Eric Lutz

Eric Lutz is an associate curator at the Saint Louis Art Museum, specializing in prints, drawings, and photographs. Since joining the museum in 2005, he has curated over 30 exhibitions, including In Search of America: Photography and the Road Trip (2025), The Artist and the Modern Studio (2015), and Nicholas Nixon: 40 Years of The Brown Sisters (2014). He holds a doctorate in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has served as a visiting lecturer at the University of California, Irvine. His work focuses on exploring themes such as the intersection of photography and American cultural identity, roadside culture, and the historical role of the automobile in shaping visual narratives.

Notable exhibitions under his curation highlight pivotal moments in American history through photographic lenses, including Depression-era documentation and the exploration of the American landscape. Lutz has been featured in media outlets such as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio, and The Wall Street Journal, underscoring his contributions to art historical discourse. He has also collaborated on publications and video projects, including Poetics of the Everyday: Amateur Photography, 1890–1970 (2019) and segments for HEC TV.

His research emphasizes the role of photography in mediating cultural narratives and the democratization of artistic expression. Beyond exhibitions, Lutz’s expertise extends to provenance studies and curatorial practices, reflecting his dedication to preserving and interpreting works on paper. His career has been marked by a commitment to accessibility, ensuring public engagement with art through innovative exhibition designs and educational initiatives.