundry Art Center includes 5,200 square feet of exhibition space of Smithsonian caliber to host national exhibitions. Special touring exhibitions, curated exhibits and juried competitions are exhibited in the galleries, involving a variety of media. The on-going rotation of these exhibits encourages continuous community interaction with the Foundry. A stage in the Grand Hall provides space for performances and community concerts. Studios for artists have been built on a mezzanine level of the building, with open glass fronts to allow visitors to see artists at work and talk with them as they practice their crafts.
The Foundry serves as a cultural resource for the entire metro community and allows the community to embrace exhibits that have thus far been unavailable to the St. Charles region for lack of suitable space. Exhibitions for the Foundry’s Smithsonian caliber galleries I, II and III are in place two years in advance. Since 2001 a volunteer artist advisory board of 25 people working with the Executive Director that consists of university art educators, gallery representatives and artists, plans exhibitions. All shows are vetted by an outside, independent juror. This board also assesses and schedules children’s artwork from around the region for exhibition in the Baue Family Children’s Gallery. The exhibition schedule for the children’s exhibitions schedule is determined two years out.

The Foundry Art Centre is an exciting and dynamic education, visual and performing arts center for the entire greater St. Charles/St. Louis Community. The warehouse architectural development that is The Foundry Art Centre is a significant tourist attraction for all creative people and friends of the arts and those who have never ‘tasted’ the arts, but are intrigued. It enhances Historical Main Street and offer visitors a place to interact with the artists producing their artwork in The Foundry Art Studios.
The Foundry Art Centre’s importance to the city is clear. It anchors North Main Street and the southern edge of Frenchtown. It has become a focal point that brings thousands of people to a part of the city that they rarely visited. It is the crown of Main Street and a serious cultural center for the entire region.

The Foundry Art Centre opened its doors on May 9, 2004. As we celebrate each anniversary of the Foundry Art Centre we look with pride at the distance we have traveled. Most people do not realize that it has actually been more than 20 years since the Foundry Art Centre’s official inception. On August 1, 1997 some dreamers incorporated this fabulous project and began years of work to bring it to what it is today. Untold man hours went into planning, negotiating, designing, re-designing and construction.

So often, when working on a project like this, the original direction is changed or diluted because of practical limitations. Not so with the Foundry Art Centre. What you see and enjoy now is exactly what the original concept called for. It speaks to the diligence of the people involved, who would not compromise on quality in exchange for expedience. In the end, your active participation is what makes the Foundry Art Centre a success.

We thank you and look forward to many more years of excitement, creativity and enjoyment.

Laura Helling
Executive Director