Mad Art

We had our wedding here last July (2015). It was the perfect venue to accommodate our small wedding of only 50 guests. The food was delicious! In terms of the venue and food, 5 stars all the way.
However, there were a couple of small hiccups with the wedding coordinator. The venue is right next to the AB brewery and they were having their annual «beer and burger» festival on the day of our outside wedding ceremony. This meant a couple of things: 1. parking was a nightmare for our guests and 2. all I could hear as I walked down the aisle was «Fergalicious» blaring from the AB festival speakers. Is this the end of the world? Not at all. But a heads up from the coordinator about the event next door would have been nice. Also, the coordinator did not help at all during the ceremony rehearsal and we simply had to rely on our married friends who were there to help us figure out timing and such. On the day of the wedding, we even had to have a friend stand at the end of the aisle to cue the wedding party on when to walk. That was definitely something I thought the wedding coordinator would do.
Despite these couple of minor issues (and they were minor in the large scheme of things), we were very pleased that we chose this venue for our wedding! Both the coordinator and chef were a pleasure to work with and it was the perfect fit for the small, urban wedding we’ve always wanted.

The owner keeps wolves (yes, live wolves) in the underground levels of the building. He lets them roam freely all over when the place is not occupied. They are allowed to do «their business» anywhere and everywhere on the premises. Knowing that, you decide if you want to have an event there that includes food and/​or drink.

This gallery is really unique. It’s in the old city prison. The jail cells with bars are still in tact, but now there are tables & chairs inside. The main space is large and can easily host a band. If you’re looking to host an event and want something different, check this place out.

This isn’t a great art gallery. You walk into a big room with art not set up in any interesting way. It is more of an event/​special occasion space with some art hanging on the walls. That’s it.
With that said, while I wouldn’t go out of my way to stop by to check out the art, I enjoyed attending events here and keeping myself entertained by looking at the pieces in their current exhibits.

Okay so back in the day, this was the police station for the third district of St. Louis. It was built in the 1930’s. They use the old squad car garage as an art space, and have preserved the entrance so that you can hang out in jail cells if you feel like it!
TELL ME WHY YOU WOULD NOT BE IN LOVE WITH VISITING A SUPER OLD POLICE STATION THAT’S NOW CONVERTED TO AN ART SPACE??? IT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GLORIOUS PLACE I’VE EVER SEEN i mean except for the part where bad people probably used to pee and whatnot.
I love the event space. The sound can be a little… eh, but if you’re expecting perfect acoustics from a place like this, you’re probably kind of a jerk. I’m guessing that’s why I never see adverts for live music, and it’s mostly just screenings and art openings.
When they have events, they have a bartender on staff so you can booze while you schmooze, which I’m always a fan of.
I think the space that houses whatever art you’re admiring is just as important to the viewing as the art itself, and to see anything in this venue adds a certain charm to whatever it is that you’re seeing. If you EVER hear about anything happening here, just go. I don’t care if it’s the most ridiculous contemporary bizarre weirdass shit you’ve ever heard of, just GO, GO for the venue at the very least, and I PROMISE you’ll have a great time.

What do you do with an old police station? Why you hold some of the best events in it! I’ve been to this location a few times over the last 18 months and every time I’m there, I’m amazed at how it transforms for each event. Whether it’s a causal event or something a little nicer like a wedding show, you can not beat this location. If you aren’t looking, you’re VERY likely to drive right by it, but once you are there, you won’t regret it. I love how they have an outdoor patio as well. This patio is covered with a tent and heaters when it’s cooler outside but never disappoints.

The Mad Art is an old police station converted into a smaller banquet hall. It has a great vibe to it with the original cells and counter. There is a large parking lot across the street which is nice for the Soulard Area. My son’s wedding and reception was held here and the venue was perfect. Mad Art catered the food, which I have to admit was a bit disappointing, but, it’s a wedding reception, so I didn’t expect the food to be gourmet. If you are looking for a party venue, this is the place to be.

Six months after my daughter’s wedding reception, we have been informed that several cars were broken into during the event. We were under the impression that there was security on the parking lot. Apparently not. Feel badly and embarrassed.

Mad Art = Hidden St. Louis Gem.
Still with its jail-​like ambiance, Mad Art does all different kinds of public events, private events, and everything else in between. You want a gallery art show? They can do that. You want to get married there? They will accommodate. You want to hold Pecha Kucha there? Check. You want to do live art? Why, go ahead and make use of this otherwise ordinary space!
Best event though that I’ve been to is their Garage Sale. Yes. Their garage sale. Where they drag out random stuff that they’ve accumulated. I’m now the proud owner of a vintage Singer Tiny Tailor and a Chicago White Sox batting helmet. I’m not sure how those two go together, but I’m sure the helmet will be more than adequate to protect me from flying bobbins. I could also have owned 500 of those little pencils that you find at a library or find on the golf course… you know… to fill out your scorecard. But I held back. The batting helmet was excitement enough. And I’m not even a Sox fan. I totally digress. Just like how Mad Art digresses with all its different events and still manages to stay quite relevant.

Combine jailhouse ambience with art and you get Mad Art Gallery. I have been to this venue spots so many times for so many different events. It can transform for a wedding reception, then do a cool art exhibit, accomodates live music and probably could be a jail again if needed. I love the flexibility of the space and the reasonable pricing for rental.

This is a non-​profit, community gallery/​exhibition space and space for hipster wedding receptions located in an old police district station. It’s a pretty nice exhibition space, especially for 3-​D works and comes with good lighting. The curating here is very uneven, you never know what you’ll find in the shows here, but it’s often worth the trip.

I am always a fan of converted places from places that used to be places completely different than the current place. Places? Yes, places. lol
I have never really been to a gallery showing here, but I did go see the burlesque wedding (with Clownvis Presley presiding) and a couple improv shows. I always have great time. The acoutics for a music show suck though. I can understand why though…

I got married here and it was a perfect venue for my small wedding. We had the ceremony in the courtyard and then the reception inside.
It’s hip and trendy and different — just what I wanted. My guests all loved the choice.

Mad Art is reminiscent of a scene from Bugsy Malone — the one with Scott Baio and Jody Foster. The renovated police station makes for a fun and original event.
I was there for the Big Ass Indie Art Show — Leslie and the Ly’s were performing and the crowd was super stoked. Unfortunately, the sound quality was terrible! There was a PA but no one knew how to work it. Total bummer because the performance was hilarious but marred by the craptacular sound. True professionals that they were, the show went on.
The Rock n Roll Craft Show is also held here and that seemed to be a bit more organized. They made good use of the space, including a separate check out near the exit. Good thinking!
Have not been there for an art opening or wedding reception, but Mad Art has some serious potential. Whomever organizes the event has some challenges, but with some work the end product would be really fun and original.

I must say I have a secret fantasy about partying in a jail-​cell (that I can later leave at my leisure). Mad Art is an incredible venue if only for the fact that it’s in an old jailhouse.
I was pleasantly surprised as I entered and took a gander at the faces the populated the joint (nudge nudge.) The crowd was diverse; young, punk, hipsters, aging, artists, musicians, yuppies, etc. The art is hit-​and-​miss but definitely showing a lot of potential. Keep an eye on Mad-​Art, it’s a worthwhile stop, and a great contribution to the St Louis art scene.

The Mad Art Gallery is a great place to view art by local St. Louis Artists.
Mad Art Gallery presents the Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show, your alternative to the alternative holiday craft shows. The STL Craft Mafia will be helping organize and plan this alternative art & craft extravaganza with Mad Art Gallery.
This show offers three days of shopping (December 5, 6, 7) in St. Louis’ most spectacular and well-​known venue for art exhibitions and unique events. Our show focuses on presenting original art and hand-​made crafts of the highest quality. Expect the unexpected with the most unique and high-​quality indie art this holiday season.
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Mad Art Gallery
2727 S. 12^th Street,
St. Louis, MO 63 118

Mad Art used to be a jail. You can still go hang out in the jail cell. That cell is a great place to take dumb pictures in which you’re pretending to be in jail. Basically, whether the event is good or not, the building is awesome.
I’ve seen some good art shows here and there’s always a nice art opening-​fare spread of food, cheese, crackers, hummus, grapes, and such, and it’s always nice to know that even if the art isn’t great, you can get a snack out of the occasion. I learned this in college.
Besides art openings, there are other events. The most recent Rock and Roll Craft Show was held here. There are also often charity events. Sometimes there are readings live music. There’s also a photo booth.

This place is super cool. And a little mad, which is totally needed around these parts. Mad, in this case, means eclectic, fun and think outside the box.
I’ve gone to the gallery for the Art of Food event hosted by Slow Foods. It’s awesome. A smörgåsbord of area chefs giving out samples, coupled with all manner of art adorning the walls, which are all auctioned off.
Mad Art has some really cool alternative music acts and I think they even hosted the tour of «Found» magazine the last time they were in town. Super fun.

This place is a blast. It seems they are able to bring in a wide variety of exhibits that you would never find anywhere else. We went to the exhibit that celebrated painted wrestling masks and the event was completed by a wrestling match performed by the artist’s two children in a tiny wrestling ring. Thanks for bringing some much needed culture to this Midwest city.