Souvenir
2026 Permanent Artwork On view
Artist Mee Jey
DetailsFound fabric, memorabilia
Curator Nora N. Khan James McAnally Charlie Farrell
Address
3401 Arsenal St
St. Louis, MO
Site Description
Accessibility: Free parking is available with paved or concrete sidewalk ramps and pathways to entrances. The primary accessible entrance is located at the front of the building on Arsenal Street. ADA pathways include accessible ramps and lifts, and staff can assist with navigation. This site is fully indoors with heating, cooling, a water refill station, and restrooms.
Artwork Details
About the Artwork
Mee Jey is a multidisciplinary artist born in India and based in St. Louis. Souvenir is an ongoing project that gathers physical mementos from her own life and from members of the community as a method to collectively mark time. Jey bundles, ties, and knots repurposed fabric and other found materials into a textile work installed in the entryway of the International Institute, welcoming all who enter. Alongside the textile installation are clay tablets featuring stylized figures meant to represent people from around the world who have connections with IISTL. Jey draws on the physical practices of everyday life, using objects and textures that are easily accessible or gathered with the help of others. Souvenir has grown into a meditation on how we hold onto ourselves and one another through moments of change.
This project is supported by a grant from the Vilcek Foundation, and with support from the William T. Kemper Foundation.