Gratitude for St Louis Arts
By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky,
Healthy Planet Arts Editor
Photo: Ballet Hispanic presented by Dance St. Louis
As Thanksgiving approaches this month, it’s a good time to consider just what there is in our area to be thankful for: the ARTS!
The St. Louis region offers an incredible number of ARTful opportunities; many St. Louis museums offer free ARTful opportunities. Consider the admission costs to most art museums around the country—and be thankful for how many free offerings there are in this region. Even when admission or tickets are required, the ARTS in St. Louis have nominal costs.
Travel to any metropolitan area, and realize how expensive ARTful experiences can cost: The average ticket to a Broadway play is $126-135. Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York charges $30 to walk in its door. The Chicago Art Institute charges $32 per person to view its collection. The Louvre in Paris charges $35.93.
Be thankful! We are very, very fortunate here indeed.
The ARTS face drastically reduced funding these days. Many institutions struggle just to keep their doors open. As this year comes toward a close, please consider a donation to the ARTS institutions in this area. Join as a member to receive even more benefits for yourself as you support the ARTS.
JazzBeat named Jazz St. Louis a Top Jazz Venue, so you’ve got to get there! The 2026-27 season kicks off November 4 with Cyrus Chestnut, offering live performances by nationally-known jazz greats every single week. Check out the full schedule at www.jazzstl.org
Upstream Theater presents Janeaid, November 6-22, at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. www.upstreamtheater.org
November 6-December 31, Third Degree Glass and other Delmar Makers show off their Holiday Window Displays. Sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Plus, a Third Friday celebration on November 20, 5-10 p.m. www.stlglass.com
As the weather cools, it’s the perfect time to experience Laumeier After Dark, November 7, 4-9 p.m. There are live musicians, illuminated art installations, food, drink, a Night Market and a Mystic Market—you know it will be fun! www.laumeier.org
The Green Center, Blackberry Avenue, hosts Fall Fire Fest, also on November 7, 5:30-8 p.m. Firebreathing, arts, live music, local art and more. www.thegreencenter.org
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performs Shostakovich’s Eighth: Beauty in Darkness, November 14-15. Also performed is Mendelssohn Psalm 114. On November 20-21, SLSO presents A Salute to America, featuring the US Naval Academy Glee Club. www.slso.org
Mark the calendar for November 13-14 when Karlovsky & Company performs STAGED: New Works in Contemporary & Experimental Dance at the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. There are evening performances, plus a matinee! www.karlovskydance.org
Dance St. Louis continues to thrill audiences when Ballet Hispanico takes the Touhill stage, November 14. Described by the Ford Foundation as one of “America’s Cultural Treasures,” this company returns to StL from New York after 25 years. www.dancestl.org
Tenebrae sings haunting acapella, The Path of Miracles, inside the beautiful Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell, on November 14. www.cathedralconcerts.org
At 2025 S. Big Bend, Norton’s Fine Art & Framing presents St. Louis Watercolor Society’s juried Big Splash 2026 through November 21. www.nortonsfineart.com
Unique Boutique is a delightful arts fair at John Burroughs School, November 21-22. The event includes fine crafts, art: the perfect place for unique holiday gifts, 755 S. Price Road in Ladue. Stop by my booth (Stone Hollow Studio) to see my scrimshaw. Lots of convenient parking, too! www.jbsuniqueboutique.com
COCA-Live and Unscripted takes the stage at 6880 Washington on November 21. It’s a fun, interactive performance by members of COCA’s Improv Troupe, comedy ad improv, suitable for all ages. www.cocastl.org
St. Louis Museum of Art (SLUMA) hosts Cross Currents: Global Exchanges in Modern & Contemporary Art : global, political and cultural boundaries of the 20th and 21st centuries, through May 27. Also on display through December 30 is Rhythms of Ancestry, exploring spirituality, music, performance, and ancestral traditions throughout the African diaspora. All at 3663 Lindell, the museum has a great collection of art. www.slu.edu/sluma
| Congrats to Kemper Art Museum on being a 2026 grant recipient by the Arts Dealers Association of America Foundation (ADAA). The initiative will bring together approximately 200 middle/high school students from across the St. Louis region for exhibition tours, artist-led discussions, collaborative art-making, and a culminating student exhibition. In the meantime, visit the Kemper (on Washington University’s campus) to view its great collection and exhibitions. www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu |