We grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and while we didn’t have a lot of exposure to the arts, one thing our mom always made sure we did was visit the St. Louis Art Museum. As kids, we would giggle at the naked Roman statues, marvel at the contemporary works, and feel a sense of wonder walking through those halls. It became such an integral part of our lives, and we especially remember being mesmerized by Ellsworth Kelly’s Spectrum. That place was a staple for us growing up, so when we moved to New York and started our journey as artists, it was a dream to someday have an exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum. When that dream finally came true, we were completely blown away.

For the exhibition, we created a series of artworks inspired by Spectrum and the idea of working in bursts of 12 colors. We crafted 12 vibrant landscapes mounted on the walls, a monumental centerpiece sculpture on the ground, and filled the space with our sketches, drawings, and installations—including pieces displayed in the museum's historic period rooms. The exhibition reflected a pivotal moment in our childhood: there were four of us kids, and in fifth grade, our parents, tired of driving us everywhere, made us choose between Scouts or sports. It’s hilarious because, given our work as craftsmen, everyone assumes we chose Scouts. But actually, we all picked sports! This collection played with those memories—scouting adventures and sporting escapades—and each piece told a story, a little ditty about something personal, shared, or deeply meaningful.

The central landscape on the floor was made of hand-crafted grid boxes, which could stack into a towering sculpture or open up and spread across the ground like thousands of miniature tents. It was inspired by a Cub Scout trip called “Dad and Ladd.” (With our last name being Ladd, everyone thought the trip was named after us!) Those trips gave us powerful memories—exploring the Missouri caverns, reflecting in nature, and having those quiet, unforgettable moments with our father.

Other works delved into specific memories. For example, in grade school, we’d often hear the wail of an ambulance during class, knowing it was for our sister, who’d suffered yet another sports injury on the field. That became a series of drawings called Injury, reflecting on the many bumps, bruises, and bandages of our childhood.

In conjunction with the exhibition, we held a Scrollathon that engaged almost 750 participants from across St. Louis—people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. The final piece was proudly displayed at the museum. The whole experience was made even more special by the museum’s celebration night, which drew over 2,400 attendees. People from every part of our lives showed up: family, friends, neighbors, our grade school classmates, and even the owner of the gas station where Steven had his first job. (He came wearing his oily work shirt, which we loved so much that he mailed it to us later!)

The exhibition, Scouts or Sports, was a celebration of our childhood at Mary Queen of the Universe and those pivotal decisions that shaped us. Seeing so many people who were part of those stories show up to honor and celebrate with us made it an astonishing and profoundly emotional experience—one we’ll never forget.