September 4, 2026

LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

LADUE’S

New Boutique for Littles STATE OF THE ARTS Special Edition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Business & Technology 10

38

Business Notes

Family & Education 12

Lessons Learned

Health & Science 14

Kids MD

Home 16

The Reset

18

Design Elements

10

Style 26 On Trend 27 How to Host

Arts & Culture 28 Bookmarked 30 Taste of the Town

27

32 Crossword Puzzle

Out & About 34 Ashrei Foundation 35 Open Door Animal Sanctuary

State of the Arts 38 Dance 42 Multi 44 Music 46 Theater 52 Visual Arts

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September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Cover Partner

8

the Saint Louis Science Center is celebrating an exciting year of growth with this year’s gala, Club Wonder: Light Years Ahead. Learn more on p. 8.

Photo by Christina Kling-Garrett

Thomas J Francel, MD, FACS LOC A L AUTHOR

The two books every aesthetic or plastic surgery patient should read.

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

OR DER YOUR COPIE S TODAY. “This will go a long way in curtailing bad plastic surgery. It belongs in the hands of any man or woman contemplating plastic surgery and on the shelves of all practitioners.”

“Dr. Francel’s dedication, wisdom, and vision will benefit countless patients seeking safe, effective, and fulfilling aesthetic improvements.”

–Foad Nahai, MD, FACS, FRCS

–Renato Saltz, MD, FACS, FICS

AND RIBBON CUTTING

OF OUR NEW LOCATION

PUBLISHER Ian Caso

EDITORIAL eDItOr-IN-CHIeF Amanda Dahl | adahl@laduenews.com

SeNIOr eDItOr Emily Standlee | estandlee@laduenews.com

CONtrIbUtING WrIterS Mark Bretz, Sean Fullan, Drew Gieseke, Alecia Humphreys, Lauren Leady, Rob Levy, Carrson McDaniel, Connie Mitchell, Nancy Robinson, Andrea Smith, Mabel Suen, Katie Yeadon

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A LEE ENTERPRISES PUBLICATION

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

‘WARRIOR: The Fearless’ concert

by CPSTL Chamber Project St. Louis honors legendary fighters in a Sept. 13 afternoon performance at St. Louis County Library’s Clark Family Branch.

Learn more at slcl.org/events.

HDSA Team Hope Walk

B

ehind the scenes here at LN, we spend

This grassroots fundraising event, hosted by the Missouri Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, takes place on Sept. 19 at Tilles Park and benefits people affected by HD. Learn more at missouri.hdsa.org.

a considerable

amount of time putting together this special edition every year – in large part because we

love the work. We relish the opportunity to elevate the many local art organizations that make the everyday extraordinary. We root for the artists who dare us to explore new perspectives and who enrich our experiences through thoughtful presentations.

And although we are thrilled to take you behind the curtain in this State of the Arts issue, which begins on Page 37, that’s not all there is to appreciate about this edition of LN. For swoon-worthy home design, turn to Page 18, where the custom tiling displays such impactful symmetry, it’ll have you dreaming up your next renovation. Or flip to Page 10, where we introduce you to a trio of sisters who used their collective personal experiences to inform a premium shopping destination they created for families with young children.

SABABA Festival returns on Oct. 18 The Jewish arts-and-culture festival arrives in Clayton this fall, with performing artists, family experiences, and a community celebration.

Learn more at sababastl.com.

Thanks for reading Ladue News,

Amanda Dahl, editor-in-chief We’re sorry: In our July 24 issue, we incorrectly listed James Anderson as the event photographer for “A Night at the Royal Gallery.” The fundraiser for Women’s Connection Network was photographed

by Zach Dalin Photography.

Editor’s photo by Christina Kling-Garrett; Sababa Festival photo by Bryan Schraier, courtesy of Sababa St. Louis

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

COVER FEATURE | LN PARTNER PROMOTION

A Celebration of

GROWTH and INNOVATION

By Maggie Peters | Photos by Christina Kling-Garrett

O

ne of the city’s most unique and outstanding treasures, the Saint Louis Science Center helps uplift the idea that that science and technology is for everyone. As one of the few free, nonprofit museums in the country, the Science Center transforms the metro community and beyond by inspiring individuals of all ages to become active learners and experience new perspectives.

The Science Center has been experiencing an incredible year of growth and transformation – including improvements to the James S. McDonnell Planetarium – and you can celebrate the center’s commitment to staying on the forefront of scientific developments worldwide at this year’s gala, Club WONDER: Light Years Ahead.

“We’re excited to lead Club WONDER: Light Years Ahead this year, as the activity-driven event expands the opportunities the Science Center provides and champions advancements and discoveries in fields of science that are important to this community,” say event co-chairs Ed and Margot Monser. “Building upon the excitement surrounding the Science Center, we’d love for everyone in our community to join us in celebrating

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

what is sure to be a great night.”

Ed Monser, a veteran executive and former president of Emerson Electric with more than 30 years of leadership, today invests in organizations and activities that help young people see positive opportunities in their future. Margot Monser is a former NCAA Division I athlete, certified personal

trainer and team member of the McMahon Group. She passionately volunteers her time with DUO Dogs, an organization that trains dogs for service and touch therapy.

The two of them confirm: “We are dedicated supporters of the Science Center as members of the Einstein Society President’s Council and the Curie Society, the

community of those who have planned gifts for the Science Center through their estate.”

Club WONDER: Light Years Ahead seeks to connect the community to advances in science and technology happening in St. Louis in a fresh, social, and immersive way. Hosted by award-winning radio and television personality Julie Tristan, guests are encouraged to shine like a star in their favorite cocktail attire, dance, savor cocktails, and enjoy space-inspired bites. They will also enjoy virtual reality experiences and a showcase of the new technology within the McDonnell Planetarium.

In addition to these festivities, guests can join a VIP Experience that begins two hours prior to the event.

The VIP Experience includes early entry and an exclusive VIP Star Show inside the upgraded Bill and Laura Orthwein StarBay. Go online to learn more!

The Saint Louis Science Center and those who support its mission believe that through meaningful experiences, we can encourage the leaders of tomorrow to see their role in STEM. Saint Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314-289-4477, slsc.org

rom hand drawings in the beginning, and virtual reality tours with us by your side, to constructing a high quality renovation in the end; our design professionals are committed to satisfying your needs throughout the journey!

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY | BUSINESS NOTES

Little Derby HITS ITS STRIDE

By Carrson McDaniel | photos by Lentini productions

S

isters Elizabeth Barrett, Megan Barrett, and Caitlin Purcell had always imagined opening a business together.

After taking some time off to be with their growing families, the trio made that dream a reality with Little Derby, a children’s clothing boutique on Clayton Road in Ladue. The store officially opened for business on April 22.

“Once we found this space, it sealed the deal for us because it’s right next to Companion [Bakery & Café] and Ladue Taco,” Purcell says. “Just the [number of] people we get into the store [who are] walking from one of those restaurants or a shop nearby has been incredible.”

Purcell says the idea for a children’s boutique came from her and Megan Barrett’s experiences as mothers. “We couldn’t find a local store that fulfilled all of our needs,” she says. “There were a lot of gifting stores; there were baby-specific stores. I would get frustrated [with] being able to buy for my younger ones but not my older ones, and I tended to order online most of the time. We wanted something that filled all those age groups – we also wanted somewhere [with] different price points.”

The store currently carries a variety of brands for newborns through size 12, with outfits for every occasion. “We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from customers about the ability to buy a sports coat in

person for their boys or shop for a first communion or flower girl dress in person,” Megan Barrett says. “We have that style of clothing, really good-quality play clothes at good price points, and pretty much everything in between.”

What’s more, the sisters are thrilled at how warm a welcome Little Derby has received from the community. “We’ve had the best customers,” Purcell says. “A lot of people walk in and say, ‘We needed this in this area,’ and [there’s been] support from all the other stores as well. Everyone’s been so nice.”

Purcell says that although there are no current plans for another Little Derby location, an online store is a potential goal. In the meantime, the shop is hiring as college students return to school and Megan Barrett prepares for maternity leave. Those interested in applying can fill out a contact form on the Little Derby website.

The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Little Derby, 9757 Clayton Road, Ladue, littlederbyboutique.com 10

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

40 C E L E B R AT I N G

Years

OF HARD WORK, INTEGRITY & BUILDING A LEGACY

Forty years ago, Scott Koziatek started Koziatek Contracting with a strong work ethic, a commitment to quality, and a determination to build something that would last.

BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP

In the early years, Scott spent his days working on rooftops and his evenings running leads and meeting homeowners. One roof, one relationship, one satisfied customer at a time; he built the reputation that became the foundation of our company.

GROWN ON TRUST

Today, Koziatek Contracting proudly celebrates 40 years in business. What began as one man’s vision has grown into a trusted, family-owned company serving residential and commercial customers throughout the St. Louis area.

THE SAME PRINCIPLES

While our company has grown, the principles Scott established remain the same: quality craftsmanship, dependable service, and treating customers the right way. It’s how we’ve earned your trust and why it continues today.

SCOTT’S GREATEST LEGACY ISN’T JUST REACHING 40 YEARS, IT’S BUILDING A COMPANY POSITIONED TO CONTINUE FOR GENERATIONS. 40 YEARS OF

Craftsmanship Commitment & Trust

PROUDLY SERVING ST. LOUIS & SURROUNDING AREAS Thank you to our customers, employees, crews and community for 40 incredible years.

HERE’S TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.

KOZIATEKCONTRACTING.COM

FAMILY & EDUCATION | LESSONS LEARNED

A NEW ERA FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

By Drew Gieseke | photos by Whitney Curtis, courtesy of WashU

Andrew and Jane bursky

I

n May, Washington University in St. Louis announced a historic $200 million gift from the Bursky Family Foundation to bolster its new School of Public Health. The commitment – the largest in university history – was made by board chair Andrew M. Bursky and his wife Jane, both alumni and dedicated WashU supporters.

Leaders within the newly named Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky School of Public Health, including its dean, physician Sandro Galea, believe the investment will empower the school to lean into its vision of building a world-class, research-intensive institution with a real commitment to local and global impact. “We aim to build the partnerships and structures that enable us to contribute to improving the health of populations,” Galea says.

With the new funding, the Bursky School will be able to hire faculty and create scholarships and new research initiatives, all while advancing a broader effort to rethink how public health is taught, studied, and applied. “We strongly believe that the clearest pathway to bending the curve of health care costs, which now consume a growing 18% of domestic GDP and 10% of global GDP, is not only to invest in treatments for people who are ill but to invest equally in the processes, approaches, and partnerships that can keep more people healthy,” the Burskys say. Much of this is

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September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

influenced by the fact that the Bursky School is the first of its kind to be established since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2020, public health has faced emerging threats, rising chronic disease, declining vaccination rates, and gaps in access to care. Galea says this is exactly the time to build one of the leading schools of public health in the country – and there’s no better place to do it than in St. Louis. “St. Louis is one of the few places in the country where you can walk Sandro Galea, bursky School dean out the door and be in both Americas: a dense urban core and, an hour away, farm communities facing an entirely different set of health challenges,” he says.

Galea also highlights the importance of putting research into practice. “Academic papers are a key step toward translating the science so that we can make a difference in the real world – measurable in lives improved [and] health generated,” he says.

“Second, we have learned from the pandemic that health does not happen in disciplinary silos. We are building a school that is, by intention, interdisciplinary; encourages work across fields; and seeks solutions that extend well beyond units or departments.

Third, we are building deliberate capacity for the implementation and translation of the science to ensure we can realize the promise of making an impact.”

Bursky School of Public Health, publichealth.washu.edu

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HEALTH & SCIENCE | KIDS MD

Stop the Spread

By Dr. Sean Fullan | photos supplied

W

hen my 6-year-old daughter started coming home with extra toys I’d never seen before, I had questions.

New 3D-printed animals, plastic jewelry, and “squishy” toys were showing up as a result of a thriving school bus barter economy. Unfortunately, after finding an unfamiliar used lip gloss, I was reminded of how many viruses were likely taking advantage of the mobile marketplace.

As parents, we all know about the importance of washing hands and covering a cough. The trick is how to instill good habits in our kids. One of the most common phrases we hear in our house is, “I have a question…” It can help to harness that natural curiosity with a visual activity. If you are up for some minor cleanup, try the classic glitter-germs demonstration. Start by putting lotion on your child’s hands and adding a pinch of glitter. Over the next few hours, sparkles will start appearing on toys, doorknobs, and other people. Show

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September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

them how the glitter needs to be washed off with soap and water. For handwashing, scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds.

This is especially important after using the bathroom, blowing their nose, or coughing and sneezing.

To explain how respiratory viruses spread, cover a sponge in cornstarch.

Then throw it against an outside wall and watch the “germs” fly. This can lead to a conversation about how covering a cough can go a long way toward keeping other kids safe. Keep the reminder light but consistent.

In our family, we teach “vampire” coughs by putting the elbow and forearm in front of the face. When they forget, they understand our gesture of an imaginary cloak being drawn up.

Sleep is another commonly overlooked part of staying healthy. Younger school-age children generally need nine to 12 hours of sleep each night. Inconsistent bedtimes on weekends can negatively affect sleep on the following weeknight. Teens can have an

especially difficult time falling asleep early enough to get adequate hours.

The last tips are for parents directly.

Staying up to date on the vaccines your pediatrician recommends, including seasonal respiratory virus vaccines, is foundational for reducing the likelihood and severity of these illnesses.

And please, if your child has significant symptoms of illness, keep them home.

They will recover more quickly, and their classmates’ parents will thank you.

Dr. Sean Fullan is a pediatrician with Mercy in Wentzville. For more information, visit mercy.net/laduenews.

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EXPERIENCE | INNOVATION | RESULTS

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Bold HOME | THE RESET

TOP HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS POWERED BY

MOVES

By Nancy Robinson | photos supplied

Strong lines animate a distinctive organic essence in these bold modern designs.

baker Furniture presents the pangolin’s mirror from the bill bensley collection. It is 39.5 inches in diameter and features a “fossilized” brass finish on the highly textured metal frame. the mirror is named for the little armored mammals covered in keratin scales. (kdrshowrooms.com)

bernhardt created the brutalist-inspired Argos console table using a brass-clad German silver technique with an aged brass finish.

It is 72 inches wide, 16 inches deep, and 32 inches high. (carolhouse.com)

Check out the top plays by local student athletes from around the region!

STLtoday.com/hudl

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September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Visual Comfort & Co., which recently opened a new showroom on Clayton road in Ladue, presents the parkwood table lamp designed by Kate Spade. part of the Signature collection and standing 23.75 inches high, the lamp features a reactive ceramic glaze on the oval-shaped base. (visualcomfort.com)

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Locally Owned and Operated www.closetsbydesign.com laduenews.com | September 4, 2026

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HOME | DESIGN ELEMENTS

Personality & Polish

By Alecia Humphreys photo by Lisa mitchell of photographie by Li

A

n outdated, lackluster hall bathroom was given a brand-new personality, thanks to Wendy Kuhn, lead designer at Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath.

“This bathroom renovation focused on giving a previously simple space the same depth and character found throughout the rest of the home,” Kuhn says. “The rest of the house is filled with rich details [including] mixes of antiques, Morris & Co. wallpapers, and layered textures. Now this hall bath … is a welcoming place for when the homeowner hosts overnight guests.”

The bathroom’s vanity, accented in warm wood, was designed to bring softness to the space, while the mirror and lighting selections add a touch of the unexpected.

“I love the use of the vintage-inspired, oversized wall sconces and furniture mirror to give [this] traditional bath a tailored look,” Kuhn says.

Gorgeous green crown molding and wainscoting were introduced to the space to add architectural structure and visual weight. A Morris & Co. bird and pomegranate wallpaper wraps the room.

“So much character was added to this small bathroom [through] these thoughtful details,” the designer says.

Kuhn selected Calacatta Verde floor tile with a green accent border and carried the detailed tilework into the shower. “While this shower tile layout looks very simple, it actually took a great deal of planning and craftsmanship from our tile setter,” Kuhn says. “I love the way the project turned out – it represents the homeowner’s style and is a continuation of the rest of her home.”

Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath, karrbick.com

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September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

LN PARTNER PROMOTION

HOME BEAUTIF IFU UL

Get to Kn Know

Stockell Custom Hom ome es laduenews.com | SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

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LN PARTNER PROMOTION

HOME BEAUTIFUL | STOCKELL CUSTOM HOMES

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Blending of Old-World Craftsmanship and MODERN BUILDING SCIENCE

By Maggie Peters | Photos courtesy of Stockell Custom Homes

Y

our home is the center of your every day; the place you rest and unwind, host friends and loved ones, and build your family. Those days are special, and your home should be, too. At Stockell Custom Homes, you know that you’ll get a well-crafted home that is designed with your needs in mind, giving you the perfect backdrop to your day-to-day life.

Family owned with more than 40 years in the home building business, Stockell Custom Homes is a nationally awarded custom home builder founded with the simple mission to build the best homes possible.

Don Stockell, president and founder, brought his knowledge, craftsmanship and business skills to the contracting industry and created Stockell Custom Homes.

Since its founding, Stockell has stayed true to its vision, never lowering its standards or putting quantity over quality.

Their fully custom approach ensures every home reflects the client's needs, with exceptional craftsmanship.

When you work with Stockell Custom Homes, you’ll have a trusted team in your corner long before construction begins. Bring your vision to them and you’ll be paired with everyone you need for both the design and build process – all under one roof. This both creates a more seamless journey and ensures that you’ll have a clear line of communication throughout the entire project.

Once you’ve worked with your team on

your design goals and budget, Stockell will work with you on all the finer details of pre-construction. Site visits and planning – including topography and grading – are all included to help ease the building process.

This is the time you’ll also finalize your architectural design, as well as interior and exterior selections. After that, you can sit back and relax knowing that your team with Stockell is managing the construction process from start to finish. You can trust they they’ll keep you updated throughout, and that your finished home is being built using the best building practices and superior craftsmanship.

On top of building beautiful and wellconstructed homes, Stockell is a Builder Partner with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Efficient New Homes Program, and all homes are built with Energy Star and DOE Efficient New Home certifications.

Stockell collaborates with the finest craftsmen and designers, selects topquality materials, and partners with expert tradesmen to ensure superior results.

Their dedication to excellence has created outstanding custom homes that are timeless, both aesthetically and structurally. Familyowned, nationally recognized, and built on four decades of trust, Stockell doesn't build cheap homes, they build forever homes.

Stockell Custom Homes, 201 Beverly, Suite A, Eureka, MO, 636-938-5333, stockellhomes.com

HOME SERVICES MOSBY BUILDING ARTS

Mosby Delivers the Most for

YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR Sponsored content by Amy Lynch, Brand Ave. Studios contributing writer | Photos courtesy of Mosby Building Arts

T

he exterior of your home deserves to look as good as its interior. An attractive exterior with features that function well together sets the tone for good living, and Mosby Building Arts stands ready to help homeowners achieve all that and more.

An important arm of Mosby Building Arts’ full-service remodeling offerings, Exteriors by Mosby manages everything from windows, doors and siding to porches, garages, and outdoor living. With Mosby’s skilled team, you know you’ll have both the look you want and quality that will stand the test of time.

“Mosby’s home consultants, designers, project managers and production personnel recognize that there are three ‘partners’ in any home remodeling project: our clients, their Vice President of Sales Scott Russom

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Mosby representatives, and the home itself,” says Scott Russom, Vice President of Sales.

“We take the time to discuss project ideas in the context of how they benefit our clients and their homes far downrange.”

Additionally, Mosby strives to preserve your home’s value by making sure all its systems operate cohesively.

“Windows, doors and siding aren’t isolated products; they work together to manage moisture, air and energy for the whole house,” Russom explains. “We evaluate how a new window or siding section interacts with everything around it.”

With experienced staff and 80 years of service to the greater St. Louis community, Mosby has worked hard to earn its reputation as a leader in the local remodeling industry.

“We understand residential construction and carefully choose products and methods that will deliver lasting value. Doing things ‘right’ the first time is the best way to protect

our clients’ investment,” Russom says.

For more information on how to boost your home’s curb appeal with craftsmanship you can trust, visit mosbybuildingarts.com.

Mosby Building Arts, 115 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, 314-909-1800, callmosby.com

THE HAMILTON DISPLAY IS NOW OPEN

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: • A prime West County location at Manchester and Highway 109.

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DETAILED DESIGN

24

By Maggie Peters

ANNE MARIE DESIGN STUDIO

HEARTH AND SOUL

annemariestudio.com

heartandsoul.com

The quiet luxury design of this kitchen combines timeless elegance with warm, rich details. Cream-colored cabinetry creates a bright and classic foundation, while the natural wood accents around the arched window and ceiling add warmth and character. The large window above the sink serves as a beautiful focal point and brings abundant natural light into the space. Quartz countertops with artistic veining provide movement throughout the space, creating a natural flow that draws you into the kitchen. Two large islands enhance functionality by providing ample workspace, seating, and storage, making the kitchen ideal for both everyday living and entertaining.

Discover beautiful items for yourself, your home, or someone special at Hearth and Soul, your one-stop shop for furniture, lighting, and finishing touches. A curated blend of modern and classic top brands and artisan goods, Hearth and Soul has something to make any house a signature home. Take advantage of its complimentary design services to effortlessly bring your vision to life. You can also shop through the boutique’s socials at @shophearthandsoul.

KARR BICK

KOZIATEK CONTRACTING

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Great design requires seeing in three dimensions. And understanding scale. A pile of samples on a table is only the beginning. At Karr Bick, every color, material, pattern, and finish is considered in relation to the whole space. How much green? How much brown?

How much white? How will the textures make you feel? Even the depth of the cabinets flanking the window was carefully considered to create perfect proportion and spacing. From the Visual Comfort pendant to the perfectly placed hardware, every detail has a purpose. It is this ability to envision the finished space and know exactly how the pieces should come together that makes Karr Bick design #NothingOrdinary.

For years, Huntleigh homeowner Keith Barket envisioned a Spanish-style roof, but traditional clay tile’s weight and structural requirements presented a challenge. Koziatek Contracting transformed the home with Brava Composite Spanish Barrel Tile, a lightweight, durable alternative that delivers the timeless look of authentic clay without the added structural support. The result is a dramatic transformation that completely redefines the home’s exterior. Having remodeled numerous homes and built more than a thousand during his real estate career Barket says, “Koziatek Contracting couldn’t have been a better partner for this project. I’m so pleased with the roof. It couldn’t be better.”

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

MOSBY BUILDING ARTS

SHUBERT DESIGN FURNITURE

callmosby.com

shubertdesign.com

Designed to feel more like a private retreat than an everyday bathroom, this Mosby wet room pairs quiet luxury with thoughtful craftsmanship.

Warm Artistic Tile in Vanilla creates an inviting backdrop along the shower walls, while Roca Mosica White 1-inch hexagon matte mosaic tile adds subtle texture underfoot. Polished Ella quartz, finished with a crisp square edge, carries across the countertops, shower seat, and windowsills for a cohesive look. A Kohler Artifacts bathtub anchors the wet room with a timeless, sculptural presence. Soft tones, enduring materials, and considered details come together to create a serene escape designed for indulgence.

This room embodies modern minimalism with a serene, monochromatic palette. Soft white furnishings and a plush shag rug create warmth and texture, while clean lines and subtle curves add sophistication. The abstract wall art and sculptural side table provide visual interest without clutter. A sleek round coffee table and fresh tulips introduce organic balance, and natural wood accents with a contemporary chandelier complete the calm, cohesive, and elegantly understated design.

STOCKELL CUSTOM HOMES stockellhomes.com The mudroom is one of the most overlooked and under-designed areas in a home, yet it plays a crucial role in daily life. When Stockell’s client mentioned the need for a functional mudroom to support their growing family and pets, interior designer Sadie Smith saw the opportunity to transform this transitional space into a hardworking, organized hub. Working closely with the client, the team incorporated the essential elements they desired; dedicated drop zones, coat hooks, bench seating, fully custom Amish-built cabinetry, and durable Epitome Charcoal floor tile. The result is a mudroom that not only meets the family’s functional needs but enhances the overall flow and comfort of the home. laduenews.com | September 4, 2026

25

STYLE | ON TREND

Suede

FreYA Sierra hat in camel, $334, Hearth & Soul (hearthandsoul.com)

SEPTEMBER

By Katie Yeadon | photos supplied

VANeSSSA brUNO short jacket in camel, $835, Nordstrom (nordstrom.com)

This month’s mood: Ground yourself in earthy tones of camel and cognac and the soft texture of suede.

CHImI 04 sunglasses in tortoise, $160, tuckernuck (tnuck.com)

tUCKerNUCK ruby knit dress in brown, $168, tuckernuck

HYACINtH HOUSe pointelle Capucine cardigan in mocha, $148, tuckernuck

ZImmermAN patchwork-print belted long-sleeve shirtdress, $925, Nordstrom

CO short-sleeve belted A-line dress in camel, $695, Neiman marcus (neimanmarcus.com)

tUCKerNUCK JeWeLrY station necklace in tiger’s eye and gold, $298, tuckernuck

ISAbeL mArANt ÉtOILe Naia scallop-trim alpaca-blend cardigan in camel, $590, Nordstrom

ULLA JOHNSON Gesture long-sleeve silk blouse in forsythia, $570, tuckernuck

J.CreW faux side-tie cotton-poplin pleated skirt in camel, $158,J.Crew (jcrew.com)

VerONICA beArD Carraway pant in dark mocha, $398, Hearth & Soul

SperrY suede slim boat shoes in peanut, $110, J.Crew

26

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

pOLO rALpH LAUreN bellport suede long-flap clutch in biscotti ciouo, $648, Neiman marcus

GIANVItO rOSSI elda sandals in camel, $795, Nordstrom

tHmL Western faux suede shirtdress in saddle, $118, Ivy Hill boutique (ivyhillboutique.com)

STYLE | HOW TO HOST

photo courtesy of ronni’s Design

photo courtesy of tasty Stations by Stacy

photo by tiffany reese, courtesy of Courtney Winet Design

A Reason to Celebrate

By Andrea Smith

I

t’s easy to miss opportunities to celebrate your friends’ or family members’ lessvisible benchmarks when your calendar is full of birthday parties, weddings, and baby showers. In a society where online likes and comments sometimes replace in-person congratulations, use these ideas from St. Louis-area businesses to show someone that what they’re doing matters in real life.

THE OCCASION Congratulate the friend who landed a new job or quit their 9-to-5 to pursue something adventurous. Celebrate those overcoming health challenges, such as completing chemotherapy, and those achieving their fitness goals. Throw a back-to-school party for adults, because whether in honor of a teacher or student, they’ll appreciate the support for a new chapter.

THE VIBE If a fully styled event feels like overkill, focus on intentional details. Communicate the occasion with a custom invitation that

can be treasured as a keepsake. Courtney Winet Design (courtneywinetdesign.com) specializes in “unexpected yet classic design” beyond basic invitations and stationery – such as large-scale coloring books, crossword puzzles, maps, and newspapers featuring fun facts about the guest of honor. Winet recalls doing a “Liz Your Best Life” party coordinated by the event planners at A.COMPANIE (acompanie.com), in which a client commemorated “all the big life things happening at once.”

“I can help with invitations ranging from a standard printed invite in an envelope to something much more custom, like a mailing tube with a concert-style poster inside or a boxed invitation with a custom cocktail kit and coasters that include the party details,” Winet says. “I love when the invitation design carries through to the event itself, with pieces like cocktail napkins, bar signs, favors, and more.”

Create a vignette or party focal point that serves as a photo op. Numerous local vendors specialize in custom balloon installations

such as Ronni’s Design (ronnisdesign.com), which offers balloon arches, wall backdrops, and more. These can be combined with marquee letters for an added “wow” factor, like the 3-foot tall, light-up letters from AlphaLit St. Louis (alphalitletters.com/st-louis).

THE MOMENT Provide a guest book for encouraging messages or an instant camera next to a blank scrapbook for capturing the event.

Consider Tasty Stations by Stacy (tastystations. com) for a donut or pretzel wall, which offers an on-theme snack for someone headed into a new office. (Bonus points to any fans of “The Office” TV show who get the Pretzel Day reference.)

Gifts may be appropriate to support the guest of honor’s journey, too: Think school supplies for a back-to-school bash, or gift cards to local shops and restaurants for those who deserve a treat. It’s all about spoiling loved ones whose accomplishments aren’t printed on premade banners, proving that even everyday victories are worth celebrating. laduenews.com | September 4, 2026

27

ARTS & CULTURE | BOOKMARKED

MISSOURI,

Naturally

By Emily Standlee | photos by Diana Linsley

T

oo often, Missouri is dismissed as a flyover state. But our natural areas tell a different story – from the wild, tumbling wash of water rushing through ancient pink granite at Castor River Shut-Ins to the protected swampland of Allred Lake Natural Area. In “Scenic Natural Wonders of Missouri,” out now from St. Louis’ Reedy Press, author Don Corrigan and photographer Diana Linsley explore these places and many others.

Through Linsley’s photos and Corrigan’s histories, descriptions, and hidden-gem details, the book offers a guide to Missouri’s wetlands, prairies, caves, trails, river bluffs, and distinctive outdoor areas. Corrigan says preserving the state’s legacy requires “taking the kids out there to enjoy the outdoors and have a ball.” Below, they share stories from the field and places near St. Louis worthy of exploration.

Purchase the book at reedypress.com.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Don, do you have a few favorite places from the book?

Don Corrigan: Allred Lake Natural Area offers “visions” of the primordial, with cypress and tupelo trees and unusual lake inhabitants: bowfin, gar (150 million years old), and [western lesser] siren salamanders (250 million years old) – all of which survived the dinosaur extinction.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia offers arches, streams, sinkholes, Connor’s Cave, and the Devil’s Icebox. In my last guidebook, I speculated on why, in a Bible Belt state, we have so many places named for Satan: Devil’s Elbow, Devil’s Tollgate,

28

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Devil’s Honeycomb … it’s a helluva conundrum.

Diana, were any locations especially rewarding to photograph?

Diana Linsley: I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the snow geese in northwest Missouri near Big Lake. Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Missouri River migratory route. I travel there in February to photograph more than 700,000 snow geese and thousands of trumpeter swans.

[Sand Prairie Conservation Area] in southeast Missouri is like a miniature sand dune, with diverse plants and wildlife.

One of the most challenging places was the Pinnacles near Columbia. The site is a rocky ridge about 75 feet high, with very narrow paths on one side. … I came down the old-fashioned way – by sliding.

What are a few destinations near St. Louis that readers can explore?

DC: Riverlands. The trails here are an Audubon Society favorite for seeing migrating birds on a flyway close to home.

[The loop trail at] Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park shows just how much there is to do outdoors, with bicyclists, hikers, in-line skaters, anglers, canoeists, kayakers, and scullers from the St. Louis Rowing Club.

DL: Washington State Park is not far from St. Louis. Its 1,000 Steps Trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and comes alive with wildflowers in the spring. Blue-eyed Marys SCAN tHe Qr CODe line the trail. Missouri tO reAD tHe wildflowers are one of my INterVIeW IN FULL. favorite subjects.

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29

ARTS & CULTURE | TASTE OF THE TOWN

tHe SCOttISH ArmS Story and photos by Mabel Suen

W

hen The Scottish Arms closed in July 2024 after nearly 20 years in business, it left a void in the St. Louis pub scene – that is, until a group of experienced hospitality veterans stepped up to carry the torch.

The beloved public house reopened in December 2025, spearheaded by Marla HareGriffin along with Lisa Andris and Fritz Beer.

The trio have worked to keep the pub’s legacy intact while adding a few fresh touches to move it into the future.

“We certainly couldn’t be more honored to have been able to keep The Scottish Arms going,” Hare-Griffin says. “We are leaning into that neighborhood pub [vibe] and want it to feel comfortable and welcoming and just be a really relaxing experience.”

Those familiar with the space will recall

30

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

its dark wood, antique mirrors, vintage chandeliers, and stunning back bar, originally brought over from Italy by ship in the early 20th century. Cushioned seats backed by Scottish motifs were added to the original booths, and a cozy lounge area and additional booths enhance the pub feel. Out back, there’s also a secluded patio.

Working with kitchen lead Mike Szymanski – and consulting with Civil Life head soup maker Kaleigh Brundick – Hare-Griffin carried over many of The Scottish Arms’ original recipes from founder Alistair “Ally” Nisbit including fish and chips, Scotch eggs, and shepherd’s pie. New additions include a smashburger with rarebit sauce and beeronion jam, a masala chicken sandwich, and pork sausage rolls. Lighter options include salads, shrimp skewers, and polenta cakes

topped with heirloom tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella.

To pair with the fare, the beverage program offers a wide selection of European beers, Scotch, and Scottish gins, the latter featured in the popular Scottish gin and tonic – made with Botanist gin, Big O ginger liqueur, and elderflower tonic and garnished with rosemary, orange peel, and a cranberry.

“We just hope that everyone who has visited The Scottish Arms before has come back or will come back and experience version 2.0,” Hare says. “And for those who have never been here, we of course would love to introduce you to the only Scottish pub in the St. Louis region.”

The Scottish Arms, 8 S. Sarah St., Central West End, St. Louis, thescottisharms.com

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33

OUT & ABOUT

ASHreI FOUNDAtION

Ashrei Foundation 2026 Summer Soirée Story and Photos by Diane Anderson

Debbie monfort, Joy Sterneck, maggie Duwe, Julianna Stone

A

shrei Foundation celebrated its third annual Summer Soirée recently at The Bellwether. Guests enjoyed cocktails and light bites while celebrating the people, partnerships, and community that make the foundation’s work possible. The evening was a meaningful reflection of the collective commitment to creating a stronger, more equitable future for communities across Missouri. Ashrei Foundation exists to empower and activate the St. Louis community and partners throughout the state of Missouri to promote economic justice, relieve suffering, and interrupt cycles of poverty.

“When so many of us are feeling powerless to do something about the injustice, inequality and suffering we see in our communities, the Ashrei Foundation provides many concrete and accessible opportunities to respond and make a difference in the lives of real people.

Everyone can do something to work toward our vision of a just Missouri.”

elizabeth Ahern, elisa Wang

mina michelle Hines, margiree Stringer

Amy and eric Wallerstein

bill and margaret rowe

– RABBI SUSAN TALVE

maura Nagel, Kurt and Jeanie thies

VISIt LADUENEWS.COM tO See mOre pHOtOS FrOm tHIS eVeNt

edda berti, patricia merz

34

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Dominic Grasse, ryan potts

OUT & ABOUT

OpeN DOOr ANImAL SANCtUArY

Paws to Party Dinner Auction Story and photos by Diane Anderson Jeannie and David mullen

I John and Nancy russo

Katie and Alex Ferraro

marie and Jeff mathes

n August, Open Door Animal Sanctuary hosted its annual Paws to Party Dinner Auction took place at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while viewing silent auction items. Master of ceremonies, Alex Ferrario, awarded Volunteer of the Year Award, Don Nichols Compassion Award, and Community Partner Award. Open Door Animal Sanctuary’s mission is to provide homeless cats and dogs with the highest quality of life and a second chance to find a forever family.

“Paws to Party, Open Door Animal Sanctuary’s largest fundraiser of the year, helps us raise money and awareness about and for all our rescued dogs and cats waiting—and hoping—for adoption. We are very grateful for all our loyal supporters that attended this important event!”

– SHERRY WOOD, VICe preSIDeNt OF tHe bOArD

Jodi Alden

marcia benz, Liz Karpel

VISIt LADUENEWS.COM tO See mOre pHOtOS FrOm tHIS eVeNt

Diane Wellmeyer

evan and Ashlynn Fuhreman

laduenews.com | September 4, 2026

35

LN PARTNER PROMOTION

FALL ARTS GUIDE

By Maggie Peters

The Fabulous Fox

Saint Louis Ballet

WICKeD flies back to the Fabulous Fox this may — but only Season ticket Holders can get tickets now before the public on sale!

Subscribe today to lock in the best prices and secure your tickets for broadway’s biggest hits before they are gone. Visit fabulousfox.com now to subscribe.

Saint Louis ballet Celebrates 185th Anniversary of GISeLLe! this October, Saint Louis ballet brings Artistic Director Gen Horiuchi’s acclaimed production of GISeLLe to the touhill for four performances, October 9–11. From its idyllic village celebration to the haunting beauty of the ghostly Wilis, Giselle is a powerful story of love, heartbreak, forgiveness, and redemption

527 N. Grand Bvld., 314-534-1111, fabulousfox.com

218 THF Blvd., 636-537-1998, stlouisballet.org

SECURE YOUR SE ATS TODAY Season ticket packages start under $45 per show on average!

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P LU S T H E S E BROADWAY EXTRAS Nov. 13-15, 2026

Feb. 2-7, 2027

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FabulousFox.com/26-27 36

September 4, 2026 | laduenews.com

Mar. 30 - Apr. 4, 2027

SOTA T F HR A ET S T S E FEATURE

In this special edition, we honor St. Louis artists who move us through their profound works.

By Amanda Dahl

staying still, sweeping instead across the floor in time with

itting in a darkened

others, discovering fellowship

theater, themed

through dance. Slower now,

drink in hand, the

you move past a self-portrait

stage set, waiting for

to examine the mesmerizing

characters to fill the room with

storytelling of paint on canvas.

their edifying performances.

Sitting again in a darkened room,

Or on a bench under the big

as the screen reveals affecting

top, munching on popcorn,

truths about dark realities faced.

Meet those across St. Louis

children’s laughter dancing in

Each experience leaves you in

and beyond who are building

your ears as zany and gravity-

awe, lingers on your mind, thrums

worlds or closely examining our

defying antics fill the arena in

through your blood.

own world. They have wrought viewers, enthralled audiences,

front of you. You find yourself

The way art can leave you

now swaying, oscillating to the

breathless – sometimes hollow,

and continue to view life

music as it builds and bends.

sometimes revitalized. Often

through a probing lens,

And now you stand, no longer

absorbing. Often reflective.

inspiring every generation.

D A N C E

POINTE FOR THE LOU Choreographer and New York City Ballet veteran Tom Gold boldly blends classical ballet with jazz and other St. Louis-inspired elements to create a “hometown” version of the show.

H

ave you ever wondered what “The Nutcracker” would be like if it was set in St. Louis in the 1920s? New York City-based choreographer Tom Gold, a 21-year veteran of the New York City Ballet, envisioned this very scenario and brought it to life for COCA – St. Louis’ Center of Creative Arts – by blending classical ballet with jazz choreography and costumes.

“I wanted to create something original, new, and fresh that would be just for the people of St. Louis and COCA,” Gold says.

“I did a lot of research about ways I could incorporate famous people from the city [and its] history and landmarks to make it a unique experience for the audience: a hometown ‘Nutcracker.’”

Gold first visited St. Louis in 2016 at the invitation of Gen Horiuchi, the executive and artistic director of Saint Louis Ballet. As he worked to create another production for the company, Gold spent his leisure time exploring the city – not knowing that years later this time spent roaming the Gateway Arch grounds and Forest Park would inspire his adaptation of the timeless holiday ballet.

In the decade since, Gold has developed a relationship with and appreciation for COCA while working full time in New York City as the founder and director of his own company, Tom Gold Dance. In 2024, he completed a three-week residency in St. Louis, fulfilling COCA’s request that he choreograph “The Nutcracker,” which returns to the Lou this December.

“People loved this version, and [the COCA dancers] really enjoyed working with him,” says Shawna Flanigan, senior director of artistic strategy and programs at COCA.

By Andrea Smith | Photos courtesy of COCA

“As soon as we announced we were doing ‘The Nutcracker’ again with Tom Gold, we saw an enormous amount of interest.”

To prepare, COCA’s rehearsal directors and dance manager, Kate Bircher, have been resetting Gold’s choreography on Ballet Eclectica, the organization’s pre-professional dance company, which performs the holiday production every other year. Dancers from throughout COCA’s school have also auditioned for and been cast in a variety of roles. “[Younger dance students see] those pre-professional dancers above them and think, ‘This is something I have to work toward. I get to push myself. I get to challenge myself,’” Bircher says. “It is so much fun to see all of our dancers learning from each other and working together.”

The pre-professional program prioritizes opportunities to work with guest choreographers such as Gold, who is returning this semester to fine-tune the choreography and ensure the COCA cast is ready to hit the stage come December.

“It’s very exciting to revisit a production that you’ve done and see it through fresh eyes,” Gold says. “When I was there [in 2024], I was so immersed in it, so I don’t know that I really saw the whole thing. So this time, I’ll have a lot more perspective after being away from it for a couple of years. … There are a few things I feel like I need to go back and tweak,

fix, change, and maybe update.”

Gold’s adaptation of “The Nutcracker” might surprise some audience members when they see snowflakes as ’20s flappers, the St. Louis-born historical figure Josephine Baker as a character, and the Arch as a prominent backdrop. Nevertheless, the show maintains familiar elements like E.T.A. Hoffmann’s narrative and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score.

The production will still emphasize classical ballet and pointe technique, feature traditional tutus, and include a highly anticipated pas de deux performed by COCA alumna JiaLi Deck as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Ronan Ryan as her Cavalier. Deck and Ryan now live in New York City, allowing Gold to work with them throughout the fall.

“I worked with Tom Gold my junior and senior years of high school [in St. Louis, when] he came to choreograph new pieces for Ballet Eclectica,” Deck says. “COCA’s production of ‘The Nutcracker’ does a fantastic job of highlighting the talent of emerging artists in our hometown. Most high school-age dancers never get the opportunity to perform works by renowned choreographers such as Tom, so it is an amazing opportunity for young people to embrace the challenge and shine.”

COCA – Center of Creative Arts, 6880 Washington Ave., University City, cocastl.org Tom Gold Dance, tomgolddance.org

UPCOMING EVENTS | COCA at the BERGES THEATRE Oct. 21 to 24 “Joshua’s Boots,” with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Nov. 21 “COCA Live & Unscripted!”

Improv Troupe performance

Dec. 11 to 13 “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by Tom Gold

Dec. 18 to 19 “Joyful,” with Allegro Vocal Company and The St. Louis Children’s Choirs

laduenews.com | SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

39

West County Spinners, photo by Kim Orf for the St. Louis Metro Square & Round Dance Association

DANCING DOWN THE LINE More than a performance, social folk dancing honors tradition and heritage while also providing a third space where folks new to the steps can join in and feel they belong.

A

lthough St. Louis is home to clubs where folks of all ages can cut a rug to dance styles such as flamenco and salsa, the city’s social folk dance scene is also rooted in connection and fun.

Social folk dancing, popular for its spirit of community, honors dance traditions from regions around the world. These noncompetitive events are held in communal spaces, and at festivals and gatherings, and they are designed to be inclusive – where first-timers are encouraged to participate. Many feature dancers moving in lines, synchronized steps, sets, or squares with a caller giving instructions.

In addition to providing interactive opportunities to learn and make friends, social folk dancing benefits physical and mental wellbeing. Those looking to shuffle their feet can check out some of the metro area’s most notable social folk dance organizations here.

Childgrove Country Dancers This broadly accessible social dance group meets at least once a week, and participants can attend with or without a partner. Accompanied by live musicians and

By Rob Levy

callers, sessions feature several folk-dance styles, including English Country dancing – likely familiar to anyone who has seen a Jane Austen film. Also in the lineup is Contra dancing, an energetic style like barn dancing that requires more natural movement.

English Country and Contra dances are held at The Monday Club in Webster Groves.

Childgrove also hosts St. Louis Queer Contra Dance for the LGBTQIA+ community on the second Tuesday of each month at The Focal Point, along with waltz parties, potlucks, and a High Tea weekend.

The Monday Club, 37 S. Maple Ave., Webster Groves, childgrove.org

International Folk Dance Association of University City The IFDA serves those looking to get up on their feet, with weekly dances running every Thursday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. – also at The Focal Point in Maplewood.

Originating in 1964, the St. Louis IFDA chapter is a nonprofit and member of the National Folk Organization. Its diverse programming includes music and dancing

from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Greece, France, Northern Europe, and other countries. Aimed at dancers of all levels and abilities, IFDA offers easy dances for the first hour followed by more challenging routines.

The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, facebook.com/groups/IFDASTL

River City Rounds Founded by skilled instructors Bob and Gerry Tevlin, River City Rounds has led round dancing since 2014, with an emphasis on creating a friendly, welcoming environment. Its events are open to beginners and experienced hoofers alike, and the organization offers weekly lessons.

It also hosts a Fall Festival each September.

On the second Friday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m., couples gather to dance, moving in unison to cues from a caller. Round dancing, also known as choreographed ballroom dance, is composed in advance, where a cuer leads each pair by announcing each action as they move in an elegant circle.

Resurrection Lutheran Church, 9907 Sappington Road, Sunset Hills, rivercityrounds.com

Keith Dudding, a local musician and host of bluegrass and old-time string band radio programs on The Roots FM and Community Radio St. Louis, believes these organizations are popular because of the fellowship they provide.

“I think what folks like best is doing something as part of a big group that involves movement,” Dudding says. “Whenever they go to a dance event in another city, the dance experience gives them an instant, immediate connection. On top of all that, it’s just fun.

Like the satisfaction we get from solving puzzles, the dancers enjoy executing a pattern or design.”

Photo courtesy of Childgrove

St. Louis English Country Dancers (Local 1651)

West County Spinners

The group of steppers meets from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on the second Friday of each month at Wydown United Church, where newcomers are welcome with or without a partner. In English Country dancing, men and women form facing lines and move through patterns with their partners and other couples.

No experience? No problem. Each gathering begins with a workshop covering the basic steps and figures featured that evening, followed by dancing to live music from the Original Speckled Band and a break for socializing. The festivities conclude with a waltz.

The origin of West County Spinners goes back to 1981, when Earl Kinsey and Roy Winter Jr. decided to help bring square dancing to the West County area. Supported by their wives and other local folk dancers, the organization took off. It continues to see fostering a sense of belonging as one of its core reasons for existing.

Still hand clapping and foot tapping, West County Spinners offers square and round dancing as well as themed costume events and an annual Christmas party. The group’s programs include free classes for beginners on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. and dances on the first and third Mondays of each month.

Wydown United Church, 6501 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, stlecd.org

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 808 N. Mason Road, Creve Coeur, westcountyspinners.com Singles & Doubles, photo by Kim Orf for the St. Louis Metro Square & Round Dance Association

MORE DANCE EVENTS Oct. 9 to 11 “Giselle,” presented by Saint Louis Ballet stlouisballet.org/giselle

Oct. 17 “Fall Fête: Where Light & Darkness Collide,” presented by Ballet 314

Nov. 14 “MUJERES: Women in Motion,” presented by Ballet Hispánico New York and DANCESTL

Dec. 18 to 19 “Gaslight Dreams,” presented by Saint Louis Dance Theatre in collaboration with Jazz St. Louis

ballet314.org/fallfete

dancestlouis.org/ballet-hispanico-new-york

saintlouisdancetheatre.org/elementsofharmony

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M U L T I

BEHIND THE NAME

Circus Flora was named after none other than an extraordinary elephant. “Flora is an African elephant [who was] orphaned as a calf after her mother was killed by poachers,” says Circus Flora executive and artistic director Jack Marsh. “Our founder, David Balding, brought her to the United States and into the circus in the mid-1980s, and for many years she performed in the center ring.

She even had a turn on the big screen in ‘Big Top Pee-wee.’ The show was named in her honor.”

According to Marsh, as Flora grew older, Balding felt the elephant no longer wished to perform, so he focused on finding her the right place to retire.

“In 2004, she arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, where she still lives today with elephant companions on a vast, protected natural habitat – free to roam, graze, and simply be an elephant,” Marsh says. Flora’s journey was chronicled in the 2010 documentary “One Lucky Elephant.”

“Forty years on, we’re still delighted to be the circus named after Flora,” Marsh says. “She has lived a big, remarkable life and landed somewhere wonderful. That feels like exactly the right note for a circus to be founded on.”

MAKING MAGIC St. Louis’ long-running resident one-ring circus has much to celebrate – from giving back to the community to throwing an incredible party to commemorate its milestone anniversary.

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omewhere in the ring, a trapeze artist lets go, and for one suspended second, the crowd holds its breath, longing for the landing. The ground begins to rumble, as if the earth is announcing the horses before they come barreling into view. A roar of laughter erupts as a scruffy dog slips down a slide.

Now in its 40th season, St. Louis-based Circus Flora continues to create these moments: the gasps, the laughter, and a sense that anything is possible beneath its red-andwhite big top in Grand Center – practically a St. Louis landmark itself.

The multidisciplinary arts organization was founded in 1986, commissioned by Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti to perform at the annual Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. “In those early days, we were a touring company, traveling the country and appearing at some of the most celebrated stages in the nation,” says Circus Flora executive and artistic director Jack Marsh.

“The Kennedy Center – where we raised the first big top ever to stand there, Lincoln Center in New York City, and Spoleto, among others.”

Eventually, the circus put down roots in St. Louis, “becoming a resident company, part of the cultural fabric of the city rather than a visiting act,” Marsh adds. What began as a traveling show evolved into a nonprofit arts organization, complete with a permanent home, a professional staff, and year-round community engagement mission and outreach programs like Clowns on Call and Share the Circus.

The former is Circus Flora’s year-round “hospital clowning program, founded in 2012,” Marsh says. “It grew out of a simple conviction that sits at the very heart of what we do – that laughter is powerful medicine, and the joy we

By Alecia Humphreys | Photos by New Scar Design

create under the big top shouldn’t be limited to the people who can come to the tent.”

As part of this program, the circus’ professional clowns visit children and families at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “It’s the only program of its kind in the bi-state region,” Marsh says.

“These aren’t volunteers in costumes; they’re experienced performing artists trained in the delicate art of hospital clowning, working hand in hand with the hospital’s child life specialists to bring gentle, personalized joy to kids who are facing some very hard days.”

During these visits, the performers make “clown rounds” through the hospital much like a doctor would. “They come armed not with stethoscopes, but with music, juggling, magic, puppetry, improvisation, dance, and a healthy dose of slapstick,” Marsh says. “Every visit is improvised and tailored to the child in front of them, from infants to teenagers.”

And, according to Marsh, the magic is in the details. “A clown might turn a scary procedure into a game, hand a nervous child the ‘power’ to make the grown-ups look silly, or simply coax a belly laugh out of a room that badly needed one,” Marsh says. “They take their cues from the child and the care team, always meeting each patient where they are. The goal is to restore a little bit of play and control to kids in a place where so much feels out of their hands – easing anxiety, encouraging movement, and reminding everyone in the room that there’s still room for delight.”

In addition, the Share the Circus program puts thousands of tickets to its annual June season into the hands of families and children who may not otherwise witness the big top experience. “We want to keep doing what we’ve always done, only better – creating original productions that surprise people and remind them of what live performance can do,” Marsh says, noting Circus Flora’s upcoming 40th anniversary celebration, The Ruby Rendezvous, on Oct. 7.

He adds: “We want to keep sharing the full range of the circus arts with new audiences, and to remain an integral, generous part of the St. Louis community.”

Circus Flora, 3401 Washington Blvd., Grand Center, St. Louis, circusflora.org

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M U S IB C

THE BLUES ARE BACK AT BB’S JAZZ, BLUES & SOUPS The storied music venue returns with live blues, Southern food, and a renewed mission to celebrate St. Louis’ musical past while giving new generations a space to experience it and carry it forward.

By Emily Standlee | Photos courtesy of BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups

B’s Jazz, Blues & Soups has is making a historic return.

The St. Louis institution is slated to reopen this November, marking the restoration of a venue that for decades was a vital part of the city’s live music landscape. But BB’s represents more than the revival of a familiar club: It helps preserve a piece of St. Louis music history that has not always received the recognition it deserves.

In his book “Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St. Louis, Missouri,” St. Louis artist and researcher Kevin Belford writes, “I didn’t intend to answer the question, ‘Where were the blues born?’ Instead, I

wanted to ask the question, ‘What blues were born in St. Louis?’ and show the original blues artists, … so that fans could know what they did, and non-fans could be led to discover their music.”

Nat Hentoff, in his review for “JazzTimes,” describes the book as a “microcosm of blues lives and music” that highlights musicians who traveled to St. Louis, a magnet for talented Black artists like Lonnie Johnson, Peetie Wheatstraw, and W.C. Handy.

Handy famously wrote “Saint Louis Blues” after spending a winter homeless on the cobblestones of the Mississippi River levee and hearing a woman lamenting her lost lover.

This is just one example of how Black musicians moving north from the Mississippi Delta during the Great Migration blended spirituals, ballads, and more to shape what became known as the blues. Not only did the genre itself move as these musicians moved, but the Mississippi River – connecting St. Louis to New Orleans – helped facilitate that movement and exchange.

When prolific blues musician Marquise Knox approached BB’s co-owner Steve Sullivan about reopening BB’s, he was “concerned that the St. Louis blues community was running out of places to play,” Sullivan says. “Marquise is not only a legendary international blues player but [also] a student of and spokesperson for the history of St. Louis blues.”

Knox is working with BB’s co-owners

Sullivan and Mark Goldenberg, who also own the nearby Broadway Oyster Bar, to book local and national acts. His vision is to continue BB’s historic role while making it a place of learning, especially for younger musicians.

The reopening is also a reflection of Sullivan’s commitment to helping sustain St. Louis’ music scene. “This is not just a business for him,” Goldenberg says. “It is a true passion, a passion for St. Louis and a passion for jazz, blues, and soul music.”

Significant funding has gone into the building, with the goal of giving it a fresh feel while retaining its “juke joint ambiance,” Sullivan says. “We will be working toward creating a St. Louis Blues Walk of Fame, honoring the memory of those who have created and preserved St. Louis blues history.”

Sullivan and Goldenberg purchased

Broadway Oyster Bar in 2019. Just 450 feet from BB’s, the venue was part of the St. Louis Blues Triangle, along with BB’s and Beale on Broadway. “All three places opened in the ’70s,” Sullivan says. “Then Beale closed. Then COVID happened, and BB’s closed. With the reopening of BB’s, we are two-thirds of the way back to the Blues Triangle.”

The team has even talked to the city about hosting a street festival – an event that would bring more visibility to these historic blocks, so close to where Handy found inspiration for “Saint Louis Blues.” Having several music venues within a block or two is “just what this part of the city needs,” Sullivan says.

As for food and drink, BB’s executive chef Jonathan Pier has designed a menu that Sullivan calls “juke joint elevated,” with an emphasis on Southern cuisine. Dishes include brisket pasta with black-eyed peas and collard greens, deviled eggs with brisket, pulled pork, fried chicken with cornbread, smoked crab and pimento dip, pecan pie with bourbon caramel, and more. Added to that are drink specials and a Sunday brunch featuring gospel music. “Although we [are] focused on music, this [is] a place that people come to just for the food,” Sullivan adds.

What Sullivan hopes people experience at the newly reopened BB’s comes back to those three elements: place, music, and food. “We hope people feel the history when they walk in the door, live the history when they hear the music, and feel hungry when they smell the food that we are cooking for them.”

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, Downtown, St. Louis, bbsblues.com

MORE MUSIC EVENTS Sept. 18 to 20 “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” in concert, presented by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 12 Suki Waterhouse, presented byThe Pageant thepageant.com/event/suki-waterhouse

Nov. 12 Blues Cruise featuring Billy Peek, presented

by Riverboats at the Gateway Arch

Nov. 29 The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, presented by Blueberry Hill

gatewayarch.com/riverfront/riverboat-cruises

blueberryhill.com

slso.org/event/harry-potter-and-the-chamber-of-secrets

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T H E A T E R

Megan Hilty, photo by Anthony Matula

Emmy-nominated writer and actor Michael Shayan in “Avaaz,” photo by Jenny Graham

Jeremy Jordan

In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience

Jessie Mueller and Seth Rudetsky

First rehearsal of this year’s production of “Little Women”

dy ce

his f

THE REP’S DIAMOND JUBILEE Celebrating history, heritage, and the power of live performance, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis launches its 60th season with a debut concert series and innovative programming.

T

By Mark Bretz | Photos courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

he Repertory Theatre of St. Louis traditionally kicks off the local theater season in September with the opening of the first of its Mainstage productions. This 20262027 season, however, is The Rep’s 60th – its diamond anniversary – and the celebration began last week with the theater company’s first concert series.

Broadway star Jessie Mueller, who won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical in 2014 for her leading role as the singer/songwriter in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” appeared on stage in August at the Browning Mainstage in Webster University’s Loretto-Hilton Center, long-time home of The Rep. She was joined by Seth Rudetsky, host of Sirius XM’s Broadway channel, in a concert blending “songs, stories, and signature spontaneity,” stated a press release.

The Rep team “has been working for many months on adding a special sprinkle of diamond dust to our 60th season,” says Augustin Family artistic director Kate Bergstrom. “We wanted to create something genuinely special alongside our season programming by bringing theatrical celebrities and world-class performers to St. Louis – artists whose work makes the case for the singular power of live performance.”

Created in partnership with acclaimed Broadway producer Mark Cortale, the Diamond Concert Series also includes Megan Hilty (Feb. 26 to 27, 2027) and Jeremy Jordan (April 9 to 11, 2027). “These artists are Tony and Grammy Award winners, who may be familiar from film and television. But they are, distinctly, creatures of the theater,” Bergstrom adds. “They remind us of what live performance can do that no other medium can.”

According to managing director Danny Williams, the public’s response has been

enthusiastic. “There’s been real excitement.

These are artists people know and love, but there’s something different about getting to experience them in an intimate setting like the Loretto-Hilton,” he says. “I also think audiences understand what we’re trying to do with the series. The 60th should feel special. It should have some surprises and some experiences that go beyond a traditional Rep season. The concerts are one way we’re doing that.”

The Rep’s Mainstage series opens on Sept.

9 with “Little Women,” adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s novel by playwright Lauren Gunderson and led by an all-female and non-binary creative team including The Rep’s associate artistic director, Delaney Piggins.

“2 Pianos 4 Hands” follows, playing Oct. 7 to 25. The comedy focuses on “piano nerds” Ted and Richard and their misadventures.

From Dec. 2 to 23, Bergstrom is directing The Rep’s presentation of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” based on the classic Hollywood film. Running from Feb. 3 to 21 on the 60th anniversary of the Detroit racial uprising, “Detroit ’67” by Dominique Morisseau blends music, comedy, and drama. The Mainstage season closes with a new rendition of the Agatha Christie thriller, “And Then There Were None,” featuring acclaimed Rep veteran Joneal Joplin and his son, Jared Joplin.

Downstairs, The Rep’s Steve Woolf Studio Series “continues the institution’s legacy of bold, innovative storytelling,” according to a press release. It opens with “What the Constitution Means to Me,” directed by Nancy Bell and starring Michelle Hand, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15. “In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience” follows from Jan. 13 to Feb. 7, 2027, and offers “an award-winning blend of stand-up and sommelier-guided sipping.” The Studio season closes with “Avaaz,” running

from March 10 to April 4, 2027, and promises “a heartfelt, high-spirited celebration of family, identity, and the Iranian-Jewish immigrant experience,” says the press release.

That’s an ambitious schedule, but Bergstrom assures The Rep is up to the challenge and invites audiences to celebrate beyond the stages by participating in community activations, lobby installations, and the new Producers Ball arriving in the spring.

“The Rep’s 60th anniversary is both a celebration and an invitation for us to dream bigger,” she says. “We want to honor the past, revel in the present, and invigorate the future of this organization. Throughout the season, audiences will see the depth and breadth of what The Rep can do independently and in partnership with extraordinary artists and organizations locally and nationally.”

Williams, who came to the theater company nearly five years ago, says The Rep is in the best position it has ever been at this point in the year since he arrived. “For the third year in a row, we’re seeing growth in both subscription revenue and the number of subscribers across our programming series. We’re also seeing strong single-ticket sales much earlier than we typically would,” Williams says. “The trajectory is really encouraging. Audiences are coming back, new people are finding The Rep, and we’re continuing to build on that momentum year over year.”

Bergstrom adds: “Sixty years gives us an extraordinary legacy to celebrate. We also want it to give us permission to ask: What can The Rep become for St. Louis over the next 60?”

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 130 Edgar Road, Webster University, Webster Groves, 314-968-4925, repstl.org

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TAKE A SEAT UNDER THE STARS The Muny is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation to upgrade seating, among other improvements, and offer an enhanced guest experience.

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he season on stage may be over this year for The Muny, which included a slate of wellreceived shows and concluded with a concert by pop star Lionel Richie, but that doesn’t mean it’s going into hibernation.

During September, The Muny will begin a $9.5 million overhaul of the expansive facility in Forest Park, which just completed its 108th season under the stars.

Seats are being replaced, with construction scheduled for completion by the start of The Muny’s 2027 season.

The massive job is being funded by gifts from the Crawford Taylor Foundation, the E.C. Simmons III Foundation, the Robert J. Trulaske Jr. Family Foundation, Interco

By Mark Bretz | Photos courtesy of The Muny

Charitable Trust, and an anonymous donor.

“This is a transformational project for our theater and our audience,” says Kwofe Coleman, president and CEO. “It’s a Muny-size undertaking, and we’re incredibly grateful to the donors whose support makes it possible to care for our historic home and prepare it for the future.”

Sean Smith, director of operations, reports The Muny is using local firms for its remodeling efforts. “HOK is the lead architect/designer for this work,” he says. “Tarlton Corp. is working with us as construction manager. There is also a considerable amount of electrical work being completed by Guarantee Electric Co.” The Muny presently has 10,500-plus seats, which were installed 25 years ago and have

reached the end of their lifespan, a press release states. Smith says the improvements “will result in some lost seats, but this is primarily to help improve sightlines in a few areas across the theater. We are also looking at reconfiguring a couple of sections that are currently under-utilized, which will also take away a few seats.” Capacity will be maintained at more than 10,000 seats, he adds, ensuring that The Muny “will remain America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater.”

When asked whether the new seats will be staggered, so that people will not be seated exactly behind someone in front of them, Smith replies, “This is a popular request, so we did look into this quite a bit. However, in the end, we can’t move our aisles or landings.

This rendering shows an early concept of how underutilized seating may change.

The number of seats in each row may vary, and final seating will appear green.

This means that true staggering would result in a significant loss of seats – maybe another 1,000 in total.”

Though similar in design, the new seats are being crafted with comfort as a priority.

A premium mesh will feature in specific areas of the theater as an added amenity. Frontrow patrons especially will notice an elevated experience after the renovation is complete, as all seats will soon offer a cupholder.

Smith says The Muny receives “frequent comments from guests sitting along the front few rows of each terrace. Their sightlines to the stage can be somewhat impeded by the last few rows of the lower terrace, so we are making some modifications to the risers and the cross aisles to improve their view.”

After flash flooding in 2022, which

resulted in the cancellation of one performance and massive damage to the theater’s orchestra pit as well as other areas of The Muny’s campus, the renovation will include an updated drainage system to reroute water outside the theater.

“We are also making some infrastructure improvements to our sound mix area at this same time,” Smith adds.

A press release states that the “first phase of drainage improvement was completed in 2025 with the installation of a permeable paver and drainage system on the new Kooyumjian Family Plaza at the rear of the theater.”

Some seating areas on the far sides will be reconfigured – “they are the last tickets to sell,” Smith comments – to provide a

unique seating experience with added appeal for theatergoers. Structural repairs include reinforcements to the upper terraces’ retaining walls and repair work to several cracks in the concrete flooring. Up until Aug. 23, a limited number of The Muny’s current fold-down theater seats were available for purchase.

Plans are underway already for the 2027 season, which will be announced on Dec. 2.

And later that month, The Muny will present Broadway composer and performer Jason Robert Brown in concert on Dec. 17 at The Sheldon.

The Muny, 1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, 314-361-1900, muny.org

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Historical images courtesy of OTSL

HOPE FOR A SAFE HAVEN The new two-act opera by Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman tackles World War II-era isolationism, the MS St. Louis, and modern violence, finding hope amid dark historical parallels.

By Drew Gieseke

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he past is present in a new Opera Theatre of Saint Louis show set to debut next June.

“Safe Haven” chronicles the story of a young Jewish opera singer who flees Europe as World War II approaches. Created by married artistic partners – Grammy Award-winning composer Tobias Picker and librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman – this world premiere carries a striking relevance for modern audiences.

“Opera Theatre has a really proud history of commissioning operas on socially relevant and resonant topics, including pluralism and religious toleration,” OTSL general director Andrew Jorgensen says. “Themes of antisemitism that are so pronounced in our world right now – it’s a theme we kept talking about with so many of our stakeholders. We [found] the right story.”

“Safe Haven” covers a complicated time in American history. Even as many Americans view the United States’ role in WWII as heroic – rightly so in many respects – there are countless instances during the 1930s and early 1940s when U.S. leaders turned a blind eye to human suffering, letting fear, xenophobia, and isolationism dictate immigration and refugee policy.

Picker and Stollman’s new work confronts this uncomfortable moral mirror, exposing the tragic hypocrisy of a nation that positioned itself as a beacon of liberty while simultaneously shutting its gates to those who needed refuge most. Central to the opera’s narrative is the infamous 1939 voyage of the MS St. Louis. Carrying more than 900 passengers, almost all of them Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, the ship was

denied entry to Cuba before sailing toward Florida, where the U.S. also refused to admit its passengers.

Despite desperate appeals from passengers, sympathetic Americans, and humanitarian organizations, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration declined to intervene to admit the refugees, adhering to strict immigration quotas amid strong nativist Tobias Picker, photo by Jennifer Taylor Aryeh Lev Stollman, photo courtesy of OTSL and anti-immigration sentiment. The ship was forced to return to Europe, pluralism. Jorgensen is confident audiences where its passengers found refuge in Britain, will embrace it as the centerpiece of another France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. After eclectic OTSL season.

Nazi Germany invaded Western Europe the “I think this is some of the most beautiful following year, many were again trapped music Tobias has ever written,” Jorgensen under Nazi rule; 254 MS St. Louis passengers says. “Both [he and Stollman] are Jewish, so were ultimately killed in the Holocaust. this is incredibly important subject matter to Closing in the present day with a shocking them. It’s beautiful, it’s profoundly moving, moment of violence, the production makes and I think it’s worthy of the subject matter clear that history remains an active, unsettled they’re taking on.” force. “It’s really challenging, but the opera The show will debut June 12, 2027, and run ends with a note of hope … and [the idea] that through June 26 at the Loretto-Hilton Center we need to work toward a world of greater for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from understanding and peace,” Jorgensen says. $25 to $159. Members of the Grammy Award“Safe Haven” shines a light on people winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will like former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, accompany all performances. whose persistent moral advocacy pushed her husband and his administration to support Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, 130 Edgar Road, refugees and civil rights. The work asks tough Webster University, Webster Groves, questions about the plight of immigrants, opera-stl.org/whats-on/safe-haven interfaith harmony, antisemitism, and

MORE THEATER EVENTS Sept. 9 to 27 “The Color Purple” musical, presented by The Black Rep

Sept. 17 to 26 “The Last Show on Earth,” presented by Equally Represented Arts and Kranzberg Arts Foundation

Sept. 18 to Oct. 18 “Come From Away,” presented by Stages St. Louis

Oct. 13 to 25 “Death Becomes Her,” presented by The Fabulous Fox Theatre

theblackrep.org/the-color-purple

eratheatre.org

stagesstlouis.org/comefromaway

fabulousfox.com/events/detail/death-becomes-her

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V I S U A L A R T S

‘ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS’ In this Academy Award-winning documentary, St. Louis photographer Lou Bopp takes viewers inside the bedrooms of children whose lives were cut short because of mass school shootings.

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ou Bopp removed his shoes. It felt like the proper thing to do. An esteemed commercial photographer, Bopp never expected to be documenting something so personal, and shoes just felt inappropriate.

In his stocking feet, Bopp entered a bedroom in Parkland, Florida. The occupant, Alyssa Alhadeff, wasn’t there and never would be again. She had been killed at the age of 14 during the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018. Bopp got out his camera and began taking photos.

Bopp, a St. Louis native who now divides his time between St. Louis and New York City, had been tapped by his friend, CBS news correspondent Steve Hartman, to help document eight empty bedrooms of children lost to school shootings. The rooms had been left untouched after the children’s deaths. The resulting 33-minute film, “All the Empty Rooms,” took seven years to produce and won the 2026 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

Bopp describes the process as the most emotional work he has ever undertaken. “I tried very hard to approach every family and every room with respect and sensitivity,” says the photographer, whose daughter attends Ladue Horton Watkins High School. “Being a parent gave me a deeper understanding of what these families had lost, but it also reminded me of how important it was to simply listen, be present, and tell their stories honestly. At the end of the day, I was trying to photograph the essence of a child who was not present.”

Bopp’s photos are precise and tell a larger story through distinct moments frozen in

By Connie Mitchell | Photos by Lou Bopp

time. A hair tie on a doorknob, a note left on a dresser, a ticket stub – tiny things that say a lot about the child who lived among them.

“I looked for the small details that made each room feel personal and unique to that child,” he says. “Things like photographs, toys, drawings, or objects that showed who they were. Those details often told the story in a very quiet, powerful way. I also viewed them from different angles and levels, and sometimes I waited for the ambient light to shift.”

Of 1,500 to 2,000 photos per room, the vast majority were not used in the documentary.

Bopp notes that this is typical: For commercial projects, only 15 to 30 photos will be chosen from as many as 5,000 frames. “In this case, there was a conscious decision to not bring lights or flashes or tripods into the rooms.

I always used one [camera] body and one lens.

I wanted to keep it really simple,” he says. Due to space and lighting constraints, the work stretched Bopp’s technical skills, sometimes requiring he push the settings of his Canon RF Mark II camera to accommodate environmental factors such as low ambient light. The resulting photos present a crispness that speaks of the vitality each child had possessed.

“In terms of the images for the film, I made the first round of edits and then presented them to Steve; and then we shared them with Josh Seftel, the director,” Bopp says. “At the beginning, in 2018, this was a Steve Hartman project for his CBS weekly segment. It wasn’t until 2023 that the film crew got involved. Originally, it was [just] Steve and [me] and his producer.”

As Bopp photographed the children’s rooms, the film crew would follow him, showing how he approached each space.

A selection of the resulting photos was

later exhibited in various public spaces from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Bopp also participated in TEDxStLouis: Edge of Possible in May. The Academy Award created “a maelstrom of emotions” for Bopp. “I was happy with the accomplishment, yet extremely sad that we had to do this in the first place, meaning how can these senseless murders in our country be our reality?” he muses. “All of the families that were in the film were at the Oscars, and we laughed, and we cried, and it was simply unreal. Again, a lot of contrasting and conflicting emotions.”

Bopp is now back to work on a number of commercial projects, photographing people on location, often with dogs and cats, for large brands such as Purina and Intel. Yet “All the Empty Rooms” lingers: “My commercial work almost exclusively has people and/ or pets, large crews, assistants, digital tech, clients, agency, etc., on set. With the empty rooms, I was on my own – one camera and one lens. And absence.

“It’s stayed with me in a way I didn’t expect,” he continues. “The film gave the work a much bigger platform. It memorizes the children, and it allows people to see and feel what it’s like after that day’s headlines turn into the next day’s cycle. Just as important is that it allows the work and the conversation to continue, and hopefully change happens and laws are created in order to protect our children at school. Schools should be our kids’ safe space.”

All the Empty Rooms, alltheemptyrooms.com, streaming on Netflix Lou Bopp Photography, loubopp.com

laduenews.com | SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

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A CONSTANT STATE OF METAMORPHOSIS The artwork of St. Louis native Juanita McNeely moves between the vulnerability and pleasure human bodies can experience, exploring themes of suppression and transformation.

F

erguson-born artist Juanita McNeely’s work is coming to her hometown for the first time in major two-venue solo exhibitions, nearly six decades after she left St. Louis for New York City.

Curated by Raphael Fonseca, Counterpublic 2026 co-curator and curator-at-large at the Denver Art Museum, the exhibitions bring together more than five decades of McNeely’s work across painting, drawing, and ceramics. Fonseca was assisted by Dean Daderko, Ferring Foundation chief curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, and Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

“Juanita’s work remains relevant because it addresses multiple aspects of human

By Lauren Leady

vulnerability and the desire to resist the many forms of power that have sought to suppress our bodies,” Fonseca says. “Moving between vulnerability and the pleasure that bodies can provide, the figures she paints and draws seem to be in a constant state of metamorphosis before the viewer’s eyes, reminding us that both life and death are permeated by continuous movement and uncertainty.”

McNeely’s work was shaped by her own experiences of sexism, illness, disability, and feminism. A cancer survivor in her youth, she studied art at Washington University in St. Louis and later moved to New York, where she became involved in feminist art circles and also sustained a spinal injury that left her using a wheelchair. These experiences informed her depictions of the human body, which often appears in states of tension, exposure, and remaking.

“At SLAM, we selected paintings, ceramics, and drawings from different moments in

McNeely’s career, from the period shortly after she left St. Louis for New York to works made during the final decade of her life,” Fonseca says. “At CAM St. Louis, we present her largestscale painting, a polyptych of thirteen parts created in 1986, which reveals her interest not only in engaging with architecture but also in activating the physical presence of the viewer through her expressive palette.

Because these institutions have distinct yet complementary profiles, presenting different facets of McNeely’s work offers an important perspective on both her artistic trajectory and her reception in her hometown.”

The exhibition also offers an opportunity for McNeely’s work to receive the institutional recognition it has long been missing. Despite having her work held in major collections – including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and many others – McNeely has never received a comprehensive museum retrospective.

Juanita McNeely, “From the Black Space II,” 1977

Juanita McNeely, “Is It Real Yes, It Is!,” 1969

Juanita McNeely, “Moving Through,” 1975

“Perhaps these exhibitions within Counterpublic can be understood as a first step toward deeper institutional recognition of McNeely’s work,” Fonseca says. “It is important to clarify that the issue is not simply that she never had a solo exhibition in St. Louis: She never received a comprehensive museum retrospective of her career anywhere in the United States or internationally.”

For audiences encountering McNeely’s work for the first time, Fonseca hopes its profound visceral quality will offer another entry point into her work. “Her images intrigue the viewer by bringing together elements that evoke human bodies poised

at the threshold between existence, animality, resistance, violence, and imagination,” he says. “Through her anatomical approach – as well as her intelligent use of color, detail, and scale – she reveals herself as an extraordinarily inventive artist who never relied on literalism or treated artistic creation as a mere reflection of her private life.”

On view at CAM St. Louis beginning Sept. 10 and SLAM beginning Sept. 12, this recognition of McNeely’s work also serves to celebrate St. Louis as a cradle in which immense talent is cultivated.

“She is a remarkable example of an artist who never surrendered to social or market pressures and remained deeply committed to

experimentation. Her work is also a reminder that St. Louis has produced – and continues to produce – artists at the forefront of contemporary visual culture. I hope this exhibition encourages local audiences to pay closer attention to other artists born or based in the city.”

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., Grand Center Arts District, St. Louis, 314-535-4660, camstl.org Counterpublic, counterpublic.org Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, slam.org

MORE VISUAL ARTS EVENTS Now through Oct. 31, 2026 Thomas Sleet’s “Down River: Prayer is Verb,” presented by Bruno David Gallery

Now through Dec. 13, 2026 “Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting,” presented by Laumeier Sculpture Park

Sept. 9, 2026 to Jan. 4, 2027 “Buenos Aires Modern, 1935-1950,” presented

by Kemper Art Museum

Sept. 10, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 “Olga de Amaral: Weaving the Infinite,” presented by Pulitzer Arts Foundation

brunodavidgallery.com/thomas-sleet-prayer-is-verb

laumeiersculpturepark.org/50years-begin-again

kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu

pulitzerarts.org/art/olga-de-amaral-weaving-the-infinite

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