The catalogue highlights the diversity and relevance of the exceptional collection acquired from St. Louis collectors Ted L. and Maryanne Ellison Simmons. The artworks address a broad array of contemporary cultural issues and participate in many discourses of art from the 1960s to the present.

Rounding the Bases: The Ted L. and Maryanne Ellison Simmons Collection highlights 100 stellar examples from the 833 works in a St. Louis collection recently acquired by the Saint Louis Art Museum. The diverse collection of contemporary art, made mostly by artists active in the U.S., includes prints, drawings, and photographs as well as sculptures and a painting. The book traces the Simmonses’ focus on art and artists of their own time, and on the broader social, political, art historical, and technical issues that have engaged both the artists and the collectors.

Artists featured: Mike Bidlo, Enrique Chagoya, Bruce Conner, Damon Davis, Tony Fitzpatrick, Helen Frankenthaler, Jane Hammond, Tom Huck, Peter Hujar, Jasper Johns, Bruce Nauman, Liliana Porter, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Kiki Smith, Paul Thek, Kara Walker, H. C. Westermann, and David Wojnarowicz, among others.