Celebrate and Support The Arts This Holiday Season
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky,
Healthy Planet Arts Editor
Image: Winter Celebration at St. Louis Art Museum
As the year comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on the ARTful experiences of 2025:
Did you attend a play? A dance performance? A concert? Which exhibitions did you view?
This year brought far too many harsh challenges to the ARTS, in our region and nationwide, so your support remains more important than ever before. To that end, I urge you to consider the gift of tickets or a piece of artwork when you plan holiday gift-giving for those on your list. A gift membership with any one of the awesome art institutions in our area provides ARTful opportunities throughout the year for the recipient, as well as much-needed support to these organizations. Most especially, a year-end donation to any of St. Louis’ fine ARTS entities would make a huge difference for the upcoming year, too. The ARTS need YOU very much.
What would this holiday season be without the ARTS to lift spirits? Consider these suggestions:
On view through February 1 at the Pulitzer, 3716 Washington, is Jennie C. Jones: A Line When Broken Begins Again. Stop in for First Friday at the Pulitzer, December 5, 5-9 p.m. www.pulitzerarts.org
Through December 20, Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth, showcases Yvette Drury Dubinsky: Reconstruct; Heather Bennett: Remix; Chris Kahler: Flux; Patricia Olynyk: Black Swan in Three Variations. www.brunodavidgallery.com
The Gretchen Brigham Gallery presents Ben Bradshaw: Song, December 21-January 28, at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 N. Union Blvd. This artist is recognized for his unique inter-dimensional designs of indoor and outdoor paintings, sculpture, animation and yarn installations. www.union-avenue.org/agua
Through December 14, experience To See This Place: Awakening to Our Common Home, at MOCRA on St. Louis University’s campus. A most thoughtful consideration based on Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical of Laudato Si, on environmental responsibility. www.slu.edu/mocra/
Take the family to Winter Celebrations at the St. Louis Art Museum, December 13-14. Inspired by holiday tradition from around the globe, the event is free, offering performances and family art activities each day. While there, be sure to see Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea (through January 25), Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles, 11th-17th Century (through January 4) or Always Modern: German Art & Design (through March 15). www.slam.org
Check out Print Bazaar on Cherokee Street, December 6, when 180 artists offer posters, prints, cards and more in storefronts, bars and venues throughout Cherokee. www.cherokeeprintbazaar.com
Frost & Fire combines glass and fashion as the holiday window display at Third Degree Glass, through December 27. Break out that ugly holiday sweater to wear to the Third Friday Celebration, December 19, 6-10 p.m. Food, fun, demos, and music by Dodging Potholes, at 5200 Delmar. www.thirddegreeglass.com
Illuminated Echoes is a full-length dance work created by award-winning Tommie-Waheed Evans for COCAdance, COCA’s modern/contemporary pre-professional dance company. The piece merges dance, sound, and visual art for an unforgettable experience, December 11-14. Joyful brings the talent and spirit of COCA’s Allegro Senior and Junior Vocal Companies with St. Louis Children’s Choirs to the stage at 6880 Washington on December 20. www.cocastl.org
Calling all Jane Austen fans! Jane Austen’s Emma is performed on the Rep stage, 130 Edgar Road, December 3-21. “Pride, prejudice and plenty of wit” nightly as “classic romance meets modern charm.” www.repstl.org
Charles Dickens meets Monkey-madness in a chaotic, irreverent twist on the ghost-filled classic, A Magic Smoking Christmas Carol, presented by Magic Smoking Monkey Theater, “proudly butchers the holiday classic in a most festive way,” December 4-7 at the Touhill. C’mon, we all need a good laugh!! www.umsl.edu/touhill/
Tickets to Christmas at the Cathedral are selling out quickly. Reserve yours now for the December 6-7 performances by St. Louis Archdiocesan Choir and Orchestra at the Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell. www.cathedralconcerts.org
The renovations on Powell Hall are truly spectacular! This holiday season is THE perfect time to enjoy St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, now back in its “home.” Mercy Holiday Celebration, December 20-23, features St. Louis native Kennedy Holmes performing holiday classics, along with the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. Ring the New Year in with style when conductor Stephane Deneve pays homage to his native France and adopted United States in the New Year’s Eve Celebration, December 31, 7:30 p.m. From Bizet’s L’Arlesienne to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, SLSO promises a night to remember. www.slso.org
On December 23, also at Powell Hall, the Bach Society performs its annual Christmas Candlelight Concert, 8 p.m. www.bachsociety.org
Whatever holidays you celebrate, I wish you peace and joy now and all the best for the new year.