‘Exhibit A’ Redefines Youth Spaces
Loutopia, a company that serves exploration of how we can use art, nature, and technology to maximize the potential of spaces in St. Louis, has opened up a limited time pop up in Delmar named “Exhibit A”. Being a mix in between a creative playground, a place for expression, and a selfie museum, creator Jayvn Solomon calls it “a hybrid pop-up that redefines possibility in Saint Louis.” This ideal hangout spot for high schoolers goes beyond being a simple selfie museum, as it underscores the importance of youth expression in our city. The pop-up will remain available until the end of the year, charging $20 for students with ID.
A St. Louis native, Jayvn Solomon comes from a family of artists. Throughout his childhood, Solomon has geared towards art as his form of expression. As he approached college, Chicago’s artistic energy appealed to him, and it urged him to move away after highschool —a feeling many St. Louis high schoolers can relate to; however, the realization of big cities’ expensive nature convinced him to stay. Over time he figured he’d rather bring this artistic appeal that other cities have to St. Louis.
“Denver, San Francisco, New York, etcetera, I would see these really cool looking buildings with art and just different types of nature and parks,” Solomon said. “And I would come back home and I'd be like, why don't we have this here?”
After being a designer for some time, designing logos and graphics, an opportunity to paint a mural at Washington University in St. Louis gave him the clarity, and the money, to step back and leave his job to start something new. He named his new company L.O.T.U.S Labs, “Loutopia of the United States”, a call to the OTUS acronyms used in the United States government.
“But Lotus labs sounds super fun but formal, it seems like a title that would be taken seriously,” Solomon said.
As this project snowballed, Loutopia evolved into a captivating window of St. Louis's essence, portraying the city not only geographically, but as a vibrant narrative waiting to be explored. This potential was the main idea behind creating “Exhibit A,” and it fuels future projects.
“Why not just create an experience for people to start to understand, a case study or exhibit A, of what our spaces could be,” Solomon said.
In a world that disregards the perspectives of the rising generations, there's a growing concern about the lack of genuine creative outlets for the youth. This is a challenge that Loutopia actively addresses, encouraging forms of expression that go beyond social media, such as the freedom to draw on walls or express ideas through art and painting.
“We can give creative and imaginative expressions that specifically the youth don't really get outside of like TikTok or Instagram” Solomon said. “It’s a real tangible thing you can walk up to and say, ‘I did this, on this wall right here.’”
