One of the country’s largest public art exhibitions is underway in the St. Louis area. Counterpublic returns,welcoming 50 new artist commissions and historical works that explore themes including climate, technology, education, and immigration. Five key sites in St. Louis and the Metro East are connected by these ideologies, as art installations, public programs, and events continue for three months, ending December 12.
This triennial event celebrates its third edition. Branded Counterpublic 2026: Coyote Time, this reference marks the moment in a video game when a character leaps off a cliff and is suspended in midair. The uncertainty of the moment guides this year’s exhibition, inviting audiences to take risks and jump into the unknown with faith, purpose, and intentionality.
Counterpublic dates to 2015, when co-founders James McAnally and Brea Youngblood sought to expand the project of the same name beyond their gallery walls. This gallery, The Luminary, produced this first-ever event in 2019 and focused on locations around Cherokee Street. Two years later, Counterpublic became its own standalone organization and expanded to a larger geographical area for its 2023 edition. In 2026, the number of artists has nearly doubled, with exhibitions expanding into five diverse neighborhoods.
The event aims to celebrate all parts of St. Louis – not just the highly visible downtown area. Connecting neighborhoods throughout the city, the Counterpublic exhibition spreads from the Riverfront to Forest Park, North City, South City, and across the river to Sauget, Illinois.
Contributing artists live locally and abroad. St. Louis talent is well-represented, as are artists from many other areas across the country, including both coasts. Other works at Counterpublic come from international artists, hailing from places like Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia.
One such artist, Nicholas Galanin, is from Alaska. His sculpture “Land is never a gateway (Sightline/Lifeline)” sits near the base of the Gateway Arch and shows how perspective shapes understanding. From one vantage point, the sculpture appears to stretch a large animal hide across the Arch, while from other angles it stays unchanged. The work focuses on Indigenous knowledge and history.
A local artist who passed in 2023, Juanita McNeely, was a nationally acclaimed painter and resident of Ferguson. The Contemporary Art Museum will host two of her works, including “Triskaidekaptych,” a painting installation comprised of over a dozen panels.
In the Tower Grove area, the works of art share a theme: immigration. One contributor, an Oglala Lakota artist named Kite, shares her sculpture “Wihanyablapi (of St. Louis).” It portrays many dreams told to her and translated into traditional Lakota symbols.
Counterpublic 2026: Coyote Time links art with social change. You can find its many exhibits in St. Louis area museums, parks, streets, and beyond. While a limited number of works will remain and become permanent part of the landscape, the event officially ends mid-December. Don’t miss out.
For more information on the artists, their works, venues, programs, events and more, visit counterpublic.org
