May Art Events You Don’t Want To Miss
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor
Image: HYBYCOZO, at Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden is adorned this year with Patterns in Nature, the Art of HYBYCOZO, sculptural creations by artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk. The works, all based on geometric principles, some huge in scale, can be discovered throughout the garden. Delightfully colored, delicately cut, simply amazingly assembled. Return at night, 6-10 p.m., to view the exhibition as Lightform, with each of the works illuminated, casting intricate pattern shadows and presenting a totally different ARTful experience. See it through September 26. www.mobot.org/patterns
As famed Route 66 marks its 100-year anniversary, International Photography Hall of Fame presents a lively panel discussion with photographers of this iconic roadway and its sites. Join the online session, Endless Horizons: Journeys Along the Mother Road, at 6 p.m. on May 7. Register at www.iphf.org/events
Visit Webster Groves on May 9 as Paint Webster, a yearly plein air festival, takes place. Watch as artists of all ages translate the community onto canvas, at many different locations, with a reception at 4:30 in Webster Arts Gallery, 2 Summit. The exhibition there continues through June 12. www.webster-arts.org
St. Louis Watercolor Society presents its annual Juried Exhibition: A Celebration of Excellence at Norton’s Fine Art & Framing, 2025 S. Big Bend. Works by 65 artists remain on view through May 16. www.nortonsfineart.com
Third Degree Glass presents Happy-Go-Lucky alongside Devil-May-Care, a dual exhibition of works by Cole Hansen, May 7-June 26 at 5200 Delmar. One portion of the show promises works to put a smile on the viewer’s face (don’t we all need that!!) while the second portion consists of cast glass and steel sculptures. Of the first part, the artist says, “Glassblowing is my escape from the real world, and the studio is where I go to get my mind off things.” In contrast, he describes the second portion, “We can and should take a break from the stress of our modern world when we’re feeling overwhelmed; but reality is inescapable, and we must recognize and sit with problems before we can find solutions.” On May 15, 5-10 p.m., watch as Third Degree artists compete in creating a St. Louis landmark — in glass! www.thirddegreeglass.com
Dialogues & Conversations remains on view at Pulitzer Arts, 3716 Washington, through August 9. Eighty-five works by some 30 artists (deKooning, Giacometti, Degas, Salcedo and more) represent late 19th century-present. www.pulitzerarts.org
Mom will love the 11:30 a.m. Mother’s Day Jazz Brunch, May 10 at Jazz St. Louis with Anita Jackson performing. Oh, so cool! Later, it’s Miles Centennial Week, celebrating Miles Davis, May 26-29 with Terell Stanford & Tim Warfield, or May 30-31 with Adam Maness. All at 3536 Washington. www.jazzstl.org
A stroll at Laumeier Sculpture Park’s annual Mother’s Day Art Fair, May 8-10, rounds out a great celebration with art, music, and maybe a purchased piece or two to take home! www.laumeier.org
Enjoy Beer with Bach, as the St. Louis Bach Society offers a free 7 p.m. concert at Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois, on May 8. Sounds like fun, yah?!? www.bachsociety.org
May means fun at the St. Louis Symphony with Bugs Bunny 85th birthday Looney Tunes celebration, 7 p.m. on May 22, followed by Route 66 Rewind with the Doo Wop Project, 7:30 p.m. on May 30. Both performances at Powell Hall. www.stlso.org
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis invites everyone to experience powerful stories that tell who we are and where we came from through Our Songs, the annual free concert celebrating music, memory, and community. Advance reservations are suggested for this concert at 7:30 p.m., May 27 at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand. www.opera-stl.org
Dance St.Louis delights St. Louis with its annual Spring to Dance Festival, May 22-23. Each evening is filled with a serving of the best and most diverse dance companies to be seen in one place, 12 companies over 2 nights. www.dancestlouis.org
Closing on May 31 is Liminal, MOCRA’s final exhibition as the museum also closes. A thought-provoking fixture on St.Louis University’s campus, MOCRA says in its poetic farewell:
“In a liminal phase,
we transition from one status to another,
a condition of uncertainty and possibility.
What was familiar passes away;
what is to come has not yet arrived.
We may reflect on the past and envision the future.”