Art In The Age of COVID-19
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor
photo: Karlovsky & Company Dance premieres INTERWOVEN.
March 2020 seems like eons ago. It remains incomprehensible that we still find our lives dominated by COVID-19. Just yesterday, I received notice from my county’s health department advising me that I could make my vaccination appointment. Unfortunately, the county told 21,000 residents the same thing, with only 180 doses of vaccine available. Within 3 minutes of the registration site’s activation, all the doses were gone. So, again, I wait…
Still, I remain hopeful. I see how much we have adapted under stress. Adaptation requires creativity, thinking outside the box, and the ARTS certainly know all about that. While in-person ARTful experiences are sorely missed, there are some wonderful ways to experience the creative forces that continue to lift us. For example:
Karlovsky & Company Dance premieres INTERWOVEN via online viewing, March 26-April 11. This 1-hour evening production brings to life choreographic nature-inspired landscapes that involve integration of contemporary dance-theater, live music, spoken word, and visual art. Tickets, $10-$15, can be purchased at www.karlovskydance.org.
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra brings a fabulous Spring Season digitally to the comfort of your home or wherever you enjoy music. Recorded on new high-definition cameras, these concerts showcase the world-class musicians of SLSO in a way never seen before, up-close and personal. With every stroke of the bow and beat of the drum, the feel of being on stage Powell Hall is innovative. For those unable to go to symphony performances in the past, here’s the chance to enjoy the best music ever! $15 per concert (15% off for 3 concerts) provides the link. See what’s available at www.slso.org.
The Sheldon continues its free Virtual Notes from Home online concerts with The Gaslight Square (3/2), Ben Nordstrom & Steve Neale (3/9) and Hot Hands Wonderland (3/30). Details at www.theSheldon.org.
March 25 starts Jazz St. Louis’ Season of Stream Vol. 6 – Swing into Spring. Fill your home, or home office, with cool, smooth sounds all the way through May 27. Enjoy the watch parties every Thursday at 7:30 p.m., too! Details at https://jazzstl.org/sos.
Circus Harmony knows everyone has been practicing new culinary arts during this pandemic, plus everybody loves the circus, so they’ve cooked up a great combo of “daring” with “delicious.” What dish pairs best with contortion, juggling or trapeze, you ask? The Circus Harmony Cookbook & Show premieres online March 16. The flying children of Circus Harmony present fav recipes accompanied by their flipping, flying and flinging. Fantastic! More info at www.circusharmony.org.
Dress up, or stay in your jammies, to “attend” Bach Society of St. Louis’ 80th Season Gala: A Virtual Celebration, March 19, featuring baritone Nathan Gunn. Tickets start at just $15/household. Reserve yours now at www.bachsociety.org. Higher priced tickets include a catered 3-course dinner!
Prefer an evening of trivia? Check out Stages St. Louis’ Virtual Trivia Night, also on March 19. Invite your pod for a night of online fun. Details at www.stagesstlouis.org.
This year’s best party is happening right in your home with Artscope’s Virtual Wall Ball. Watch area artists create works, and then bid on that very artwork. Artists broadcast LIVE at 6 p.m., virtual cocktail party starts at 8, and a DJ set by 18andcounting at 9. Tickets are free, or opt to reserve a VIP ticket with party-goodies delivered to your door! Reservations at www.artscopestl.org.
Art Saint Louis celebrates its 25th annual Varsity Art exhibit, a multi-media invitational of works by 44 undergrad/grad level art students representing 22 area universities and colleges. Visit www.artstlouis.org to plan a tour at 1223 Pine Street, March 5-April 1.
Experience Stories of Resistance at the Contemporary Art Museum, March 12-August 15. St. Louis was the platform for Resistance movements that arose here, particularly Black Lives Matter. Using a local lens, this exhibition, utilizing all spaces of the museum, draws connections to global actions. For info on how to visit at 3750 Washington, check www.camstl.org.
Schedule your in-person visit to COCA’s Millstone Gallery, 6880 Washington, to view Places, paintings, drawings and photographs depicting spaces real or imagined. (Limit of 10 people per hour). Specific observed or envisioned places attract attention either as remembrances of past experience, or as promises of future adventure. Enduring isolation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has produced the need for spaces that are safe or thought-provoking. The show runs through April 11. www.cocastl.org.
A public arts installation, Spring Forward, in Webster Groves is open to families, individuals, businesses and community organizations, with the works of art on display March 1-20 on the grounds of Eden Seminary. This exhibit invites participants to express hope and new beginnings—by creating art on a pre-cut plywood shape, available for $25. Artists may use the materials of their choice. Awards for “Most Creative” and “Best of Show” in several categories, will be judged by the Webster Groves Arts Commission. See www.webster-arts.org for more information.