Happy New Year! Wishing you a very wonderful and wonder-filled 2024!
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky,
Healthy Planet Arts Editor
Photo Caption: Intellectual Rigor, by Mark Wetzling, in Upon Further Reflection exhibition.
A little vice might spice this winter when Art Saint Louis presents Sin City, an exhibition of multimedia works by 31 artists, based on the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth) on view January 6-February 14. Oooo, very tempting! The gallery, at 1223 Pine Street, hosts a free public reception on January 13, 5-7 p.m. www.artstlouis.org .
Green Door Ar Gallery, 21 N. Gore, presents Hooked on Fibers: The Art of the Stitch, January 10-March 2, featuring fiber works by Chris Burton, Liz Davidson and Ana Sumner.
Also sponsored by Green Door Art Gallery, is Upon Further Reflection, oil and cold wax paintings by Mark Witzling, January 11-April 4. This show remains on view at the Edward Jones office, 3141 S. Grand. There is an opening reception, 5-7 p.m.. www.greendoorartgallery.com .
Through January 13, check out Bruno David Gallery’s latest exhibition of Judy Child: Unbounded; Barry Anderson: Polychrome Rift; Keith Spoeneman: Assemblages, Reassembled, Repurposed; Bill Christy: Cities of Tomorrow, all at 7513 Forsyth. www.brunodavidgallery.com
Webster Arts, at 2 Summit Avenue, kicks off its 20th anniversary year with a retrospective exhibition of works by Marilynne Bradley, opening on January 10. On February 1, an evening of conversation with the artist, hosted by Patrick Murphy, beginning with appetizers at 6:30 p.m. (tickets required; $75 per person). www.webster-arts.org .
Speaking of anniversaries, Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar, celebrates its 21st anniversary with a very classy, glassy group exhibition of works by 13 TDG artists, January 2-31. Pop in any time, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Or be there on January 19th, 6-10 p.m, for a fun night of live music, glassblowing demos, bar and food vendors. Wow! www.stlglass.com .
Cathedral Concerts hosts Missouri State University Chorale with a performance on January 12, 8 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell. What a lovely way to spend a winter evening! www.cathedralconcerts.org .
Explore place, space and time with music for clarinet, strings and piano, in WELL: dynamic reflections, performed January 25, 7 p.m., at World Chess Hall of Fame, 4652 Maryland Avenue. Paul Schoenfeld fuses traditional Klemer folk and classical music through violin, clarinet and piano with Jean Sibelius on piano and Jessie Montgomery on violin and piano, as Paul Wiancko interprets American Haiku for viola and cello. www.worldchesshof.org .
How about a free evening of Cuban music, food and dancing to warm up a January night? Oh, yeah, I’m there! There are dance lessons, live music by Gipsy Social, plus an optional Havana’s buffet dinner ($25, advance purchase only) on January 18, starting at 6 p.m. This celebration of Eliades Ochoa’s (a member of the Buena Vista Social Club) upcoming concert is at the Sheldon, 3648 Washington. Reservations required! www.thesheldon.org/BuenaVista .
While at the Sheldon, see the exhibitions, which close on January 20: Arturo Sandoval: Creative Portals and Pattern Fusion; Patti Chalmers: Mudpie Museum; Ryan Horvath: Birds of America; Jason Ackman: Undertow; Allison Ouellette-Kirby and Noah Kirby: You Can’t Run with the Hares and Hunt with the Hounds.
Jazz St.Louis knows how to chase the winter chills—with hot jazz! Performances this month include Marquis Hill (January 3–7), Keyon Harrold (January 26-27), Billy Childs WITH Sean Jones and Alicia Olatuja (January 31-February 4), all at 3536 Washington. www.jazzstl.org .
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents a three-concert jazz series, lead by Conductor Laureat Leonard Slatkin, January 12-21, at the Touhill. Each concert ends with a landmark work by George Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue, the famous piece for orchestra and piano, marking its 100th anniversary.
Treat the family to a concert by SLSO, January 27-28 at Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market, for Musical Fables with Live Animation and Film. Stephane Deneve conducts as French animator Gregoire Pont’s version of The Spider’s Feast, by Albert Roussel, is projected. Follow that with Segeir Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, the 2008 Animated Short Film Academy Award winner, finishing with Francis Poulenc’s Les Animauz Modeles, narrated by Broadway veteran Ken Page. Ticket start at just $15. www.slso.org .
Advance notice, because this happens at the start of the next month:
Feb. 2-3, Sara Sheperd sings favorites in her show, Beautiful Carole King, in the Ballroom Cabaret, upstairs at The Sheldon, 3648 Washington. Presented by the Cabaret Project of St. Louis. www.thecabaretproject.org .