Summer Ends as September Arrives but it Opens Fresh ARTful Opportunities, with New Exhibitions, Performances, and Concerts
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Photo: Classical guitarist Leonela Alejandro performs, St. Louis Classical Guitar.
The granddaddy of art/craft festivals, Cedarhurst Art & Craft Fair in Mount Vernon, IL, celebrates its 50th year, September 5-7—and bids farewell. After hosting juried artists (70 artists this year) and musicians from across the country, plus awarding many thousands of dollars each year, this 2025 show is the final Cedarhurst. St. Louis gallery owner Duane Reed serves as this year’s awards judge. Just 90 minutes east of St. Louis, stop by my booth #33! www.cedarhurst.org
Closer to home, the St. Louis Art Fair also runs September 5-7 in downtown Clayton. There are children’s activities, 190+ award-winning artists, live music and food trucks. www.saintlouisartfair.com
The City of O’Fallon hosts its 7th Annual Fall into the Arts Festival, Sunday, September 21, at O’Day Park. This free, family-friendly event celebrates art, craft, foods and live music by Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats, and The Boogaloo Crew. www.ofallonmo.gov
The Pulitzer presents Jennie C. Jones: A Line When Broken Begins Again plus her curation debut in Other Octaves, September 5-February 1. Jones is internationally recognized for her interdisciplinary practice, exploring connections between painting, sound, and space. The opening reception at 3716 Washington is 6-9 p.m. www.pulitzerarts.org
Next door, at 3750 Washington, Contemporary Art Museum opens its fall/winter exhibitions, featuring Haegue Yang, Teresa Baker, and Hai-Wen Lin; plus CAM Connect Showcase and 30 Years of Teens Making Art, 6-9 p.m. All remain on view through February 8. www.camstl.org
While in Grand Center on September 5, pop over to preview MOCRA’s fall exhibitions, 5-9 p.m.
To See This Place: Awakening to Our Common Home is inspired by Laudato Si, the late Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on “integral ecology,” linking our care for creation with care for society’s most vulnerable. Works by Athena LaTocha, Mary Mattingly, and Tyler Rai explore beauty, dignity and all manifold life that inhabit the earth. Partnered with that exhibition is Legacy: Selections from the Gerald R. and Mary Reid Brunstrom Gift of Art from Australia, showcasing Australian Aboriginal works. Located in the center of St. Louis University’s campus at 3700 W. Pine, MOCRA hosts both exhibitions through December 14. www.slu.edu/mocra
Opening on September 13 with a reception 5-8 p.m., Bruno David Gallery presents four exhibitions: Joe Chesla: Weighted; Stan Strembicki: Art History Revisited; Lisa K. Blatt: Red Sky in Morning; Jean Mason: Beautiful but Broken, at 7513 Forsyth. www.brunodavidgallery.com.
At the Green Center, 8025 Blackberry, through September 19, view Nature in Releaf, a solo exhibition by Jerry Pence. This exhibit of watercolors, wood carvings, and linocut prints celebrates the details and complexities within the physical structures of plants. www.thegreencenter.org
Gretchen Brigham Gallery at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 N. Union, exhibits Naturescapes in Fibers by Ana Sumner through September 27, with an artist talk 2-3:30 p.m. on September 13. This multi-media artist creates diverse landscapes, inspired by the simple beauty of everyday life. www.sewuniqueart.com
Beginning her musical education in Puerto Rico at the age of just seven, Leonela Alejandro is a rising star in classical guitar. Said Cuban virtuoso Rene Izquierdo, “In the figure of Leonela Alejandro, I see a great player. She is bold and unique as a musician, and as a person.” Leonela launches St. Louis Classical Guitar’s 2025-26 season with her concert September 13, 7:30 p.m. at Salem Methodist Church, South Lindbergh. www.slcg.org
Cathedral Concerts presents its free Chamber Music Series, September 12 at St. Joseph Church in Cottleville; September 14 at St. Peter Church in Kirkwood; September 18 at Our Lady of Lourdes in U.City, all at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are not required, so arrive early! www.cathedralconcerts.org
The Cottage is a cheeky romp through the 1920’s, on The Rep’s Mainstage, 130 Edgar, September 3-28. Set in an English country-cottage, it’s British humor at its best! www.repstl.org
St. Louis Public Radio hosts Theatre Showcase, September 12-13, on Public Media Commons. Short performances by local theatre companies begin each night at 7 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic! www.stlpr.org
The arts and humanities are currently under attack, through limitations of funding and administrative control. Missouri Humanities Council maintains historical info, hosts literary and historical programs and veterans’ events, and so much more. Please consider attending its MOmentum Gala, September 13, 6 p.m. at The Barnett on Washington to benefit the Humanities Council’s work. Your support is greatly appreciated. www.mohumanities.org