Kendra Paredes Hayden

Scholar, writer and master of forward planning, Francesca Herndon-Consagra probably doesn't notice the familiar sound of her own footsteps echoing through the great halls of the Saint Louis Art Museum as she goes about organizing exhibitions for the pleasure of thousands of people. Besides, Francesca, who is the museum's Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs, has spent her entire life surrounded by art, and she's worked in prestigious art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Francesca was tired the day I sat down to interview her at the Saint Louis Art Museum. She was looking forward to some vacation time so that she could celebrate her 50th birthday and her fifth wedding anniversary. She'd finally finished the hours upon hours of research that needed to be done to write the catalogue for the summer exhibit, "The Immediate Touch: German, Austrian and Swiss drawings." She'd also tackled the enormous task of arranging the collection-based exhibition for show and of making it accessible to the public.

"The research for each piece of work takes forever sometimes. I really like to do my homework. I really like to understand why something is what it is. I want to understand every word and every little symbol so that the art becomes more and more alive for me. I like to share that with people," she said.

All the drawings in the summer exhibit are owned by St. Louisans including works from Earl and Betsy Millard of Belleville. The exhibition features 136 pieces by 39 artists in three countries spanning the time period from 1946 to 2007.

"You get a sense of all the creative diversity that is going on from these drawings. You can see how German artists are making themselves and how new art forms rose from the rubble of WWII," she explained. "These drawings are by-products of great emotion and great thought and authority not to be constrained by fear of society."

Of course, Francesca has an understanding for the artist, which gives her perspective as curator. Her father, Pietro Consagra, was an Italian abstract sculptor, who gained international fame in the 1950's. "I think great artists can't help but to create art. They don't have a choice. They often have to sacrifice and the people around them often have to sacrifice as well. It's this great compulsion that they have to create. I've lived that first hand," she said.

Francesca's sacrifice for the creation of art was realizing she was not a priority in her father's life. Art was his primary concern. Despite that realization and probably because of it, she learned to trust herself and to be self-reliant. At the same time, she maintained a deep regard for the artist.

"Artists are compelled to push boundaries and take huge risks and my father was that kind of person. I've always had a great respect for artists especially for the artists that push us forward."

She explained what it means for an artist "to push us forward."

"It's being able to tap into what it means to be human and not being scared to do that. It's about having enough confidence in yourself to go in deep and come out with something that is as true to yourself as possible. That's what I find is the truly affecting part of art."

Francesca's American mother, Sophie Consagra, was also very involved in the art world. Sophie and Pietro had four children together, but they separated when Francesca was a child. After the separation, Francesca returned to the United States with her mother and brothers and sister to live for a while in Delaware. Francesca's grandparents were part of the upper class provincial that didn't believe it was entirely proper to marry an Italian artist and then return home with four Italian-looking children, making Francesca feel different from early on.

The family did, however, return to Rome after her mother received an incredible position as Director of the American Academy of Rome. With an artist father and a mother whose friends were museum directors and curators, Francesca lived "in a privileged world surrounded by artists and intellectuals." At the same time, with both parents deeply involved in their careers, Francesca was often left alone to fend for herself.

"If you want to get psychological, my desire to connect with people in art comes from the fact that I had to be on my own, and if I wanted to feel alive and connected, it was about getting it," she said.

Not surprising, Francesca graduated with a Ph.D. in art history from The John Hopkins University. During that time, she married and had a child. She divorced when her son was 12 months old. Like many single mothers, day-to-day living for Francesca was very difficult.

"I had ten days of vacation at the National Gallery of Art. I'd have to use my vacation days to take care of my son when he was sick. It was a struggle at $30,000 a year in Washington D.C."

Francesca said her son, John Yancey Ray, 16, is the "hero" in her life. He survived babysitters and time away from Francesca, and he emerged a smart boy, who is into computers, not art. Today, Francesca likes her life in St. Louis. She's happily married to her husband, Willie Herndon. She enjoys her family and her home, and she has a great career.

"For me, it's all about trying to find truth within art itself and truth within myself. It's all about a sense of trust."