Henryk Ptasiewicz, a British-born artist who became a fixture of the St. Louis art scene, died on October 22, 2025. He moved to St. Louis in 1999, built a practice through commissions and teaching, and in 2014 was invited to paint fiberglass cake sculptures for the city's 250th birthday, featuring figures like Dred Scott and Vincent Price. He was also a founding member of the Missouri Plein Air Painters and a frequent winner on the regional plein air competition circuit.
The Heartland Art Club is mounting a retrospective of Ptasiewicz's work, curated by his partner Jane Flanders, running May 6 through June 6, 2026, with an opening reception on May 9. The exhibition matters because it honors a locally beloved artist whose contributions—from public commemorative sculptures to plein air advocacy—helped shape the St. Louis visual art community. It also highlights the role of regional art clubs in preserving and celebrating grassroots artistic legacies.