(electronic music) - It's the 21st century Van Gogh experience, but don't forget that the original 19th century version will still be hanging around St. Louis.

It's a giant sculpture, but 15 years ago, "Animals Always" was a giant puzzle that needed to be carefully put back together piece by piece.

Nothing to see here?

Well, then you're not really trying.

The area's full of stuff to see and do.

And we check out the sights and the sounds, of the National Blues museum.

It's all next, on Living St. Louis.

(uppity music) (cars passing below) I'm Jim Kirchherr, and we've got stories about places to go, things to see, and things to do.

One of the hot ticket items these days?

Beyond Van Gogh.

More experience than exhibit, it's a combination of art and technology, of brush strokes and keystrokes.

But as Ruth Ezell reminds us, Van Gogh's art, the real thing, it's nothing new in St. Louis.

- Inside the large tent erected on the southern end of the Galleria parking lot, a sensory surprise awaits.

(soundscape music) Paintings of 19th century impressionist Vincent Van Gogh are interpreted with 21st century computer animation, set to an eclectic music score, and projected onto the walls and floors of the Starry Night pavilion.

The creative and technical team of Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience includes an art historian who chose some 300 works and writings for the project.

- It was all about finding something in Van Gogh's work that was still relevant today and showing people just how relevant he could be.

And so it was all about creating this journey from the get-go.

About selecting pieces of Van Gogh's work that would really underline just the light, the beauty, and the sheer color and joy that are in part of all of his paintings.

(soothing music) - Upon entering the pavilion, visitors learn Van Gogh's backstory.

Much of it through his own words taken from correspondence with his brother, Theo.

Next is the waterfall room, where colorful pixels stream down a wall, appear to splash to the floor, and flow across it.

Finally, the immersive experience itself.

Like stepping through a giant frame to connect with the work of a brilliant, yet emotionally troubled artist in a whole new way.

Because of the pandemic, much of the planning for Beyond Van Gogh and its tour was done remotely.

And team members, including Fanny Curtat, were forced to work in isolation.

- With this pandemic, being cooped up inside like we all were and struggling like we were, (cars passing) to have somebody who did struggle and was cooped up in an asylum and still managed to create Starry Night, there was a resonance to it that just made him feel even more relevant for us today.

- Fanny Curtat says she's especially excited about the St. Louis tour stop because visitors can attend the immersive experience and come here to the St. Louis Art museum, which has five Vincent Van Gogh paintings in its permanent collection.

- We're really lucky because we have, as you say, five paintings and they cover the- really the full range of Van Gogh's work.

So, you know, you come to the museum and you can really sort of trace the evolution of Van Gogh's career.

We have an early painting from 1884, which is Head of a Peasant Woman when he's using a darker palette.

Very kind of muted, but actually has a really interesting range of color, of blues and whites when you start to look at the painting.

And then from there, we sort of move on to the more kind of characteristic work of Van Gogh.

We have two paintings that he made when he was in Paris in 1887.

Basket of Apples, a really beautiful painting where he's playing with complimentary colors in a really fascinating way.

And then we have a painting of factories at Clichy where he's experimented with industrial subject matter, one of the first artists really to do that.

And then sort of, kind of culminating in the two final paintings that we have in the museum's collection, fascinating important works, which were both painted really in the final days of his life.

He spent the last two months of his life, in a town called Auveres, just to the north of Paris.

He painted 70 works there.

We have 2 of those, at the St. Louis Art museum.

And they're generally seen as being the culmination of Van Gogh's work.

So Stairway at Auveres is one of them over here, and then Vineyards at Auveres is the other here.

(light classical music) - And the public can enjoy the genuine articles long after the immersive experience is gone.

(cars passing below) - 15 years ago, another piece of artwork came to St. Louis.

And this one stayed because it's not the sort of thing you can pick up or even pack up and carry away.

How it got here and how it got put together?

That is quite a story.

(peppy music) (large diesel engine) - On May 8th, 2006, a half dozen trucks arrived at the St. Louis zoo from Rochester, New York, carrying the pieces of a gigantic steel puzzle.

A sculpture created for the zoo by Albert Paley called "Animals Always".

And this was just half of it.

Another caravan of trucks was due later in the week.

(helicopter) There was plenty of media coverage.

Cameras in helicopters had picked up the convoy as it headed down the highway to the zoo.

Among those on the ground on hand for the arrival?

Thelma Zalk, the woman who is giving this sculpture to the zoo- a $1 million present they hadn't even asked for.

In fact, Zalk wasn't even thinking about it until the day she met Albert Paley.

- It's all very fluky.

It's a thing that was meant to be.

I was on a art tour and they took us through his, we saw one of his works in front of Bausch + Lomb in Rochester, I think.

And he took us through his studio, which was very nice of him, on a Sunday morning.

And in a corner was a piece.

It was a bird made out of this.

And I said, what is that over there?

And he said, "That was a sample.

That was a piece I was going to build for the New York Central Park Zoo, and they reneged on the deal."

And I said, "It looks just fabulous!"

And so he showed me a picture of the whole gate, and I said, "We should have something like this in St.

Louis."

And that's how it all started.

- "Animals Always" is being billed as the largest zoo sculpture in the world.

130ft long, 36ft high.

And if you're looking for big art, metal sculptor Albert Paley is the go-to guy.

But this is big, even for him.

Paley began working on the drawings for the zoo sculpture in his Rochester studio years ago.

And from that he created a cardboard model.

The work would portray animals and their environments.

From jungle to savanna to swamp and sea.

Based on the drawing, Paley cut individual pieces and glued them all together, a process that would be redone in metal.

(large whooshing fan) First, on a small scale.

The zoo had been working all along with him, advising on the theme and the kinds of animals they wanted featured.

when all was agreed upon, (crane motor and banging) the full-sized pieces, 1,300 of them, like this ear for the elephant, were cut from steel plates.

In Paley's factory studio, the pieces still had to be bent, (welding tool) shaped, and then often reheated and bent some more to fit just so, where they would be welded into place.

And the elephant, (grinder) and some 59 other animals, began to emerge from the pieces.

Upon completion, they were set aside.

Still shiny, but that would change when they were taken outside for assembly and weathering.

- Let's straighten this out a little more.

Okay.

Right there.

- When the pieces were being brought together out in the work yard, Paley could finally see the full effect of this massive creation.

He has made a lot of big sculptures, but they had always been abstract.

(steel clanking) The sculpture from St. Louis Zoo was the first time Paley had taken on shaping things from the real world.

- All of my other work is non-figurative.

And so I'm dealing with, with structure and silhouette and form.

This is structure and silhouette and form, but the thing is here, is that it's in the literal context.

So for me, this was extremely challenging because I had to deal with the representation of naturalistic form.

(machinery, crackling) - While all of this was going on at Rochester, the zoo had some work to do back in St. Louis.

While the $1 million paid for the sculpture, the zoo needed another $1 million to create a place to put it.

(beeping) (engine) That donation came from entrepreneur and zoo supporter Steve Shankman, (banging) and the money went to clearing the southeast corner of the zoo to create a plaza and a base for the "Animals Always" sculpture, (many talking) so that it will dominate the Hampton Avenue entrance to the zoo and Forest park and, the zoo hopes, become an instant landmark.

(loud engine) (men talking) Back in Rochester, Albert Paley had not just been admiring the big picture in his work yard, this was about decisions and details.

It was about beauty and strength.

- [Paley] In addition to being literal, this is out of steel.

Therefore it has to be structural as well.

So, a lot of the elements that come together, which might appear like branches intertwining, or leaves touching one another, in fact, stores structural systems.

So, there was the whole consideration of the integration of structure, and also the visualization.

(construction equipment) - When the sculpture was all assembled in Rochester, it would be dismantled in large pieces, placed on flatbed trucks, and shipped off in the caravan to St. Louis for the installation.

Paley's crew has done a lot of this kind of work.

(upbeat music) This is the Bausch and Lomb headquarters piece in Rochester that Thelma Zalk had seen.

And although he does have pieces in museums, Paley's work is often commissioned to be both artistic and decorative.

Early in his career, Paley started out making jewelry, and you could say that he is today making jewelry for buildings and cities and zoos.

(music stops) Which makes him different from an artist like Richard Serra, best known in St. Louis for the minimalist work called "Twain on the Gateway Mall".

Serra's work, like it or not, is intended to interact with viewer and the surroundings, but not necessarily make it prettier.

Serra does not decorate things.

He does not make what you want, according to your ideas or needs.

You simply buy what he creates.

And it was said when this was installed in the early 80s, that St. Louis was the sort of place that might've preferred something more traditional, like say the statue of a man on a horse.

But be careful what you ask for.

(birds) At Hanley and Wydown is the sculpture entitled "Man on a Horse", and a lot of people don't like this one, either.

(water spraying) Even the Milles fountain, even the arch, are still subject to critique.

But the city is filled with public art, and "Animals Always" (people talking, birds chirping) is just the latest edition.

Are you ready for, or have you already gotten any of the, the sorts of controversies and debate that always pretty much come with public art?

- Yeah, I've, I've wondered about that.

We haven't heard a word, you know?

(kids yelling) it's been on display in the lower level of Living World, probably 3 million people have seen it, (helicopter) and so far we haven't got the first negative comment.

But you know, art is supposed to be, you know, intriguing and, and bring out different opinions in people.

Thus far, everybody's just loved it.

And it's been odd by.

(helicopter) - After the big arrival event was all wrapped up and the TV news crews had moved on, then it was time for the work crews to move in because, well, they've got to put this thing back together.

(crane sounds) The assembly is tricky business.

This stuff weighs tons.

In fact, the elephant weighs more than a real one.

The crews need to lift this so the base plate is parallel to the ground because they will have to drop it straight down onto bolts already embedded in concrete.

(talking drowned out by machinery) Every piece is a different size, weight, and shape, and each has to be rigged just so.

(machines beeping) This is made of corten steel.

When the pieces sat outside in Rochester, they developed a coating of rust that will protect them from further weathering, but where the steel sits on concrete, it needs an extra coating to prevent deterioration.

(upbeat music and machinery) The crews moving and installing the pieces were scheduled to work from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM.

(welding) Then Albert Paley's workers would work the day shift, welding it all together.

(banging) (light-hearted music) They would have just 2 1/2 weeks to get it all done in time for a May 25th public ceremony, when the final piece would be set in place and St. Louis would officially welcome Albert Paley's "Animals Always" to its new home.

(music ends) (cars passing below) - So many interesting things in St. Louis and frankly, in the entire region, especially now that travel is loosening up a bit.

Some of these attractions are well known, some are hidden treasures.

And Brooke Butler went exploring.

(comforting music) - Missouri might not be the first state that comes to mind when thinking of unique attractions.

There's no doubt that St. Lewis takes a lot of pride in our city, but maybe we tend to overlook just how much our state has to offer.

From foodies, adventure seekers, history buffs, and architectural explorers looking beyond the arch, there's something to do for everyone.

And little time to experience it all, even for lifelong natives.

- The idea I always take is that there is something to be found everywhere.

- Author Amanda Doyle decided to make it a little easier for us to check these adventures off of our bucket lists with her book 100 Things to do in Missouri Before You Die.

- So you can drive to the boot heel.

You can drive to Neosho.

You can drive to Sedalia or Springfield or Poplar bluff, any of these places.

And there are going to be cool things.

- Having written a series of similar books, including 100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die, Amanda, along with her co-author John Brown, thought this year of Missouri's bicentennial would be perfect timing for the book's release.

- So I partnered with John Brown, who is a Missouri native, and he's lived in a whole bunch of towns all across Missouri.

And so between us with his kind of hometown man aspect, and my curiosity of being a newcomer when I came here and having never been to Missouri or St. Louis before, I think we managed to come up with a pretty interesting list for people to explore the state with.

(cars passing close-by) - The book includes the obvious attractions that put Missouri on the map.

Mark Twain's childhood home.

the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead stadium.

(blues music begins) But one place that maybe doesn't blow its own horn quite loud enough: The National Blues museum.

Opened in 2016, the National Blues museum not only tells the story of historic contributions, St. Louis, and all of Missouri have made to the genre, but it also shows the deep roots of how the blues grew all the way from cotton fields to the modern music we hear today.

Local media icon Bernie Hayes has been with the museum from the planning stages.

He says the museum was a long time dream and one that just made sense to come true in St. Louis.

(music stops) - Well, there's so many different people that came through here that were born here and raised here.

And others that even moved here who contributed so much to the music.

You're talking about Little Milton Campbell, Oliver Sain.

You talking about Ike Turner.

He lived here for a while.

So many.

Chuck Berry is an internationally known name.

- What about St. Louis sticks out to you for Blues music?

- It's the people, the people are beautiful here.

You know, even during the days of hard segregation, the musicians never segregated themselves.

They always worked together, both sides of the river.

But the people in St. Louis are really gracious, you know, and they appreciate good music, which is good.

I'm not saying that Memphis and Chicago and Detroit does not, but St. Louis has a special (Blues music) brand of people and a special brand of music.

- While St. Louis may appreciate the musical impact our city has made, they may not be the obvious visitors of the museum.

People from all over the world have come to see what the museum has to offer.

And it includes more than just looking at the extensive collection of memorabilia.

(exciting piano music) - So the player piano, they were introduced in about the 1900s.

They made it possible so that you could hear and even see the music being played that was popular of the day, but you didn't actually have to know how to play the piano.

- And if you're not able to see the player piano in action, (woman playing Blues song) you can still play this virtual keyboard along with several other interactive ways to learn about the blues.

(same song is played more cleanly) This station lets visitors take control of the music by mixing tracks, and then they'll email you the final version of your creation.

And you can get the feel of what it's like to be in a jug band, even though to me, it felt a bit silly.

What sticks out to you that's in the museum that you hope for visitors to take away?

- Well, if they want to know if they like music, not just blues music- if they like any genre of music, this was the background of it.

This was the rock bed.

This is the place where it all started.

And the Blues museum is a, it shows those roots.

- Is it Blues music history, or is it...?

- Blues music, it's always been sustaining.

It's still here.

It hasn't gone any place.

It doesn't get enough attention perhaps in some areas, some circles, but it's never gone any place.

There's so many people in St. Louis who doesn't know this treasure is here.

You know, I see us expanding and presenting more exhibits, and more displays.

And the musicians will have a place to play.

In this wonderful, wonderful Lumiere room here.

And the sound is fantastic.

The interaction with the people is fantastic.

- And it sounds like the common theme that you're talking about is the people.

- Yes.

- It's, you know, music connects people - Precisely.

- and brings out certain feelings.

- That's what the National Blues museum is all about.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

(light xylophone music) - And maybe that's what makes the National Blues museum fit so well into the Missouri bucket list.

Amanda also claims the people are what make exploring our state so meaningful.

- We tried to fit as many places in the book as we could around the state, but there's always going to be some good restaurants.

There's always going to be a quirky little historical society or something like that.

So just not being afraid to get off the highway and go and, and really look around and ask people what makes this town special?

(cars passing below) - Our final story got me to thinking about all we've been through during this pandemic.

And I thought, well, let's get some perspective.

What was happening say, a year ago?

And I was surprised and I think I'm not alone, but I think I've totally lost my sense of the passage of time.

(applause) But October, a year ago, we were just weeks away from a presidential election.

(serious electronic music) The president himself had been hospitalized for COVID.

When he got out, he said he was feeling perfect and that the virus should not be feared, but cases were rising sharply and alarmingly.

In St. Louis, Dr. Garza was giving his regular updates on cases, on hospitalizations, on the strain on the local healthcare system.

As for the vaccine, Trump said, we'd have it by election day, but it wouldn't be available to the general public for months.

And still, a steady stream of stories, not just about politics, but about the vaccine, the virus.

Was that a year ago or was that this morning?

In some ways it seems that time has stood still during this pandemic.

(cars passing below) I've said since the beginning of the pandemic that if I were only inconvenienced, I'd consider myself very lucky.

But of course not everybody has been that fortunate.

We've all seen the numbers of lives lost, but these aren't mere statistics.

Every statistic is a story.

(soft string music) - Remembering the victims of COVID, sharing the stories of their lives.

- A lot of people say anyway, they have the best dad in the world.

And I had thought, I felt that way about him.

Of course.

He was primarily a car salesman, but he also worked at the family farm.

He and my uncle, his brother.

He was a busy man, but he made time for all those ball games.

So he was always there.

So that's one thing my, both my brothers said they remembered really well, that he was always there in the stands with mom.

And so they've tried to do that for their own kids.

Each of my brothers have two kids.

And so they, yeah, he was the world- the world's greatest grandpa too.

So, he took them for rides on the farm, on the tractors.

And they adored him.

A really young man, 20 some year old gentleman moved into a house just a couple houses up from my parents.

And my parents knew his great-grandmother who raised him.

She was a family friend and my dad had just, he was, he worked in a retail setting where he was, this young man did, where he was out late at night.

Didn't always get his yard work done.

So, dad just noticed his yard was getting a little, you know, long.

And so he just, when he was on his riding mower, just drove it down to this young man's yard and mowed, mowed a portion of his yard for him and these texts from the young man, just thanking him for, for doing that.

"You're a great guy.

I can't believe you did that.

Thank you so much."

And I told my mom, I said, "Mom, you have to read this."

And she goes, "Oh yeah.

I told him, if he had started doing that, he was going to have to keep doing that."

And dad said, "No, that doesn't matter.

I'm going to do it.

He needs, you know, he could use a little..." When he and my brother decided to get out of the farming business, about five years ago, they sold the farm and they took some of the proceeds and said, well, let's just take the whole family to Disney world.

So we took a trip to Disney world and when the grandkids were in that perfect age for, you know, appreciating Disney World.

And we're going to continue, in memorial to dad, just at least every two years to do something of that nature as well.

- Now you said your mom and dad were in the COVID unit together.

- My mom was admitted, they wheeled her down into dad's room to, to visit one day.

(kids yelling faintly) And the doctor came in and saw them sitting there in their beds and their matching hospital gowns.

And he snapped a photo.

He had took dad's phone and said, "I'm gonna snap you a photo of you two."

And so they did.

And so, yeah, we have that.

That's one of our cherished memories now, too.

And it made its rounds through the hospital.

My dad passed away on December 7th.

And of course, because of the COVID, we couldn't do any funeral services at the time and mid June, we finally felt comfortable enough to have a celebration of life at the local church where he was very, very much involved.

For those three hours, there was a steady stream of community members who came in to pay their respects.

I loved him as my dad and I knew him as my dad, of course, but I didn't know this other huge presence he had in the world.

So that was a very eye opening experience.

(soft music ends) (cars passing below) - And that's Living St. Louis.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Jim Kircherr we'll see you next time.

(Blues music) - Living St. Louis is made possible by the support of the Betsy & Thomas Patterson Foundation, the Mary Ranken Jordan and Ettie A. Jordan Charitable Trust, and by the members of Nine PBS.