Butterfly sculptures have been flying into different nooks and crannies of St. Louis over the past month, adorning the city with bright and vibrant sculptures of hope. These sculptures are being showcased as part of the public art project, Wings in the City.

The project, Wings in the City benefits the non-profit organization, Wings, the BJC pediatric and palliative care program, and, more specifically, the Jennifer and Jim Koman Expressive Therapy program.

“We started the Wings in the City program as a way to bring the community together while raising funds for an incredible program,” Wings in the City committee member Sally Gelfman said.  “The butterfly is an iconic symbol of hope and beauty and is also the symbol for the Wings program.  Jennifer Koman saw a similar project in Florida with sea turtles and thought a butterfly project would be great for our city.  The money raised from this program will go specifically to the Jennifer and Jim Koman Expressive Therapy program.”

Each of the 56 butterfly sculptures around the St. Louis area has been created by local artists, in partnership with a sponsoring individual or organization. Mary Engelbreight is the event’s honorary artist has been a key leader in finding artists to create the butterflies. Artist’s designs were selected by a jury in March of last year.

Each butterfly is made of fiberglass, is 5 foot 4 inches and weighs about 250 pounds.

In the Wings in the City press release Barbara Westland, Executive Director of BJC Hospice said: “Wings in the City is such an exciting project. While it promises to raise awareness and important funds for the Wings program, it will be such a wonderful event for our community and sponsors, too. Our butterfly logo symbolizes both hope and grace.”

The Wings program was created in 1997, and it is a one of a kind program that gives palliative and hospice care to children with progressive or life-threatening illnesses, regardless of whether the family can pay or not. The Expressive Therapy program offers expressive therapy to patients and families during the exhausting and traumatic times of the illness.

Expressive therapy offers an alternative form of expression of feelings and thoughts to children undergoing life-threatening illnesses and their siblings who have many emotions running through their minds. Different forms of expression include various forms of art, ranging from drawing to stories to photography.

Expressive therapy—the healing of emotions through the creation of art—can be a relief to anyone, according to CHS art teacher Laura Sher.

“I think if a person has experienced some kind of deep pain or trauma then any type of creative outlet can be a vehicle for healing, whether it’s visual art, writing, music, dance or theater,” Sher said. “I think it’s very natural for human beings to express themselves creatively.”
Sophomore Alex Raymond-Schmidt agrees with Sher.

“It’s a great idea for kids to be able to express their feelings through art,” Raymond-Schmidt said.

Not only are the butterflies helping the Expressive therapy program, but even for their short showcase time—March to May 21—they enhance the Clayton and St. Louis area.

“I think that the butterflies really make Clayton look great, and make people aware that we’re not only are supporting the beautiful artwork but also we support a great cause,” sophomore Ravali Poreddy said.  “All the butterflies raise awareness, which is fantastic.”

After the butterflies have been premiered in several locations throughout the city and county of St. Louis, they will be rounded up again to be sold at the Art Takes Flight Auction May 21.