If you’re looking for a way to beat the heat, pop over to the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum on Washington University’s Danforth Campus at the west end of Forest Park. The Kemper is one of the oldest teaching museums in the country and works in partnership with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. The museum is open every day but Tuesday and has some of the finest air conditioning I’ve experienced in a while.

The Kemper’s rich history began in the late 1800’s in collaboration with Washington University along with a deep commitment  to art and education. The museum is home to a permanent collection of works including: sculpture, paintings, textiles, instillations, photographs, digital/electronic media and mixed media pieces. Admission to the museum is free and frequently hosts lectures, gallery talks, film viewings and other arts education events.

The current exhibition at the Kemper features the work of twenty-seven of its Master of Fine Arts candidates from the Graduate School of Art at Washington University in conjunction with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Art. The collection is an eclectic mix of works that span the arty globe from ethereal beauty to just plain kooky – it is innovative, thought-provoking and sometimes even interactive.

Bryan Eaton’s Call of the Wild is a mixed media and interactive experience that implores the observer to participate and experience the art while jumping rope.  Rachel Ann Dennis created 900 Channels + with digitial pigment prints on mylar – a stunning work that captures the essence of a busy world in constant motion. Placescape, a pencil and acrylic on three panels by Stephanie Barenz is a montage of juxtaposed city scenes. My favorite piece in the show is Stephen Hoskins’, Carianne a vibrant, moody, gouache and colored pencil image on paper. Many more incredible works by the thesis students fill the first floor galleries – this is show not to be missed! If you haven’t already seen the show or if you want to get a second look, hurry up, the exhibition ends July 27th.