Sophisticated Living St. Louis July/August 2024

by Tony Montano

Karlie Kloss wearing Swarovski at the 2024 Met Gala. Photography by Anthony Pham

Elevate your workplace. Elevate your brand.

Photography by Miranda Kimberlin

PUBLISHER Craig

EDITOR

DIGITAL

Karen

Since I was young my parents called me a dreamer. I took it as a compliment, but I’m not sure it was intended that way. Like many first generation parents, they wanted their children to be doctors, lawyers or accountants – something “sensible” – but I always had a different view of the world. Deep down I wanted to change the world, not simply fit in.

While I have never changed the world the way Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk have, I have had my sparks of genius. Now I focus my attention on writing about people who are agents of change in St. Louis. It is not as ambitious a goal as I once had, but it is the way I know best to change the world. I can inspire readers … and hopefully spread the passion for finding greatness in our midst.

It’s not always easy. Some of the people I want to do stories about don’t want the attention. As a former publicist, I naively thought everyone secretly wanted to be in the spotlight. Boy, was I wrong.

Typically when we feature beautiful homes, the owners don’t want to be mentioned. But in this issue, Michelle and Joe Buck were happy to speak to us about their new home. You are in for a real treat. It is a stunning home designed and built by Bobby Slavin for a high profile couple who could live anywhere, but make St. Louis home.

I have interviewed Jim McKelvey (the co-founder of Twitter and founder of Block) in the past about The Maker District on Delmar he dreamed of creating with Doug Auer of Third Degree Glass. Now Ben Poremba, a dreamer with a culinary bent, is opening two new restaurants and reopening three others from Tower Grove in the Maker District to complete what McKelvey started. This stretch between Union and Kingshighway, a part of the city which was seemingly left for dead, is now an organically grown food and arts community that is thriving day and night. It’s all about the dreamers, dreaming and doing.

21C Museum Hotel was founded by art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. Now they have opened 11 novel museum hotels in Louisville, Cincinnati, Bentonville, Durham, Lexington, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Chicago, Des Moines and St. Louis with a dream to attract visitors, residents, businesses and life to neighborhoods that have been ignored for generations. Each location is inspirational, and either by luck or sheer determination, became magnets in their cities bringing open-minded locals and guests looking for something different. I am not surprised when someone responds to my invitation to meet at 21c by suggesting someplace closer, or safer, or more predictable, but everyone who has met me there is surprised and ready for the next off-the-beaten-path suggestion. Just a short walk to CITY Park to see a soccer game makes this a dreamer’s paradise and shows what we can do if we dare to dream.

For most of my 36 years in St. Louis, I wouldn’t call the Cardinals dreamers; they have been realists, always expecting to win their division, having a shot at the playoffs and frequently making it to the World Series. But in the last couple of seasons, they have become dreamers as they look to restore their winning ways. I sat down with Bill DeWitt III to get his take on what’s going on, what they are doing to win again, and all the other things they need to do to keep the fans’ heads in the game. While you may not like all of his answers, I am sure you will respect the amount of thought the Cardinals give to exceeding the expectations of some of the best – and hardest to please – fans in the business.

For the past 14 years, I have supported Pedal the Cause in one way or another. Some years I ride for the cause, and other years I have sailed for the cause and sent the money to Pedal. This September marks the 15th anniversary of Pedal and we sat down with executive director David Drier and Siteman’s CEO, Dr. Timothy Eberlein, to discover how a partnership of a start-up non-profit and an emerging cancer center can attract leading researchers and do some truly groundbreaking cancer research only dreamers can both imagine and appreciate. Now patients from all over the world come to St. Louis for their cancer treatment to make their hopes and dreams of living cancer free come true.

For years, we have tried to interview Webster Groves native Karlie Kloss about her fashion career, love of St. Louis and personal investments in STEM for young women. While she allegedly lived here during COVID, her publicists refused our requests for an interview and photo shoot since she was pregnant with her first child. But we recently caught up with her when she came home to unveil a street named for her at the corner of 16th and Washington Ave. In her acceptance speech she said, “Above all, this city has shown me that a girl from St. Louis can dream, achieve and work to make a difference in the world.”

In just a couple of months from now, we will publish our ninth issue of our annual charity register, Sophisticated Giving, which has helped raise more than $3 million for more than 200 deserving non-profits directly from our outreach to our readers. Many nonprofits have appeared multiple times – a true testament that Sophisticated Giving works – and for 2024 we have added new features to not only educate affluent St. Louisans, but also drive immediate and measurable donations. We have found that many nonprofits dream of getting their organization to the next level, but frequently don’t have the resources to get their story told to the right audiences. That’s where we come in … as do you.

And finally, you will start seeing a lot about Sophisticated Living’s inaugural SOPHI Awards, celebrating the best and brightest in local design, architecture, and builders. Our goal is to showcase innovative designers, visionary architects and cutting-edge projects that are shaping the future of our city. This will cap off our year dedicated to dreamers, spotlighting those people who are outstanding in their fields and are making St. Louis more beautiful.

Thank you for dreaming with us. We are on a roll as we now reach more than 50,000 people through our print and digital magazine, our blog, our e-blast and our social media. Now we are dreaming about getting to the next level. Tell everyone you know about us. Subscribe. Sign-up. Support our causes as we support yours. There’s no telling what we can accomplish when we dream together.

Craig M. Kaminer, Publisher craig@slmag.net

WEBSTER GROVES’ BRAINY (AND BEAUTIFUL) COVER GIRL

Supermodel, entrepreneur and self-proclaimed “science nerd,” Karlie Kloss calls St. Louis “home in my heart.”

By Christy Marshall / St. Louis photos by Zach Hilty

St. Louis has a lengthy roster of famous ex-pats — past and present: Jayson Tatum, Jon Hamm, Andy Cohen, Sterling Brown, Nelly, Betty Grable, John Goodman, Ellie Kemper, Maya Angelou, Chuck Berry, William Burroughs, Yogi Berra, Kevin Kline, Michael McDonald, Jonathan Franzen, Josephine Baker, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price among many others.

But which of those luminaries have a street sign emblazoned with their name AND their own Ted Drewes flavor?

Only one.

Karlie Kloss.

Flanked by her family and friends, Kloss recently stood at the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street to unveil the newly named Karlie Kloss Way — an effort spearheaded as part of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s 10-year anniversary 10-event celebration.

Born in 1992, Kloss grew up with her three sisters in a “big yellow house” on Oakwood Avenue. “My mom’s family has been rooted in Missouri for more than six generations, so my aunts, uncles, and cousins are all proud St Louisans,” Kloss says.

She grew up with the typical St. Louis childhood: Webster Groves High School, Cardinal games, concretes at Ted Drewes, Straub’s, Bread Co, field trips to the St. Louis Art Museum lead by her mother, an artist. And there was ballet. “My mom took me to my first ballet classes when I was two years old,” she says. “Then I got back into seriously studying classical ballet when I was 11

at Caston’s Ballet Academie [in Webster Groves]. The training, determination and discipline I developed studying classical ballet has stayed with me my entire life and was a huge part of my success as a model. It’s been really key to feeling graceful and strong in my body despite being 6’2”.”

One (fateful) day when she was shopping at Plaza Frontenac, she was scouted by a couple, Jeff and Mary Clarke of the Mother Model Management Agency, in the throes of casting for an upcoming charity fashion show, THREADS for Hope. Kloss took the job.

“I had absolutely no idea what a fashion show was or how to model,” she says, “I had just turned 13 and I felt so nervous, but so excited!”

As is often said, the rest is history. Immediately signed by Mother Management, she started modeling a year later and in 2013, the Kloss family moved to Goshen, New York as Karlie pursued her career. Photographer Arthur Elgort shot her for Teen Vogue; Bruce Weber was behind the camera when Karlie started modeling for Abercrombie Kids. She has walked the runway for John Galliano, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Dior, Versace, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, among others. She has been “the face” of Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Nike, Donna Karan, Lanvin, Swarovski. She is a spokesperson for Estée Lauder.

But Kloss stays busy off the runway, away from the photo shoots.

With one son (and pregant with a second), Kloss gets ready for the 2023 Met Gala.

“People don’t always associate fashion with tech, but the intersection of these two industries is where I found my groove,” Kloss says. “As I traveled the world for my modeling career, I saw technology having a greater impact on my daily life. I grew more and more curious about how these tools were developed and the language that powered them.”

She signed up for a two-week coding bootcamp at the Flatiron School in New York.

“I wanted to learn the fundamentals of tech that were clearly already transforming society,” Kloss adds. “I really enjoyed learning to build web apps using a program called Ruby, getting a better understanding how technology impacted everyone and, most importantly, emerging with a new level of confidence. At the same time, I was the lone woman in the classroom and that realization stuck with me.”

Her career as a supermodel soared as her prowess with technology flourished. She went on social media and offered to fund scholarships to young women so they could have the same bootcamp experience she had.

“The response was staggering, with thousands of applicants for just 21 spots,” Kloss recalls. “That’s when I realized I could have

much more of an impact in this space and how Kode with Klossy was born. Now we offer our own custom curriculum and we design our learning experiences to create pathways for young women and gender-expansive young people to explore, connect and spark change, one line of code at a time.”

For the past nine years, she has hosted coding camps for more than 10,000 young people across more than 90 countries, as well as in St. Louis. “I am always coming to town to visit our scholars.”

Kloss’ world has had its share of fairytale moments. When she married her husband Josh Kushner in 2018 (and yep, Ivanka Trump is her sister-in-law), her wedding dress (matching shoes and rings pillow) was specifically designed for her by Dior. In Paris. You can track it from the initial sketch to the final fitting, her mother in tow. By completion, 10 people worked 700 hours to complete the dress in 10 days.

It’s all on YouTube. In fact, Karlie started her own channel, Klossy, in 2015. There you can see her “Around the [name of city] in 24 hours” videos shot in either Shanghai, Cannes, Sydney, Madrid, Berlin and elsewhere. She shares her tips for packing a carry-on, skincare, workout routines, training for a marathon, preparing for one of the Met galas, etc. Today, she has more than 725,000

Unveiling the street sign in the heart of St. Louis’ Historic Garment District.

subscribers, in addition to more than 12.5 million Instagram followers. For a couple of seasons, she hosted “Project Runway.” She was a correspondent on “Bill Nye Saves the World.” She even created and marketed her own (vegan) cookie, dubbed Karlie’s Kookies.

Saying she has “always been drawn to storytelling,” Kloss was part of an investor group that acquired W Magazine in 2020. Three years later, she bought and became CEO of i-D, the British bi-monthly magazine covering fashion, music, art, clubs, film and other creative outlets.

“This experience inspired me to launch Bedford Media and focus on reviving legacy brands with storied histories and cultural resonance,” she says. That’s my goal with i-D, which has carved out an incredible following at the intersection of fashion, media and culture.”

Earlier this year, Kloss and her husband bought rights to LIFE magazine and announced plans to bring back the print edition. “Josh and I are inspired by LIFE’s iconic legacy,” she says. “I see it as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape and am really excited about bringing new life into both publications.”

But her passions venture beyond technology, business, her own family (she and her husband have two young sons), to health care and specifically to every woman having access.

“From being a patient escort in my early 20s and marching in New York after Roe [v. Wade] fell to visiting clinics in Illinois, I’ve seen and heard how desperately patients need care and the lengths doctors will go to provide it,” Kloss says. “Growing up in St. Louis with three sisters and a doctor for a dad, reproductive health wasn’t political. It’s devastating to me that health care has become so politicized. That’s why I founded the Gateway Coalition, an organization designed to direct funding to Midwestern clinics on the frontlines and the patients they serve.”

You might spot Karlie Kloss around town. She regularly returns for holidays, as well as coming home to visit friends, family, her former teachers and neighbors. She’s also a connoisseur of the local cuisine, citing Imo’s pizza, Clover and The Bee’s stoneground grits and the Chinese food from Sesame Inn among her must-haves.

Another favorite aspect of St. Louis?

“The people, of course,” she says. “My family has been proudly rooted in the Midwest for generations — about 250 years — and no matter how far I travel, my beloved St. Louis is always home in my heart. The spirit of St. Louis has shaped me into who I am today, so I carry those community and family values everywhere I go.” sl

Karlie Kloss with St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones

Mother, Tracie, and daughter, Karlie

The sisters Kariann, Kimby, Kristine, Karlie

Taste testing her own Ted Drewes flavor

COASTAL IN KIRKWOOD

Inspired by the homeowner’s favorite holiday destinations, designer Laurie LeBoeuf with Castle Design celebrates coastal charm in this historic 1923 Kirkwood home.

An addition and interior renovation allowed for larger rooms, as well as an open-concept. The design team ensured that these changes were not only functional, but also resulted in a home that still felt original to the neighborhood while also reflecting the homeowner’s clean and coastal aesthetic.

In the dining room, a fresh palette of soft blues and seafoam greens evoke the serene and airy ambiance of the seaside. Natural materials such as grasscloth wallcovering and whitewash wood tones add depth and texture to the space. Comfortable, yet tailored furniture pieces from Lexington take center stage, while the tone-on-tone hand-knotted rug quietly complements the design.

With its breezy atmosphere and relaxed vibe, this cheerful dining space invites friends and family to linger a bit longer and enjoy cherished time together.

THE BUCKS STOP HERE

After a two-year renovation, the house is chic, swanky and perfect for a nationally recognized couple of ESPN sportscasters, their twin sons and Delilah, their dog.

By Christy Marshall with additional reporting by Seth Schwartz / Photography by Alise O’Brien

Joe Buck and Michelle Beisner-Buck’s previous house was plenty big, unquestionably lovely, and set on several rolling green acres.

But it had a flaw.

All of the bedrooms branched off a single hallway. As parents of then four-year-old twin boys, “that didn’t lead to a lot of, let’s say, alone time,” Joe Buck says. “So we were looking to kind of change that up.”

Alerted by his sister, Julie Buck, a real estate broker, that a house in the same Ladue neighborhood was going on the market, Joe and Michelle immediately checked it out.

“It took one second to drive through the driveway and we’re like, ‘Oh, my God, we could get this house on this incredible lot,’” Buck says. “It made all the sense in the world.” Aside from having the primary bedroom on the first floor and all other bedrooms tucked upstairs, the back yard abutted a golf course — and Joe Buck is an avid golfer. Michelle signed on but says, “It truly was a project. We had to do a lot of work on this house.”

Two key changes the Bucks wanted were an open floor plan and they wanted to see the greens of the course. Instinctively and

immediately, they turned to their friend, neighbor, Joe’s fellow MICDS alum, and accomplished builder/designer Bobby Slavin. He headed over to the two-decade old brick European-style manor house to check it out.

“I thought, ‘Yeah, there were just great opportunities here and a lot to work with,’” Slavin says. “The spaces were great — and I knew we could do what they needed done.”

Owner of Slavin Homes build + design, Bobby Slavin is a man of many, many talents. Not only does he determine which walls will get whacked down and what rooms to add, Slavin personally shops in stores from the Hamptons to New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris. He picks out everything — from the oversized pot rack to all the furniture, flooring, rugs, lighting fixtures, accessories right down to the Baccarat glassware. Hardware? Made in Wilmette, Ill. Cabinets? From Minnesota. The ladder in the wine closet? Germany. The countertop on the bar? Brooklyn. He drops vendors’ names like football fanatics reel off game stats. He also knows the prices of it all because he’s actually keeping the books.

In the foyer, Bobby Slavin of Slavin Homes build + design created a focal point by adding a wine room. Glass and steel door beams open to the wine room that has reclaimed French limestone floors from Chicago and a walnut and steel ladder fabricated in Germany.

Facing the wine closet is the living/dining room. Designed with the feel of an exclusive boutique hotel, the bar was built in. The ceiling and millwork are original to the house. The television extends out on a motorized remote.

The Bucks and Slavin found the chandelier over the dining room table in Los Angeles. Then Bobby personally picked out the iridescent globes. The bowl atop the table is from a shop in Sag Harbor.

“Bobby is such a creative, big thinker,” Michelle says. “We definitely collaborated on a lot of things. He has great ideas. He has big picture thoughts about what we could do, how we could open things up, and things that we wouldn’t have been able to even think of or conceptualize. I mean, this is why he’s so good at what he does.”

“I think part of that is he travels a lot, he has seen a lot of great homes,” Joe adds.

“We took trips with him,” Michelle says. “We went to LA, we went to Dallas, we went to New York. We picked out a lot of things together.”

For the design, Slavin was inspired by the five-star Hotel Costes in Paris, a favorite of both the Bucks and Slavin and his wife, Terri.

“It’s darker, it’s very rich,” he says. “It’s got kind of a sexy vibe and it’s very cool.”

The redo of the Bucks’ new house started at the front door — which Slavin had replaced. On the exterior, carpenters enlarged one window opening and closed another. Then they filled the spaces in with bricks laid in a herringbone pattern so you can’t tell which is the old, which is the new.

Inside, two hidden coat closets were kept intact as was the existing paneling, millwork and soaring ceilings.

“I wanted the outside to come inside,” Bobby says. “I didn’t want to completely change the look of the house. I wanted keep the traditional feel and the ceilings and paneling did that.”

But then everything else changed. Cherry floors were replaced with French oak. First floor walls came tumbling down.

A front office was gutted and halved. In the front half and facing the living room, Slavin had a dramatic wine closet installed with steel doors, antique limestone floor, walnut cabinet, and a rolling ladder.

“I wanted to give them a focal point at the entry,” Slavin explains. (The back half of the once office was transformed in Michelle’s walk-in closet/laundry, a statement room well worthy of an actress and on-air sports reporter).

“I like to create as much interest as possible,” he says, pointing out the chevron pattern on the floor fronting the wine room.

The living room, a long, wide room, exudes the panache of an expensive hotel lobby. The furniture is by the Italian company Minotti, the rug by the Rug Company. A new surround made out of Indiana limestone was added to the existing fireplace. Bordering that is a bar Slavin designed with Classic Woodworking of St. Louis with a brass top with sink insert made in Brooklyn.

A master of detail, Slavin personally picked out the iridescent clusters in the chandelier that the Bucks found with Slavin at the Thomas Lavin store in L.A. and that now hangs over the dining room table and chairs (from Hudson in New York). The Kelly Wearstler drapes are hung on rods custom-made in Atlanta.

Everywhere he could, Slavin added French doors to let in the bucolic views of the adjoining golf course. Down a hallway is the primary bedroom.

“[Michelle] really wanted a sexy, cozy, cool vibe in the bedroom,” Slavin says. “So again, the first thing we started with

The fireplace was the starting point for the design of the bedroom. An existing one was replaced with a new one made out of LANDON STONE

was the fireplace.” The existing one was replaced and Slavin designed a new one of pewter limestone. Instead of paneling the room, he had some rift oak added to the wall behind the bed and Koch Bros “did a really great stain on it,” he says. “It took multiple tries to get the richness that I wanted.” The Bucks and Slavin purchased the Holly Hunt furniture on a shopping trip to Dallas.

In the adjoining bath, Slavin kept existing marble tiles on the floor but modernized the space with walnut vanities, new fixtures, mirrors, countertops and lighting. A freestanding tub was replaced with a Jacuzzi.

The kitchen presented its own set of challenges. “We had to get really creative to make that room really functional as a kitchen and a hearth room,” says Michelle, the chef of the house.

Originally, the room was a two-wall kitchen; now it’s three with a large island centered in the room. One product Bobby Slavin fought for was the oversized Ann-Morris pot rack in the center of the room. He had to have two structural beams constructed to hold it.

“I thought that was very important,” he says. “We just had to figure out how to do it.”

The English scullery kitchen design was inspired by British designer Christopher Peacock. One wall is cabinetry, made by Plato Woodwork of Plato, Minn., that hearkens back to the old iceboxes of yesteryear with its nickel hardware. The Viking 10-burner stove is backed by marble subway tiles. The bespoke

The house’s color scheme is all neutrals with the exception of the powder room, which Joe Buck calls “a piece of art.” The walls were lacquered by Koch Brothers’ painters in nine coats of a French blue Farrow & Ball paint. “The room was done, and I was like, ‘It just needs something else,’” Slavin recalls. So he had the ceiling covered in mirrored squares held together by rosettes. Then he added a vintage Italian light fixture he found at John Salibello in New York.

hardware protecting the wood corners of the walnut butcher block was produced by Wilmette Hardware, Ill. Every drawer lights up when pulled out. Every detail box is checked.

“We wanted it to be done right throughout,” Bobby says.

And then there is the breakfast nook Michelle requested. Slavin had the food pantry moved. Then he added a banquette bench made in Chicago and covered in a Holly Hunt leather, and a classic Saarinen Tulip table. The walls were covered in a walnut cove paneling Bobby discovered the design in the St. Ambroeus, a restaurant in New York. Plato Woodwork fabricated it for the house.

While Michelle’s favorite room is the kitchen, Joe’s is the outdoor room. When they bought the house, the room didn’t exist. There was an existing fireplace (one of three that were removed). Now the glass doors opening into the space fold back completely to make the inside/outside one. The oversized furniture is from Restoration Hardware.

“We live in that room,” Buck says. “We spend most of our time in there, looking out at the pool, at the golf course. You just don’t feel constrained by architecture.”

“The key to this was to make it look like it was never added on,” Slavin says. The room has dropdown screens on all sides, living area, tv, fireplace, dining room and an adjoining outdoor kitchen. It borders the pool, which was also redone. Then Joe called Bobby from Mexico to make yet another request: a cold pool plunge.

Slavin designed the bedroom to have a cool, sexy vibe. He had a wall of stained rift oak added behind the bed. “The bench, which I think is incredible, was all Michelle,” Bobby says. “She picked out this color.”

Taking out the food pantry allowed Slavin to design a half-circle breakfast nook. The bench is covered Holly Hunt leather, the wall paneling is walnut made by Plato Woodwork and the industrial light is by Remains Lighting in Chicago. His inspiration can be traced back to the St. Ambroeus restaurant in New York.

Two girders were installed above the island to the timbered cathedral 16-foot ceiling in order to supporting the pot rack. The burnished nickel nautical light and pot rack is from Ann-Morris in New York. The scullery style cabinets are a mix of walnut and white poplar adorned with custom nickel hardware and finished with Calacatta marble. An oversized island with cabinets on three sides and a butcher top was made in Pennsylvania made by Grothuse.

There really isn’t anything omitted in the house. The lower level holds a gym and quietly stashed away, Joe’s office (with a row of Emmys and additional awards) where he can work and air his podcasts. On the first floor, an existing laundry room was transformed into a guest room/playroom. The twins, now six, have their bedrooms upstairs with plenty of room to play. Outside the surfaces were repaved and a golf cart path to the neighboring course was put in, just for Joe.

The only detail Bobby Slavin didn’t do is the artwork (with the exception of the Rolling Stones’ cover, “Beggar’s Banquet”). The Bucks are fans of the British photographer and conservationist David Yarrow and have several of his works hanging on their walls. Then there are the telltale signs of their profession, past and present. Framed signed jerseys (including one from Buck’s broadcast partner Troy Aikman), a variety of sports memorabilia and Michelle’s uniform from her days as a Denver Broncos cheerleader.

The ultimate result of the redo actually exceeded the Bucks’ expectations.

“When you make a plan, you have hopes for it to come together,” Joe says. “And then when the actual execution of it is better than what you had in your mind, that’s the sign of somebody who knows what they’re doing. That’s really how this came together. Bobby not only helped reconfigure these rooms and make them feel as open as they could be but he also brings a great flair for decorating, for what the look should be.”

When asked how often they are actually in their home, the Bucks said they’re here all the time. “I love St. Louis,” Joe says, while Michelle (originally from Colorado and a longtime resident of Los Angeles) nods. The couple is also involved in the community; for example, Joe Buck has hosted the “Joe Buck Classic” golf tournament at Old Warson Country Club to raise money for St. Louis Children’s Hospital for the past 23 years.

“People see me at Starbucks and they’re like, ‘Why are you here?’” Joe says. “I’m like, ‘Because I live here.’ We’re here all the time. With six-year-old boys, traveling takes a village. We’re happy to wake up and amble into the hearth room and hang out. So, we’re here a ton.” sl

The butcher block with cabinetry was designed by Slavin and fabricated by Playco Woodwork in Minnesota. Note the mixing of metal finishes — a Slavin trademark

THE CARDINALS DO CARE

The team has donated more than $31 million to local charities helping children

By Kenedee Fowler

As someone who lives within walking distance of Busch Stadium, I constantly see thousands of Cardinals fans gearing up for game day and strolling the streets all dressed in red. With an average of three home games a week, I’ve always wondered how big of an impact the team actually has on the city and communities of St. Louis.

The St. Louis Cardinals have an average game attendance of 40,000, and according to Greater St. Louis Inc., the team is set to generate more than $310 million in economic impact for the city of St. Louis metro during the 2024 season. While ticket sales, downtown dining and shopping from Cardinal fans pour funds back into the city, the team has a charitable foundation, Cardinals Care, which invests in programs for St. Louis area kids.

Established in 1997, Cardinals Care has built ball fields for children in under-resourced neighborhoods, orchestrated baseball and softball programs, and provided support in healthcare, education, mentoring and cultural arts. In 2023, the team gave 160 grants to 150 organizations including Angel Arms, Haven of Grace, Ready Readers, Urban Harvest, among others.

“The focus of the charity is kids and the mission is caring for kids,” says Michael Hall, executive director of Cardinals Care and vice president of community relations.

One of the foundation’s programs, Redbird Rookies, is a co-ed youth baseball and softball league for kids living in

neighborhoods where neither sport is always available. Since the kickoff in 2004, the program has reached nearly 2,500 kids each year. Redbird Rookies also provides all the uniforms and equipment for each team.

This off-field extension also goes into the kids’ health with an annual summer fair for families to gain nutritional information and receive free health screenings. Redbird Rookie athletes are supported educationally in a summer reading program; in the cultural arts through a partnership with the Center of Creative Arts (COCA); with mentorships with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and financially with the program’s $10,000 scholarship that is awarded up to 10 athletes who have completed the seventh grade and shown leadership and teamwork. Over the years, Cardinals Care has awarded $500,000 in scholarships to Redbird Rookies Saigh Scholars.

Based on the Cardinals Care 2023 numbers, more than $1 million in grants were distributed. These monies are raised through Cardinals Care charitable events with the biggest one being their Winter Warm-up fundraiser event. Every January, fans meet players, coaches and alumni, as well as gain access to the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum and the Cardinals Clubhouse.

Funds are also raised through the Cardinals’ in-season weekly auctions and its Silent Auction program.

Redbird Rookies on the field

“We set up here at the Ballpark, but the auctions are also online, so fans are able to participate online,” Hall said. “We have all kinds of autographed items, memorabilia, and different things for fans to bid on.”

Another significant pillar of support for Cardinals Care is the 50/50 Raffle. Fans in Missouri can purchase a raffle ticket during weekend home games at Busch Stadium or online. The largest payout in the raffle jackpot happened in the last regular season weekend of 2022 (the last game for both Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols) when the total reached $355,000 and one lucky fan waltzed home with an additional $177,646.

“The support of our fans and their support of the team trickles down into the support of the foundation,” says Hall. “As fans learn more about the foundation and what we do and people that have affinities towards what we do, that has helped with our support and our fundraising.”

And if you’re wondering if the St. Louis Cardinals players are actually involved, the answer is yes, in some way, shape, or form. For example, Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker launched a new literacy program in partnership with Ready Readers this season called Walker’s Winners. The program challenges kids to set reading and math goals over the summer months, to be rewarded with a visit to a Cardinals game. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt

holds an annual baseball clinic for area little league teams, including participants in the Redbird Rookies program.

“The level of participation for each player varies,” says Hall. “Whether they’ve signed items we’re able to use in our auctions or come in the winter during our Winter Warm-up. That’s a big draw and a big part of the event – being able to see the players, hear their interviews, and get their autographs.”

Hall further explains that the Cardinals players recognize how community-minded Cardinals Care is and will participate in various ways to raise funds and support St. Louis area kids.

After 26 years the charitable foundation is steadily developing more programs, like the recently launched Nike RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities). Similar to Redbird Rookies, the Major League Baseball program provides local baseball and softball opportunities for youth ages 14 to 18.

Hall explains that some of the foundation’s goals are to spruce up their older ballfields and figure out better ways to support the St. Louis community, such as increasing their grant distribution amount.

“Our grants are between $1,000 to $3,000, but for our summer grant cycle, we are upping that from $1,000 to $5,000,” Hall says. “So, we’re able to put more money into the community and help organizations that need it.” sl

Getting a dentist check-up through Cardinals Care

Cardinals Care teaming up with Mercy Hospital

Training future baseball stars

Goldschmidt with Goldy’s Golden Ticket

703 NEW REASONS TO ROOT FOR THE CARDINALS

Last season was painful. Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III is very well aware.

By Craig Kaminer / Photos by Taka Yanagimoto

Watching Cardinals baseball is heaven when they’re winning, but hell when they’re not. (I am sure you heard my wife screaming at the TV recently when they blew another game.) For the 36 years I have lived in St. Louis, they have always performed well even when they don’t make it to the World Series.

But of late, they have struggled. You can’t go anywhere in town without hearing fans complaining, conjecturing and even refusing to watch baseball. The fact the games are on Bally Sports Midwest and not a local channel doesn’t help.

While the team’s winning percentage is not up to our expectations, they were in fifth place in the division on May 15, seven games out of first place. Before you start booing, head to Busch to cheer them on. There are a lot of reasons to support the team and boost the players’ morale. Call me a glass-half-full kinda guy.

So I met with the Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III to discuss what’s going on, what the management team is doing about it, and what’s in the works to keep fans’ heads and hearts in the game.

While every pundit has a theory of why the Cardinals have been off their game and who in the clubhouse should be sacrificed, the owners and management are acutely aware of what you are thinking. They read every article, watch every TV news station, and

closely monitor social media. Don’t for a second think they are not as frustrated as you. They are.

But managing the Cardinals is like running any other multimillion dollar business. There are a myriad of moving parts, personalities, short- and long-term contracts, league restrictions and a full complement of issues ranging from real estate, concessions, sales and marketing, and public relations.

DeWitt admits, “Last year was a disappointment and a wake-up call because we’ve been competitive for so long, some years better than others, but we made the playoffs three out of the last four. We hadn’t had a losing record in over a decade. So last season was a bit of a shock to the system. But I think after the season ended, the analysis was about whether it was something we could address and fix or whether it was a trend and maybe we have to rethink this whole thing and rebuild. And Mo’s (President of Operations John Mozeliak) conclusion was, along with the whole brain trust on the baseball side, including my father and others, that with some changes to the pitching, we could get back to our winning ways.”

DeWitt feels the recent changes in the pitching rotation have gone pretty well. He praised the work of Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray.

Bill DeWitt III in the newly renovated seating in the 703 Club.

“We feel good about it, but our hitting has been soft,” he says. Management can’t push too hard too early in the season on the hitting because no trades are going to be made. With a few games under .500 after one month, the management will have to evaluate their strategy over the next two months. But DeWitt is clear that they are not going to make knee-jerk decisions. They believe in the team and the players they have. Only time will tell if they are right.

Baseball has changed over the years; first with the advent of the Moneyball strategy of hiring undervalued players and investing in a strong analytics department. Then the MLB had to concede the game was starting to look like a game that people didn’t really like as much anymore. The pitch clock is an example where pitchers and some hitters were taking so much time for reasons that were good for their own individual performance, but not necessarily good for the game.

DeWitt feels the new rule that created the pitch clock is a very positive response to all these trends.

The bottom line is it’s becoming harder to differentiate and there’s more parity on the field. In some ways this is good for baseball. Now the biggest differentiator is the size of the payroll. Trying to keep up with the Joneses in that regard has become more important.

“I’m not saying it’s all about payroll, but it’s just you’re looking for different areas of differentiation to be able to achieve what we’ve always tried to achieve, which is consistently competitive teams, payroll is an obvious place to look.”

The Cardinals have hovered around tenth in terms of local revenue rankings, but they have slipped a couple of spots because some of the bigger markets have gotten even bigger and some of the medium markets have turned things around. But when you’re at the bottom of the top third, DeWitt feels like that’s a good spot for them to be in and they can compete every year if they make good decisions. When you’re in the bottom third, you almost have to acknowledge that your competitive opportunities are going to be cyclical in nature. You’re going to have to probably be bad for a few years, compile draft picks, have those work out, and then you can amplify those with spending that gets you back up into competing.

“We’re hopefully going to stay in a spot where we don’t have to do that,” DeWitt says.“That’s not saying that we will never do that, but we certainly believe we have a shot at not having to do that if we make good decisions. We are never going to be at the Dodgers or the Yankees or the Red Sox revenue levels, but I think it doesn’t mean we can’t compete with them if we play our cards right.”

The new 703 club offers inside seating, outdoor seating and an open kitchen cooking up fan favorites.

Entrance to the 703 Club featuring the 703 baseballs hit by Albert Pujols

The new Katie’s Pizza & Pasta location at Ballpark Village

When I asked DeWitt if he personally lets the negativism around the team get to him, he jokingly said “You’re probably going to be more mentally stable if you block out the distractions. Having said that, especially if you’re in it for the long haul like we’ve been and we intend to be, I do think it’s important to understand what’s going on out there. So for example, if something’s really trending related to our business or our team on social media, I want to know that. Any one individual comment is probably not a relevant data point, but a trend is a trend. We have some good people in our social media department who can help summarize that kind of stuff. We also get a lot of feedback from things like surveys. There’s a standardized MLB fan survey now that we have been a part of. In fact, two years ago we were ranked number one in the industry for fan feedback in terms of the overall game-day experience. And we’re still, even after a losing season, pretty highly ranked in that regard. A lot of times winning somehow spills over into whether your beer was cold or not.”

So St. Louis punches above its weight in terms of the size of the market. The Cardinals have seen attendance dip. “But it’s also cause for us to rethink how we reach out to fans, what our messaging is, and try to understand what’s most important and the relative importance of different things because the team on the field is the most important thing.”

DeWitt adds there is a whole set of other things that are very important for a fan when they’re coming down to a ballpark: parking, safety, security, the seats, the ushers, and the food. “There’s a lot to it beyond just winning while still acknowledging that winning’s the biggest factor driving satisfaction.”

One Cardinal Way, (featured in Sophisticated Living St. Louis, May/June 2021), is 95 percent leased. The residents came because of the Cardinals and for downtown living; they’re staying because of the community. “They have friends that live there, they do things together and it’s really pretty cool,” DeWitt says. “I

think that’s partly a function of the way we designed the building with that great community space above the garage and some of the programming we do to bring people together. We’d love to build another one. The challenge we face right now is to build that exact same building would be 35 percent more expensive and interest rates are higher.”

In typical fashion, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the RFT are second-guessing the Cardinal’s’ management. Recently, the RFT reported that the Cardinals may be looking for $600-million in public financing to do improvements to Busch. The fact is the stadium is turning 20 years old and big systems such as the chillers or the HVAC systems, the scoreboards, and even the seating needs to be updated. But DeWitt emphasized the ownership invests “$8 to $10 million each year to maintain the stadium. “That’s been our philosophy and it’ll remain our philosophy,” he says. “It doesn’t make any sense for us to be talking about whether we would ask for public money or not. We don’t even know what we would ask for right now. So it was just a premature article. In my opinion, it’s going to be a few years before we even have a game plan for refurbishing this stadium to buy another 20-plus years.”

“We continue to push for ways to make this stadium and Ballpark Village even more attractive for fans to come downtown. That’s what it’s all about. We want to be a great anchor. We want to be around forever and be a part of the solution downtown.”

For the 2024 season, the Cardinals added the Budweiser 703 Club (named for Albert Pujol’s 703 home runs) in the former Budweiser Bowtie Bar and the Casino Queen party porch. The area includes a full-service bar and an extensive menu. Ticket prices for the 703 Budweiser Club start at $99.

“Every year we like to do something different and new, and the 703 Club is our big one this year,” DeWitt says. “Now let’s start to win.” sl

Fan experiencing the all-you-can-eat pizza bar in the 703 Club

Elevated food in the 703 Club attracts fans looking for something more foodie focused.

In addition to the upgraded food assortment, the friendly hospitality team makes a day at the ballpark that much more enjoyable.

CONCORSO D’ELEGANZA VILLA D’ESTE

Motoring Magic on the Shores of Lake Como

Written by Bridget Williams / Photos courtesy BMW Group Classic

Raindrops sparkled like diamonds as their descent from heavento-earth was interrupted by a bounce off the highly polished chrome bumpers of some of the world's most coveted automobiles arrayed in the gardens of Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Italy, for the annual Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

While an intermittent drizzle on the private Saturday afternoon garden party exhibition forced owners of open-top cars to employ creative umbrella placement to protect their precious interiors, it didn't dampen the spirits of the soignée attendees who were there to ogle marvels of mobility in all their beguiling diversity.

As presenting sponsor, BMW Group Classic kicked off the festivities by unveiling its 20th BMW Art Car designed by Julie Mehretu, an Ethiopian American artist known for large-scale, multi-media works serving as a visual articulation of contemporary experience. Later that evening, two world premieres were held: the BMW Concept Skytop, influenced by predecessors BMW Z8 and BMW 503, and the BMW R 20 concept, a homage to the Big Boxer Roadster by BMW Motorrad. Co-sponsor Rolls Royce toasted its 120th anniversary with a historic class at the Concourso and a Royce Cullinan Series II display.

Laurence Basse

Best In Show went to

The People’s Choice award went to a 1995 McLaren F1. Photo by Gudrun Muschalla

Alpine Alpenglow.

Photo by Hardy Mutschler

Photo by Hardy Mutschler

Maserati A6GCS Spider Frua 1955.

Photo by Hardy Mutschler

Fireworks over Lake Como at Villa d’Este

Photo by Hardy Mutschler

1957 Ferrari 155 S. Photo by Hardy Mutschler

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II.

Photo by Hardy Mutschler

The prestigious Best in Show award was bestowed upon an 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, a stunning piece of automotive history owned by the HM Collection from Belgium. This Grand Prix car, styled in the coachwork design of a spider by Figoni from the 1930s, stood out among the impressive lineup of automobiles. The 12,000 attendees at Sunday's public portion of the event—the Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este —were met with sunny skies for the exhibition, parade of cars, and presentation of winners by Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic and President of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange und

Söhne added to the winner's prestige by gifting them a bespoke model of the 1815 Chronograph in white gold. The People's Choice award went to a 1995 McLaren F1 owned by Tony Vassilopoulos from Great Britain.

The event concluded with Käs, on behalf of BMW Group Classic, presenting a € 50,000 contribution to Matteo Monti, the Mayor of Cernobbio. This significant donation, reflecting a portion of the ticket sales and an additional contribution by BMW Group Classic, is earmarked for a local children's charity, furthering the event's impact beyond the world of luxury cars. sl See additional event images on Sophisticated Living's website: slmag.net/motoring.

The public exhibition was held at the park of Villa Erba. Photo by Gudrun Muschalla

BMW Concept Skytop. Photo by Enes Kucevic Photography

20th BMW Art Car designed by Julie Mehret. Photo by Hardy Mutschler

Experiences matterHERE.

Celebrate Summer at America’s Most Beloved Resort.

There’s always something magical in the air at The Omni Homestead Resort, a place that inspires timeless memories of summer. Enjoy the carefree pleasure of playing croquet all day. Explore more on horseback or through an enriching falconry class. Retreat to the expansive spa complex, take the waters at the historic Warms Springs Pools, or make a splash at our Allegheny Springs water park. A leisurely lunch or a round with friends on one of our championship golf courses is a reminder of how getting away can bring you together.

Plan the Grand American Vacation and save 50% on a four-night package including daily buffet breakfasts and complimentary passes to 10+ outdoor experiences. Located within driving distance from the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest and with non-stop service to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport from cities across the country, America’s first resort—one of the nation’s most beloved destinations—always feels close to home.

GOING THE DISTANCE

Compiled by Bridget Williams

This page, clockwise from top left: Assael 62.5” Akoya pearl and sardinian coral tassel lariat necklace (assael.com). Suzanne Kalan 36” mini tennis necklace ($92,000; suzannekalan.com). GURHAN Rain 49” gold and gemstone necklace ($9,595). Available through Elleard B. Heffern in St. Louis, and gurhan.com. Milamore Diamond Duo chain ($16,700; milamorejewelry.com). Moritz Glik men’s Hiroki necklace with black and white diamonds in a white sapphire Kaleidoscope Shaker™ ($24,950; mortizglik.com). Tamara Comolli Signature Wave earrings ($5,100). Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis and us.tamaracomolli.com. Yoko London Sleek pearl and diamond earrings ($1,509; yokolondon.com). Jade Ruzzo Harbour ear jackets in conch + tourmaline ($4,800; jaderuzzo.com). NeverNoT Hide N Seek Ready 2 Discover earrings ($10, 578; nevernot.co.uk). David Yurman pearl and pavé two row drop earrings ($2,400). Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers and Reis-Nichols Jewelers in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville and davidyurman.com. Luvente Bold Pear dangle earrings ($17,000). Available through the Richter & Phillips Co. in Cincinnati and luvente.com. Ali Weiss gold hoops with 5 drop diamond chains ($2,550; aliweissjewelry.com). Lydia Courteille Rosa Del Inca pendant (price upon request; lydiacourteille.com). Mattia Cielo 18 row bracelet with diamonds (price upon request; mattiacielo.com). Buddha Mama shaker bracelet (buddhamama.com). Asherali Marcia interchangeable earring (asherali-paris.com). Marco Bicego Petali earrings (from $7,550). Available through Diamond Cellar in Columbus, Reis-Nichols Jewelers in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville, Simons Jewelers and Clarkson Jewelers in St. Louis and us.marcobicego.com. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Kinraden Other Blooms necklace ($706; kinraden.com). Lugano flexible green diamond and opal titanium ring (price upon request; luganodiamonds.com).

SINGING THE BLUES

Play the role of a pampered castaway during a stay at Caerula Mar Club on remote Andros Island in the Bahamas.

Written by Bridget Williams

What is it about certain shades of cerulean waters in the Caribbean that tickle the senses, causing us to stare into them, unblinking as if Medusa herself stood before us? Do the fortunate few who traverse these sandy shores daily live in a perpetual state of enchantment? I pondered these questions during a recent scenic one-hour Maker's Air flight (makersair.com/bahamas-flights), which operates daily from Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport to Congo Town, a small fishing village on South Andros in the Bahamas just minutes away to idyllic Caerula Mar Club, the first luxury resort on this island.

Looking down from above as Florida's greenish waters gradually morphed into myriad shades of blue, I experienced what I have since learned is called "Blue Mind," a phrase coined by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols and the title of his book. Backed by a healthy body of research, Nichols writes, "When we get near, in, on, or underwater, it moves us into this blue mind state, which turns out is a place that's very good for creativity and

connection and collaboration. Being calm, being curious, and even being courageous, it's a place of contentment."

I can only surmise that Bryan and Sarah Baeumler were experiencing a "Blue Mind" state when they acquired the 10-acre oceanfront property on the largest island of the Bahama archipelago. HGTV devotees will undoubtedly recognize the resort's name from the show Renovation Island, which ran for five seasons starting in 2020 and followed the Canadian couple and their four children as they renovated a dilapidated 1960s-era resort that had been on the market for a decade on the very undeveloped island, approximately 200 miles from the Florida coast.

It's not hard for visitors today to see how the couple—longtime fixtures on both the HGTV and DIY networks—who visited the island on a lark in 2017 as part of a day trip fell under the spell of the property's potential. Taking $24 million and giving plenty of drama for their HGTV audience, Caerula Mar

Club opened in February 2020 with five private villas and 18 Clubhouse suites.

During our three-night visit in late winter, we stayed in one of the two-bedroom, one-bath villas, thoughtfully spread out among the palm tree-dotted oceanfront lawn for optimal privacy. Boasting traditional island architecture, including a generous wrap-around front porch and a cathedral ceiling in the main bedroom, the mid-century-inspired interiors, and gilded gold touches, including Kelly Wearstler Strada sconces above the mini bar and sculptural bamboo-shaped drawer pulls in the closet, artfully resist going full-on beachy and instead rely on a palette of muted sand colors with pops of blue and large framed black and white nature photographs to communicate a subtle sense of place (a notable exception being the cutest sea urchin lamp on the nightstand in between twin beds in the secondary bedroom).

The bathroom was enormous, with dual vanities, a separate water closet, and a shower so large that it took several steps to get

from the wonderfully scented lavender and tea tree bath products packaged in environmentally friendly large bottles (big bonus points from me!) and back to the dual showerheads.

From the moment we boarded our flight in Ft. Lauderdale, Caerula regulars surrounded us; in fact, it seemed that we were the only newbies on the property during our stay. While the maximum capacity is 60 guests, occupancy typically runs in the upper 40s, so faces quickly become familiar. Our fellow guests were a chatty and friendly lot, and it was clear that in the four years since it's been open, Caerula Mar has helped forge more than a few long-term friendships. The familial atmosphere is fostered by on-property managers Margaret and Ron Gratzinger, South Carolina natives who embarked on remote resort management as a second career and managed the property in the early 2000s under its previous ownership. The return rate is also buoyed by a ten-percent discount if you rebook your next visit prior to departing.

Photo by William Torrillo

There is a trio of on-property restaurants: Switcha, a café and smoothie bar; Driffs Bar and Lounge, situated between the pool and the ocean; and Lusca (named after the mythical sea monster said to inhabit the island's blue holes), serving breakfast and dinner with a menu that changes daily, particularly welcome for extended stay guests on an island with limited outside dining options. Working in tandem, Carlos Alvarez, who worked his way up the ladder to become Executive Chef, and Executive Sous Chef Janet Hoediono, who spent last year's off-season in Peru to glean culinary inspiration, use a global lens to create dishes teeming with local ingredients and Caribbean flavors. Guests can choose to dine à la carte or opt for a three-meal dining plan for $155 per person, per day.

Many guests relished in the resort's remoteness and were amply preoccupied in the pursuit of idyll, reading and lounging

by the pool, and occasionally taking to the wide, white sand beach for a long stroll or to avail themselves of gratis kayaks or paddleboards. However, if, like me, you're not able to sit still for long, you can do as we did and make use of the yoga and fitness rooms, pickleball court, and bicycles, the latter of which allowed us to explore the natural wonders of this subtropical island with ten distinct vegetation zones.

Birders will appreciate that Andros' long-term bird counts record more than 200 endemic and North American birds, including the critically endangered Bahama Oriole. Phytophiles can look for more than 50 species of wild orchids. Geologists and adventurers can admire the highest concentration of blue holes found anywhere in the world: 178 inland and 50 oceanic.

Using a map provided by the concierge, our short bike ride took us to the 40,000-acre Blue Hole Natural Park. Too nervous about

Lobby reception lounge

Villa photo by William Torrillo

Photo by Matthew Cottrell

Driffs beach bar photo by William Torrillo

Pink Sands villa bedroom

jumping from the limestone cliffs into the blue abyss, we opted to hike the rim of several freshwater basins, where the surface of pockmarked rocks was as pointy as the peaks of properly whipped egg whites.

I was similarly timid the following day when our half-day "Ocean Adventure" reef fishing and snorkeling trip took us to a large oceanic blue hole. As a writer and someone who gets the heebiejeebies during shallow water snorkeling, it wasn't hard for me to breathe life into what I read about the Lusca, described as a predatory sea creature up to 250 feet long with the head and torso of a Great White and an octopus' tentacled tail. Luckily, Andros' barrier reef, the third largest in the world, runs the entire length of the island and supports a tremendous variety of hard and soft coral gardens and exotic reef fish, which took my mind off mythical menaces.

If you'd like to go deeper, Caerula Mar offers Discover SCUBA and certification classes with advance notice. The resort

is also working on a coral gardening and reef restoration program that guests can participate in to help combat the effects of global warming, ocean acidification, and overfishing.

Other water-based activities include half- and full-day bonefishing excursions (Andros is known as the "bonefishing capital of the world"), private boat charters, sunset cruises, and guided mangrove kayaking. After your adventuring, you can recharge with a relaxing facial or massage in Caerula Mar's beachfront spa cottage.

During our daily exploration by land and sea, I marveled that large, sparsely populated pieces of paradise still exist in such a connected and seemingly oversaturated world. And, by doing my best to forgo my phone, I came to appreciate a new perspective on experiencing the blues. sl

For more information visit caerulamar.com.

Burton, our boat captain and life-long Andros resident making reef fishing look easy.

One of Andros’ 178 inland blue holes.

A pickleball court is among the active on-site amenities.

Photo by William Torrillo

This past spring, the eyes of the interior design world were focused on Milan for the 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile, the cornerstone of Milan Design Week. The largest of its kind, Salone drew a record crowd of more than 360,000 attendees (nearly half from abroad), who were looking to glimpse a future of home living as imagined by 1,950 exhibitors representing 35 countries. This year included a particular focus on EuroCucina / FTK, Technology For the Kitchen and International Bathroom Exhibition biennials. Outside the sprawling Fiera Milano convention complex, fringe events at design districts across Milan, known as fuorisalone, hosted various events, including talks, tours, workshops, exhibitions, open showrooms, and pop-ups. While it’s never easy to play favorites, we tasked members of our editorial team with submitting a few of their favorites to share with you. sl

Salone Standouts

Written and compiled by Bridget Williams

This page: Snairdero Elementi at EuroCucina (snaidero.com). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: The freestanding modules of the VIPP V3 modular kitchen at EuroCucina are wrapped in naturally anodized aluminium with vertically extruded profiles curving around the edges (vipp.com/en/kitchens/v3-kitchen). Fringes armchair from Munna Design (munnadesign.com) and Embrade side table from Ginger & Jagger (gingerandjagger.com). Kartell A.I. lounge chair designed by Philippe Starck and American firm Autodesk using artificial intelligence. Planet floor lamps, and Undique Mas side table (kartell.com). Stilo is the new project that Scavolini unveiled at EuroCucina (scavolini.com). Bentley Home Wilton desk and Bollington office chair (luxurylivinggroup.com). Ernest modular sofa & coffee tables at the Polioform stand (polioform.it/en-us). The LUNE vanity unit by Emanuel Gargano for Terzofoco was named one of top 10 products at the Salone Internazionale del Bagno (terzofoco.it/en). Poltronova Ultrafragola mirror/lamp (poltronova.it). ImperfettoLab ÒRGHEN table and Equilibria chairs (imperfettolab.com).

This page: Bloom 3 pendant handmade by Studio Umut Yamac in London (umutyamac.com). Random Clouds by Chia-Ling Yee for Lodes is available in seven color schemes and can be configured into clusters of 7, 14, 19, or 23 lights (lodes.com). Ginger & Jagger Geode console (gingerandjagger. com). Barnaba Fornasetti with Poltrona Frau’s Vanity Fair XC armchair reinterpreted by Fornasetti with the design silk screened onto leather. Limited edition of 50 pieces (poltronafrau.com/us/en). Llama bar cabinet from Kenneth Cobonpue features two compartments that opens on each side, built-in wine glass holders abd finely sanded wooden table top (kennethcobonpue.com). BELLY liquor cabinet by Studio Roderick Vos available in red, yellow & blue (roderickvos.nl). Etro Home Interiors Quiltana armchair with floral Gobelin fabric, selected from the Etro archives (etro.com). Gianfranco Ferré Home Brygge chair (gianfrancoferrehome.com). Omoi armchair from B&B Itali (bebitalia.com) Opposite page, clockwise from top left: LIBRA vase from Studio Umut Yamac (umutyamac.com). Moooi 500 Tube Light by BCXSY & Carbon bar stool (moooi.com). Minotti Vivienne armchair (minotti.com). Rimadesio Rialto bar cabinet in Taiga ebony-stained wood on the exterior and natural wood interior. Photo by Josh Wong (rimadesio.it/en/). Ceramica Cielo Itaca basins in Talpa finish (ceramicacielo.us/ en). La Michetta modular sofa blocks from Meritalia (meritalia.it/en/). FAS Pendezza ping pong table made entirely of glass available in white, black or transparent. Eliminating the game net allows it to be used as a sleek dining or meeting table (faspendezza.net). Aurena ceramic vanity designed by Antonio Citterio for Duravit with integrated dividers (duravit.com). Arclinea Proxima kitchen, designed by Antonio Citterio. Shown with Hortus, a piece of furniture characterized by the double large coplanar doors and designed for growing aromatic herbs and small vegetables. Hortus represents the integration in the Arclinea design of the domestic version of a hydroponic cultivation controlled by a software, Studio Pepe Visionnaire capsule collection (studiopepe.info) which offers the possibility of always having fresh and organic products for the table (arclinea.com/en/journal/proxima.html).

GIULIO THE TRUFFLE HUNTER & THE ELUSIVE WHITE TRUFFLE

Written by photographed by Craig Kaminer

In the United States, truffles fetch spectacular prices at restaurants, and it's not uncommon to pay $100 or more to add shaved truffles to everything from pasta to pizza. But in Italy, truffles are found virtually everywhere during the various truffle seasons – if you know where to look – and can be added to almost any dish at local restaurants for just $10 or $20.

Don't get me wrong; a large white truffle weighing two pounds has sold in recent years for more than $100,000, but that is a rarity. If the price of adding truffles to your dinner aligns with the cost of a three-course dinner, pass. You are being gouged.

This past fall, my wife and I spent a month living as locals in Florence, Italy, and we discovered truffle hunter Giulio Benuzzi at the recommendation of our Airbnb host, Sophia. Before booking the experience, I carefully researched truffle hunters to see what would work best for my wife, me, and our three adult kids. Some truffle hunters were highly rated, but it took a half day to get to them, and they insisted we stay overnight at their bed and breakfast. Closer ones were too expensive and would fill most of the day.

On the other hand, Giulio was based in Bagno a Ripoli, a 15-minute cab ride from the center of Florence, and we could hunt for truffles and then have a truffle lunch before departing for an entire afternoon back in Florence. At $200-$250 per person, the experience wasn't inexpensive. Still, considering the total experience, including lunch, wine, and the truffles we took home, it was worth it and an unforgettable part of our trip. Giulio is a charming guy, full of stories and life experiences (he is a sailor, like me), and we have since become friends, catching up every month or so. As I discovered, everyone needs a truffle hunter friend!

Our short taxi ride from Florence to the hills overlooking the city brought us to Giulio's home, which he uses to educate, entertain, and nourish his guests. We knew we had arrived when we discovered the Giulio the Truffle Hunter sign at the end of his driveway and heard his team of extremely excited truffle dogs, the Lagotto Romagnolos he has raised since pups. As we learned later, the dogs know there will be a truffle hunt when new guests are at the house, and they like nothing more than to hunt for truffles.

The truffle experience took place in three parts, beginning with learning everything you ever wanted to know about truffles in a classroom-like setting, followed by the hunt, just a short walk from Giulio's home, and ending with an expertly prepared three-course lunch.

While we admittedly thought we would spend the entire time hunting for truffles, Giulio, a member of both the Tuscan truffle association (Associazione Tartufai delle Colline della Bassa Valdelsa) and the Florentine chapter of Slow Food, first educated us about the different truffle types, their seasonality, what makes a good truffle, and how to know if those offered at a restaurant are worth the price.

Of course, my kids gave me a look like they wanted to get out of there and search for truffles right away, but in hindsight, the classroom experience was invaluable.

What we thought we knew was not the case. We learned there are five types of edible truffles, part of the fungi kingdom, that grow year-round underground. Giulio shared that touch,

rather than smell or color, determines a truffle's freshness. Tuscany hosts various truffle species, each with unique characteristics and culinary uses. The white truffle, or "Tuscan White Gold," is among the world's most prized and expensive. Its distinct aroma, reminiscent of garlic and honey, enhances the flavor of dishes without overpowering them. Black truffles, with their earthy and robust flavor, are used in various dishes, from pasta to risotto, to add depth and complexity. Other varieties, like the summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) and the burgundy truffle (Tuber uncinatum), contribute to the diverse and rich tapestry of flavors that characterize the region's gastronomy.

Truffle hunting is not just a matter of luck; it requires skill, knowledge, and a deep connection to the land. Truffle hunters often rely on intuition, reading the terrain and understanding the subtle signs pointing to the presence of truffles. They look for specific types of soil, certain trees, and even the behavior of their canine companions, whose excitement and focused attention signal a potential find.

The dogs play a crucial role in the truffle hunt's success. Trained from an early age, they learn to associate the distinctive scent of truffles with rewards, usually in the form of treats. As the dog picks up the scent, it becomes a game of teamwork and communication between the hunter and their four-legged companion.

The thrill of the hunt lies in the uncertainty of what lies beneath the soil. A subtle dig or scrape reveals the hidden truffle, and the moment of discovery is met with excitement and satisfaction. It's a dance between nature, tradition, and the joy of uncovering a culinary gem.

With the coursework complete, Giulio led us on a short walk to the woods with his top dogs, Tina and Maga, leading the way. When the dogs found a truffle, they would point, and if Giulio or one of us didn't intervene, they would start digging for it. The goal is to uncover the truffle, which is usually less than 12 inches under the surface, growing close to the roots of a tree and often near other truffles. If given the chance, Tina and Maga would dig up the truffles and eat them, so Giulio rewards them with truffleflavored treats to keep them interested and on the scent.

(it looks like a small harpoon used for whaling) to properly unearth the truffle, check its freshness, and store it in his pouch for safekeeping on the walk back to his home. Our hunt occurred in mid-October, and our catch was mainly the less aromatic variety of black truffles. We each kept the ones we found and used them over the next few days on scrambled eggs, charcuterie items, and, of course, with prosciutto and parmesan cheese. Giulio found a good-sized white truffle, which he used in preparing our post-hunt meal.

Little did we know that Giulio is an accomplished chef. He masterfully incorporated black and white truffles into traditional recipes, letting the truffles' natural flavors shine. One iconic Tuscan dish that showcases truffles at their best is the classic tagliolini al tartufo bianco, a simple yet luxurious pasta dish. The delicate, thin strands of pasta are dressed in a light butter or olive oil sauce, allowing the aroma and flavor of the white truffle to take center stage.

While the truffles were the main draw, Giulio, quite a character, was a close second. Following the opening of his bed and breakfast

When the dogs started digging, Giulio used his truffle tool

Is that a Leica?

specializing in food and wine experiences in 1996, he often gets credit for introducing a new format that helps international tourists better understand the art of wine and food in Italy. A chance meeting with a truffle hunter in 1999 ignited Giulio's passion for the fungus, leading him to prepare for and pass the exam necessary to obtain an Italian truffle license in 2003.

In 2015, Airbnb selected Giulio as the Italian experience ambassador for the launch of its online catalog. The following year, Giulio began collaborating with various US television and reality TV producers as the character Giulio the Truffle Hunter on "The Bachelor USA," "The Pack" on Amazon Prime, and for the Italian guide in the two episodes of "Don't Be Late For a Party" on Bravo, among others. A true Renaissance man, Giulio's love for truffles led him to create art, poems, and music with truffles as the star. For nearly a decade, he has been hosting a truffle dinner where, together with his band, they tell the story of truffles in music. sl

If you are heading to Florence, I encourage you to call ahead and set up a truffle hunt. I am confident Giulio will treat you like family, and he has told me that he would offer a ten percent discount to anyone who mentions this story. For more information, visit giuliothetrufflehunter.com.

Leica, the legendary German camera company with a cult-like following, sent me their Q2 ultra-portable full-sensor camera for my trip to Italy. While I usually shoot a Canon DSLR, I thought it would be too bulky, so the Q2 was the perfect travel companion. As soon as I met Giulio the Truffle Hunter, he commented on the Leica which earned me instant credibility as a photographer, and food writer.

The Q2 was easy to carry, easy to shoot, and the large RAW files (47.3 megapixels, 4K video and ISO to 50,000) were just what I needed for my stories. It took just a couple of minutes to figure out the functions, and, truthfully if you know your way around a camera, no user manual was needed. I also discovered a Leica store in Paris and Florence where serious photographers were more than helpful with any questions I had.

Like many amateurs and pros alike, I have been shooting more and more photos with my iPhone over the past few years. The Q2 far outperformed my phone’s photo capabilities, and the Leica FOTOS app was simple to use to add all of my shots to my phone libraries and to share with friends and family via social media along the way.

As cameras continually upgrade their technology, it's easy to feel that yours is becoming obsolete. Not with Leica. They hold their value, people hold onto them for years and often pass them down to a younger generation of enthusiasts, and chances are your best shots will be taken by a Leica. sl

ORANGE

Louis Vuitton Deep Time Seeds ring (price upon request; us.louisvuitton.com). Basak Baykal Signature Basak necklace (price upon request; basakbaykal. co.uk). Bee Goddess Queen Bee sapphire ring ($12,390; beegoddess.com). Anthony Lent fire opal Muse Dream ring ($89,000; anthonylent.com). Boochier Gumball Slinkee coral and pink opal earrings ($13,560; boochier.com). Aurelia Denmark Clementine necklace ($3,345) with large coral heart pendant ($765; aureliademark.com). Andrew Geoghegan Chocolate Box Truffle cocktail ring (andrewgeoghegan.com). Fred Leighton signed topaz and diamond cocktail ring (price upon request; fredleighton.com). Seal & Scribe The Travelers ring ($3,495; sealandscribe. com). Aisha Baker 3.60CT citrine (price upon request; aishabaker.com). The Majesty earrings with 5 Nouvel Heritage garnet stud earrings ($1,800). Available through. Reis-Nichols Jewelers in Indianapolis, and us.nouvelheritage.com. Saule Lucia earrings ($220; saulelabel.com). Cicada Jewelry earrings (price upon request; cicadajewelry.com). Bleecker & Prince Enchanted Donut ($1,340; bleeckerandprince.com). Alina Abegg Signature Alien ring with orange moonstone and diamonds ($16,234; alinaabegg.com). Brent Neale Believe signet ring with carnelian ($7,800; brentneale.com). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: La Grande Classique de Longines ($3,650). Available through Richters & Phillips Jewelers in Cincinnati, Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville, and longines.com. Emily P. Wheeler Anna necklace ($4,200; emilypwheeler.com). Clara Chebab rough imperial topaz, garnet and diamond necklace ($6,915; clarachehab.com). Lionheart charm. Albarre Jewelry fire opal ring ($1,050; albarre.com). Assael dendritic agate, coral, red clam natural saltwater pearl, & yellow diamond brooch ($64,000). Available through Diamond Cellar in Nashville and assael.com.

EUROPE'S NEXT TOP MODEL

The barchetta design of Midsummer, borne from a Morgan & Pininfarina collaboration, celebrates an iconic European body style and demonstrates the flexibility of the timeless Morgan silhouette.

Written by Andre James / Photos by Nick Dimbleby, courtesy of Morgan Motor Company

A tribute to the art of bespoke motor vehicles, the Midsummer model is a testament to the more than two centuries of combined coachbuilding experience between Morgan Motor Company (morgan-motor.com) and Pininfarina (pininfarina.it). This limited edition, a Morgan special project, showcases the finely honed skills of artisans who meticulously hand-formed every element of the distinctive body based on Morgan's latest CX-Generation Bonded Aluminum Platform.

"Midsummer is dedicated to enthusiastic individuals who will enjoy an unconventional, sensory, and analog driving experience. By identifying and reinterpreting Morgan's admired ideals, Midsummer turns our legacy into a charming, sophisticated, and timeless aesthetic," said Massimo Fumarola, Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Motor Company.

Midsummer's delicate yet exaggerated proportions imbue an eccentric elegance reminiscent of iconic Pininfarina designs and evocative of an era of late 30s and early 40s automotive design. New surfacing, particularly noticeable on the front and rear wings, gives a subtle preview of the evolving Morgan design language. Midsummer also introduces a shoulder line to Morgan's instantly recognizable side profile, made possible by introducing exposed wooden structures, one of the defining elements of a barchetta, a class of open-top, two-seat sports cars. Hand-formed stainless steel lower sills provide a conclusion for the wings, along with a sense of volume and an 'undercut,' a feature inspired by early Pininfarina designs.

New signature headlight units – finished with silver inserts –flank the horseshoe grille with a half-moon shape at the top of the stone guard, which helps direct airflow within the grille aperture. A longer rear tail is reminiscent of iconic Pininfarina designs of

the early 20th century, while the cockpit view of the long bonnet leads eyes to the wing tops and the placement of the front wheels. Pininfarina has reinterpreted Morgan's iconic louvers stamped lengthways into each bonnet with a series of hand-formed 'piano keys' positioned widthways along the scuttle section of each bonnet and functioning to facilitate airflow in the engine compartment.

Midsummer's barchetta style provided an opportunity to utilize sustainably sourced teak to create a shoulder line, accentuating the cockpit's perimeter and visibly showcasing Morgan's craftspeople's skill. This application pays homage to Morgan's long-established relationship with wood, a fundamental desire Pininfarina expressed at the project's earliest stages.

"The design of the Midsummer is the product of an immersive journey between two brands, building on the essence of Morgan's DNA, encompassing its centenary heritage, company culture, and a remarkable community of passionate devotees. This endeavor was also a rare and unique opportunity to investigate our own past with the fresh eyes of a new generation of designers and to rediscover our company's very origins in coachbuilding," said Felix Kilbertus, Chief Creative Officer, Pininfarina.

Embarking on a journey of exclusivity, only 50 Midsummer models will be crafted, each one a testament to the unique vision of its owner and a true one-off masterpiece. These limited editions have already found their discerning owners during exclusive preview sessions. Production, commencing in 2024 (Morgan's 115th year), at the company's facility in Malvern, Worcestershire, in the UK, will culminate in 2025. The Midsummer will make its public debut at the prestigious 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual event held in July at the Goodwood House in West Sussex, England. sl

PREEMINENT IN PREMIUM

BMW announces refreshed design details and updates to the 2025 BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe

Written by Andre James / Photos courtesy of BMW

Enhancements to the new BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe related to aesthetics, driving experience, electrification, and digitalization aim to build upon the brand’s status as an innovator in the premium midsize class.

On the exterior, there’s a fresh take on the BMW kidney grille, which is now finished in matte chrome and has a fully enclosed upper section. Below this is a black high-gloss surface topped by a matte-silver honeycomb pattern. The air intakes on the combustion-engine versions of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe have a mesh structure whose surfaces are now finished in matte Quartz Silver. The slim headlights have been visually and functionally upgraded, including a Welcome Light animation.

The M Sport package for the BMW i4 and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe includes a diffuser element in the lower section of the rear bumper, finished in black high gloss. The exhaust tailpipes integrated into the rear apron on the left and right of the combustion-engined models have grown a half inch in diameter. Customers can order 19-inch M Aero bi-color wheels on cars specified with the M Sport Package. Also new are 20-inch BMW Individual Aero bi-color wheels in double-spoke design, available on M440i and 430i models.

Most notable inside the cabin is what’s missing: the upgraded BMW iDrive with QuickSelect reduces the number of buttons and controls. The system’s QuickSelect feature allows the driver to navigate to functions directly from the newly arranged home screen without entering submenus.

The company says that voice control using the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant will be even more interactive and intuitive. The latest version of BMW Maps will give BMW i4

drivers access – both from the vehicle and via the My BMW App – to improved functions that enable charging-optimized route planning over long journeys.

Sport seats in perforated Sensatec are standard, while Vernasca leather trim with decorative quilting is available in five colors, including the new standard bi-color black with red highlight. Also standard is a two-spoke steering wheel with a polygonal rim and illuminated multifunction buttons. The M Sport Package brings an M leather steering wheel with tricolor stitching in a three-spoke design with a flat-bottomed rim.

New interior trim elements include M Fine Brushed Aluminum and new Fineline Light open-pored and Grey Blue Ash open-pored fine wood trim variants. The Sensatec upholstery covering the instrument panel boasts a smoother, more refined surface that extends to the upper portion of all four door panels. Customers can now specify a Galvanic finish for the gear selector, BMW iDrive Controller, and Start/Stop button on the center console.

Powerful and efficient, the 3-liter, 6-cylinder combustion engines with 48V mild hybrid technology in the 2025 M440i Gran Coupe models can provide an 11 hp boost to the 375 hp TwinPower Turbo engine. The engine pairs with an 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission to propel the BMW M440i Gran Coupe from 0-60 mph in an estimated 4.7 seconds, or an estimated 4.3 seconds when fitted with xDrive intelligent allwheel drive. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

At press time, BMW had yet to release pricing for the BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is scheduled to begin production in July. sl

TINY BUT MIGHTY

If you're a foodie and history buff, head straight to Rhode Island. The Ocean State won't disappoint.

Written by Christy Marshall

After being banished in 1636 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Salem by its Puritanical leaders, Roger Williams bought land from the Narragansett people and founded the Providence Plantations (which turned into the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and then the State of Rhode Island) as a haven for religious freedom — for people, he said, were "distressed of conscience."

Before long, the area had become home to religious and political dissenters, as well as some social outcasts. It was dubbed "Rogue Island."

There is nothing rogue about Rhode Island now.

In terms of area, the state is the nation's smallest. It could fit comfortably into the Grand Canyon with about 700 square miles to spare. The state is 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, comprising six areas: Block Island, South County, Blackstone Valley, Warwick, Providence, and Newport. The top of Rhode Island borders Massachusetts to its north and east and Connecticut to the west. Eastern Rhode Island contains the lowlands of the Narragansett Bay, and Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England upland.

The state sparkles from the T.F. Green Airport in Providence (with its fresh flowers in the ladies' room) to the magnificent

mansions on its coast. Picking Warwick as a first stop, the Hotel NYLO is a lovely tribute to industrial chic. From there, make a quick jaunt to the famed Victorian mansions of Newport.

The state has a new marketing motto: "Come for the food. Stay for the stories." It's apt. Rhode Island abounds in both culinary delights and history.

Castle Hill Inn (castlehillinn.com) in Newport is a great place to start on both counts. Established in 1875, the "summer house" was originally commissioned by Alexander Agassiz, a marine biologist and naturalist at Harvard University and a man who made a fortune in copper mining. During World War II, the mansion was used as an impromptu base for naval officers. Later, it became a summer hotel. Following winterization, it started running year-round. Today, Castle Hill is owned by its employees and retains its old-world charm and elegance. On the culinary side, I must recommend the Truffled Onion Dip with house-fried kettle chips, the Arancini, and "Cornbread's" Clam Chowder for your lunch order at The Lawn. If the weather is amenable, take a break sitting on one of the ubiquitous Adirondack chairs and watch the boats sail by.

Castle Hill Inn in Newport was built in 1875 by Alexander Agassiz as a summer residence.

Photo by Alex Paul.

Located on a spit of land between the Atlantic Ocean and a pond, this Weekapaug Inn dates back to 1939.

Shepherd's Run in South Kingstown was constructed in 1933 as a summer residence. The 36-acre property now holds a boutique hotel and its own winery and spa.

Rhode Island boasts dishes unique to the state. There's the "Stuffie," a clam stuffed with bread. Coffee Milk: coffee syrup served in milk (and the official state drink). The "Saugy Dog": a hot dog with a touch of spice (which originated in 1869). The state also boasts an International Food Trail featuring restaurants in 10 Rhode Island towns with menus from 40 different countries.

You might want to start that trek in Central Falls at Tuxpan Taqueria, a 2024 James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant. The chef and owner, Diego Alcantar, named it after his hometown in Mexico. The restaurant is minute, and the food is spectacular. His mother helps in the kitchen, and as she said, "The food is love." It's a must-stop.

In Chepachet, make reservations at the Portuguese restaurant, Assado's Kitchen + Bar, and order the Quahogs Recheados, the Portuguese take on the "Stuffie."

On the history and food side, slip into The Guild Brewing Co., a pub/restaurant/event space set along the Providence River in Pawtucket, the home of the American Industrial Revolution. Located in the former Haskell Manufacturing Nut and Bolt factory, the Guild's owners kept as many elements of the original building as possible, right down to the beams and crank windows. Be sure to sample some of The Guild's own brews.

As for the stories and aside from the magnificent Gilded Age mansions of the Vanderbilts, Astors, and their ilk, slip into the St. Ann's Arts & Cultural Center (stannsartsandculturalcenter.org) in Woonsocket to see the nation's most extensive collection of fresco paintings. The church was built in 1918 as one of the country's eight French Canadian parishes. A Central Falls fresco artist, Guido Nigari, came and spent two years painting the frescos. Locals were paid 25 cents and a peanut butter sandwich to sit and be painted into the scenes.

All the delectable dishes and forays into the country's past certainly warrant a visit. But for me, I'd beat a fast path for a stay at one (or both) of the Ocean House Collection's Rhode Island holdings.

Let's start at The Weekapaug Inn in Westerly (weekapaughinn. com). The Inn welcomes you just as if you were walking into a very affluent friend's warm and beautifully decorated home. Inside the front foyer is the Hunter Lending Closet. A trove of classic Hunter boots awaits guests ready to wander the hills or, on a wet and windy day, saunter down the beach. It is the only U.S. hotel to pair with the famous British bootery.

The foyer walls are cloaked in hand-painted scenes of shorebirds. The murals were painted in 2012 by Sonja Vaccari, a local artist, and Kathy Metcalf, the wife of co-owner Lang Wheeler, apprenticed on the job.

"Our art is a little different here," said Dan Abrashoff, the general manager of the Weekapaug Inn. "You'll see Audubon prints throughout the Inn. Those are all the birds that call the pond home. So they either migrate through here or they live here."

Now in its 125th year, the original 1899 building was destroyed in the epic hurricane of 1938. However, they salvaged as much of the original structure and furniture as possible and used it the following year to rebuild the current Weekapaug Inn in its new location.

In 2007, the Inn partially closed only to be revived three years later when Weekapaug resident Lang Wheeler joined Watch Hill resident Chuck Royce to take over and make the hotel part of the Ocean House Collection and one of 580 Relais and Châteaux hotel properties.

The Inn has 24 rooms, three Fenway suites, two Carriage House suites, and four Signature suites. For those curious about the surroundings and its native inhabitants, a full-time naturalist

Today the Weekapaug is part of the Ocean House Collection and is one of Relais and Châteaux 580-hotel properties.

is on Weekapaug's staff. In the summer, barbecues are held on Thursday nights, and lobster boils on Sundays. Fresh-baked pizzas are served on the beach. The chef sources ingredients grown on the grounds and from nearby purveyors. The Inn is also renowned for its Sunday Family Dinners, a three-course family-style menu. The Inn has morning yoga, fine food, welcoming vignettes in the common spaces with jigsaw puzzles to board games, card games, reading nooks. It's what everyone dreams of as the perfect home away from home.

But as lovely as Weekapaug Inn is—and it really is—the jewel in the OHC crown is Ocean House in nearby Watch Hill.

Ocean House is the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in Rhode Island. It is set on 13 acres with a 650foot private beach. The hotel's Ocean & Harvest Spa and COAST restaurant are also Forbes Five-Star rated, making Ocean House one of only 14 Five-Star resorts in the world to have the designation. And, as a bonus for all the Swifties out there, you can see Taylor Swift's house just down the beach.

The yellow-and-white Victorian mansion on the Atlantic opened in 1868, just after the Civil War. But time took its toll, and in 2003, the Ocean House was declared beyond feasible repair and shuttered. More than 5,000 salvageable artifacts and furnishing elements were spared. Under the auspices of Wheeler and Royce, the original building was replicated, complete with all the resort's 247 windows in their original positions and opened in 2004. It holds 49 guestrooms, 20 signature suites, and a slew of cottages available to rent.

The hotel is beautifully designed and appropriately grand. But there's more to it than fine dining and high-end amenities. The spa is the ultimate sea of serenity.

My favorite find among the treasures stashed in the Ocean House is a vast collection of work created by Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the classic Madeline series. The assemblage is the largest private collection on permanent public display in the world. Curated by Hilary Hatfield, the collection is owned by Deborah and Charles Royce, the inn's proprietors.

Among the sketches from the original books and 21 of Bemelmans' drawings titled "Farewell to the Ritz" (Bemelmans' former employer), there hang two oversized paintings commissioned for the children's dining room on Aristotle Onassis' yacht, the Christina O. There are also frescos taken from a bar Bemelman owned in Paris.

"Ludwig Bemelmans was an iconic, prolific, and witty artist and writer who continues to appeal to people of all ages," said Deborah Royce when the gallery opened. "Many of his works portray all levels of society with humorous 'behind the scenes' glimpses of café and hotel life. Naturally, these playful pieces fit perfectly into our hotel setting."

Another lovely spot to stop and stay is Shepherd's Run (shepherds.run) in South Kingstown. The Norman Romanesque building was constructed in 1933 as yet another summer residence. The small hotel (26 rooms), located on 36 acres, has its own winery and spa, BODY + MIND. But then again, Rhode Island is overrun with wonderful spots to see.

There probably isn't a terrible time to visit, but according to Daniel Abrashoff of Weekapaug Inn, Rhode Island is "magical" in the fall. The summers are beautiful, but everywhere is packed with people who have fled New York, New Jersey, and places beyond.

Irrespective of when you go, leave yourself plenty of time to explore the entirety of the Ocean State. Enjoy every bite; visit every town.

Rhode Island may be tiny, but it's magnificently mighty. sl

The first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes FiveStar hotel in Rhode Island, Ocean House is perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill.

Bridget Williams

Mira Zwillinger

“Milli,” “Olly,” and “Jolli” (mirazwillinger.com)

Madam Burcu

Morilee “Phaedra” (morilee.com)

Katy Corso (katycorso.com/en)

(yolancris.com)

“Persephone” (inesdisanto.com)

DELMAR MAKER DISTRICT: A VISION TWO DECADES IN THE MAKING

A once sketchy area has turned into a creative mecca

By Kari Williams / Photography by Carmen Troesser

With a vision as ever-changing as glass being blown into a new creation, the Delmar Maker District is a two-decade old project that has caught fire in recent months.

“We’ve been hosting Third Friday events for 22 years,” says Doug Auer, co-owner of the district and Third Degree Glass Factory.

“I think I’m still kind of waiting for my staff to recognize how different those Friday nights are going to be.”

St. Louis restauranteur Ben Poremba has helped stoke the flames with his plans to open five establishments in the district in 2024. In March, he opened Esca, his Mediterranean bar and grill, and plans to bring Florentin, Olio, Elaia and Nixta, to the mix as well. It was the “charm and sense of a sprouting community” that he says caught his eye.

“I was opening the deli just a block over and for the better part of three years, driving on Delmar every day,” he says. “I saw some kind of budding community that’s sprouting and …. liked the fact that there’s a lot of potential for expansion, a lot of vacant buildings, good architecture, and a mix of residential.”

His additions to the district will compose “the bulk” of the hospitality options, with each concept bringing a different vibe.

Nixta offers fine-dining Mexican cuisine but Poremba says a section of the concept has a “very casual component.” Elia brings “very fine dining” to the district and a spot to celebrate special occasions. Olia has a “super fun” aesthetic with a menu and hours that span daytime and nighttime. Florentin offers a largely vegetarian menu geared toward breakfast and lunch.

Ben Poremba at Esca

“I want to be able to transport people and give them an immersive experience,” Poremba says.

Auer and Jim McKelvey, entrepreneur and co-founder of Third Degree Glass Factory and the Delmar Maker District, have remained steadfast in their belief that the stretch of Delmar Avenue between Union and Kingshighway boulevards would become a valuable area and a connection between “those two vibrant hubs.”

Since first opening Third Degree Glass Factory at 5200 Delmar Boulevard in 2002, the space has evolved from a publicaccess glass studio where people can take classes and watch others work into a multipurpose site that now doubles as an event venue.

Following a celebration with the Third Degree Glass Factory team in 2017, Auer and McKelvey began buying buildings in the area.

First came MADE Makerspace in the former TechShop location at Cortex, followed by the Magic House’s MADE for Kids satellite location (sharing a building with MADE Makerspace) and Craft Alliance.

Then the restaurants (prior to Poremba’s involvement) — Steve’s Hot Dogs and The Fountain On Delmar, owned by HUSTL Hospitality Group, became part of Makers Locale alongside Alpha Brewing.

When McKelvey and Auer explained their vision of the Delmar Maker District as a gathering place, Danni Eickenhorst,

CEO of HUSTL Hospitality Group, knew it was the right fit for her restaurants.

“These are people that really see an opportunity,” she says. “They’ve already taken action, and I really love partnering with people that see an opportunity to do something good then move it forward.”

As the district grows and attracts more attention, Poremba hopes to see more retail businesses alongside a mix of affordable and market rate housing.

“If we do this right, there is an opportunity to make it an inclusive community,” he says.

Steve’s Hotdogs, The Fountain at Delmar and Alpha Brewing were expected to open in late June.

Steve’s Hotdogs features an indoor tribute mural to the nowdefunct concert venue Mississippi Nights, created by Mike Lorn, an instructor at Lutheran South High School.

At the Fountain On Delmar, artist Rusty Conklin has depicted a “fully immersive art deco mural.”

Eickenhorst says The Makers Locale will be walkable, with a courtyard serving as a gathering place, reminiscent of the park at The Fountain’s current location. Items like ice cream martinis will also remain on the menu, but a suite of baked goods will be added.

There also will be a morning coffee program in coordination with Kaldi Coffee and a variety of programming at the outdoor space — which will have a partially heated patio.

The Esca bar and restaurant

Dining at Esca Esca

MAGIC HOUSE Distinct from its Victorian counterpart in Kirkwood, MADE for Kids (the Magic House’s satellite location on Delmar) has an aesthetic all of its own.

“The Magic House is designed to be a more whimsical kind of space,” Magic House President Beth Fitzgerald says. “MADE is a really cool space.”

Housed in a former car dealership but still featuring the Magic House’s recognizable colors, fonts and signage, MADE for Kids opened in 2019 with a focus on elementary- and middleschool aged children.

It zeroes in on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) education. From sewing machines to 3D printers, laser cutters, 3D animation and game design, there’s more opportunity to work in technology, Fitzgerald says.

“The staff there are all artists,” Fitzgerald says. “They’re all interested in creativity themselves and their own lives are creating and making … [it’s] almost like an inspirational space.”

With the “adult-MADE space” on the lower level, MADE for Kids in the same building was a “really nice continuum.”

MADE for Kids has partnerships with several youth organizations in the area, including Big Brothers, Big Sisters, St. Louis Arc and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

MADE for Kids serves 45,000 visitors annually, according to Fitzgerald.

Admission is $6 per person for adults and children 1 year old or older. It also has a $3 after 3 p.m. promotion for regional residents.

CRAFT ALLIANCE The Craft Alliance, 5080 Delmar Boulevard, is for makers – by makers – featuring separate studios for different styles of art.

“We’re here to offer our community the opportunity to develop and really express themselves creatively through craft,” says Marschnee Strong, Craft Alliance’s development and communications director.

The alliance allows artists to rent studio space, offers classes and summer camps and regularly hosts Free Family Saturdays, school programming and exhibitions.

When Craft Alliance leadership began looking to move from its West Loop location, shifting into the Delmar Maker District “just made perfect sense,” according to Strong.

“Our having more space and increasing our capacity in that way has been a very exciting change for the community,” Strong says.

A select number of artists also participate in Craft Alliance’s Artists in Residence program. As part of the residency, they teach, take classes themselves, make art and are featured in Craft Alliance exhibitions.

The program, according to Strong, is just as beneficial for artists looking to get established in the community as it is for those who have been making art for years.

An artist creating at Craft Alliance

At work at the Magic House’s site on Delmar

Stringing beads at the Magic House in MADE

“This is a wonderful place that can be your home, your venue,” Strong says. “It really provides just opportunities for artists at different points in their [careers].”

During Third Fridays, the Craft Alliance shop is open after hours and patrons can purchase art and participate in demos and workshops, Strong says.

“You, as just the general public visiting the area, get to come in and actually create, and I think that that is just a huge draw for people to know that they get to be a part of the making of the art,” Strong says.

MADE MAKERSPACE MADE Makerspace is a place where members become friends with each other and the staff,” according to Rachel King, MADE’s membership director.

“We have that community aspect to it, which people need,” King says. “People need a community to feel like they belong somewhere, and MADE offers that too.”

A creative space for people 14 years old and older, MADE Makerspace offers training on “hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment.” A lot of MADE members run their businesses out of the makerspace, while others are retired or hobbyists, King says.

“It’s a great resource for the community, and the tools that we have that people will come hours away to use,” she says. “The

closest makerspace that I know of in comparison to what we have is in Austin, Texas.”

Members can attend a dozen free classes each month –ranging from screen printing and woodshop to metal working and powder coating.

“I think the biggest thing is that there are tools and resources that you can’t find anywhere else,” King says.

For the first time, MADE Makerspace is offering a discounted summer family pass. For $300, an adult can bring two minors into the facility over the course of three months.

“We have noticed as a staff that there are a lot of options for younger kids in the summer and there’s not a lot for teens,” King says.

The goal, according to King, is to get them “off their phones and iPads” at a low cost, maybe even sparking an interest in the arts for a career or a side hustle.

The whole Delmar Maker District, according to King, has a community feel to it because of the connections with other businesses in the district. “It’s a rare gem in the city,” King says.

BEYOND SWEET Those looking for a reservation-only experience can venture to Beyond Sweet Kitchen, 543 Delmar Boulevard.

Owned and operated by Dallas Holland, Beyond Sweet is a 4,800-square-foot, two-story establishment that features sweet treats, a full menu and bar and brunch on Sundays. sl

Beyond Sweet MADE

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

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FIGHTING FOR A WORLD WITHOUT CANCER

In 23 years, Siteman Cancer Center has skyrocketed into the highest echelon of cancer care centers.

By Christy Marshall

Few life events are more heartbreaking than to find out that you have — or someone you hold near and dear has — been diagnosed with cancer.

Local businessman Al Siteman knows all about that. In the 1980s, one of his closest friends was dying of brain cancer. It troubled Siteman that his friend had to trek time and time again to MD Anderson in Houston for treatment. Already on the board of Jewish Hospital and Washington University, Siteman wanted to elevate local cancer care so in November, 1999, he and his wife, Ruth, wrote a check for $35 million to fund a cancer center; six months later all the monies needed were raised. Two years later, the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center debuted in the Center for Advanced Medicine building and in 2004, the center was awarded the Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute, placing it among the top cancer centers in the U.S. Then in 2006, it joined the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) a group of 32 of the world’s eminent cancer centers charged with setting the standards and guidelines for cancer care.

After Dr. Timothy Eberlein assumed his current post as director of Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine, he declared Siteman would have expertise in every kind of cancer — and work on eradicating the fear of treatment.

“To me, there’s really two things that are really different here from any other cancer center,” Dr. Eberlein says. “One, we made a commitment years ago when we started developing Siteman Cancer Center that we would have experts who specialized in every kind of cancer. That way we provide very unique treatments that you can only get because you have experts in surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, et cetera.”

For anyone who has been diagnosed or spent time with someone who has, the trip for treatment can be terrifying. Dr. Eberlein recognizes that.

“The second thing is we wanted every patient to have a very unique, supportive, nurturing, caring experience that provides

maximum hope for their outcome,” he says, adding that a staff member now individually walks the patient to their appointments. “We wanted every patient to feel as though they were the only patients that cancer center cared for that year, even though we care for 75,000 unique patients.” Dr. Eberlein estimates Siteman will see 12,500 new cancer patients in 2024.

“Every single employee at Siteman Cancer Center feels that they have an integral, important role in the care of the patient, no different than the doctor who may be this world-famous medical oncologist,” he says. “But the nurses, the nutritionist, the therapist, the data managers who keep track of our clinical trials, every one of those individuals have that same passion. It’s been something that we emphasized from day one. And I have to say, it’s pretty unique.”

The fight to cure ventures beyond the walls of Siteman.

“Twenty-five years ago, we created a program, unique among NCI centers, called the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PTCd),” Dr. Eberlein says. “It uses education, outreach, partnerships with organizations such as churches in North County, in St. Louis City, the Urban League, and the Breakfast Club which is a group of African-American women professionals who had breast cancer and who are committed to improving the care of breast cancer patients in their community. Similarly, there’s a group of African American men called the Empowerment Network, and they have been very active in having black men screened and are great support for black men who have prostate cancer.”

The outreach effort has paid off with double-digit drops in the percentage of the number of women arriving with stage IV breast cancer and the number of people who die of both breast and colorectal cancer.

This summer, Siteman Cancer Center has moved to a newly constructed — and visually stunning — building on Forest Park Expressway and Taylor where all the cancer patients will go. The parking is exclusively for Siteman; the drop-off point for patients is less than 100 feet from the elevators.

“It was totally designed with the patient at the epicenter,” Dr. Eberlein says. “So, there’s a lot of glass, there’s a lot of open space. The infusion space is larger; there’s room for family members and state of the art technology, internet, et cetera, et cetera. There are fireplaces for the patients and their families. There are healing gardens for them to look out the windows and see plants and trees. It was designed so that we, the experts, would come to the patient, rather than have the patient truck all over the medical center. The radiology support for the cancer patients will be in that building. Most of the patients will probably go to one floor and never leave.”

The one area where Siteman leaves many of its competitors behind is in the world of cancer research — and that research is, in large part, funded by the annual bike-a-thon, Pedal the Cause. (See story, p. 82).

“The goal is to provide tomorrow’s treatments today,” Dr. Eberlein says. “We’ve been very successful. But because we are experts in all these different kinds of cancer, we don’t just make

those contributions in blood cancers, but we do it in breast cancer, brain cancer, head and neck cancer, and pancreas cancer, et cetera, because we are blessed with all these experts.”

The advances in research credited to Siteman’s scientists are astounding. First there is the genome sequence on various tumors. In 2009, the cancer center mapped the first human cancer patient’s tumor genomics. Eberlein says it took about two years and cost a little more than $1 million. With FDA approval, Siteman can now sequence that genome in less than 48 hours for less than $1,000.

“That technology was largely developed here at Siteman Cancer Center,” Dr. Eberlein says. “And it’s been so successful that now we’re expanding into other tumor types, like lymphoma and lung cancer. It’s an example of Siteman Cancer Center building on the existing strength of Washington University, the [McDonnell] Genome Institute, but develops very innovative approaches.”

A second innovation: the development of the personalized vaccine.

“So how does that happen?” Dr. Eberlein asks. “Well, we sequence an individual cancer patient’s tumor and we look at the antigens in that cancer. Each cancer patient, as you would imagine, is unique, like each individual is unique. We predict which of those antigens will be most powerful in developing an immune response against that particular cancer. And we’ve been quite successful in breast cancer, pancreas cancer. We’re now expanding into brain cancer and prostate cancer.”

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia used to be a death sentence. It isn’t anymore. Today, approximately 90 percent of patients afflicted with the disease survive.

“However, in the 10 percent that have recurrent leukemia, they tend not to respond very well to chemotherapy,” Dr. Eberlein says. “We had one of our adult researchers who was working with an immune cell called a natural killer cell, an NK cell, and was developing a program showing success of treating adult lymphomas with NK cells.”

One of the pediatric researchers who care for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia wondered if the treatment would work on their patients. Eventually they tried it and 15 of the 17 kids tested, survived. “It was a paradigm shift in how to care for a particular tumor and it made Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital a magnet for recurrent leukemia patients from all over the country,” Dr. Eberlein says.

The list of Siteman’s (and Washington University School of Medicine’s) successes is lengthy. The credit for the bulk of the funding can be traced back to Pedal the Cause. In early May, it was announced the organization had donated more than $1.5 million to fund four new pediatric cancer research projects: advancing immunotherapies (CAR-T cells and NK cell therapies), developing therapies to target genetic mutations involved in pediatric cancers and creating a new Chat-GPT language model. As David Drier, executive director of Pedal the Cause says, “We know as an organization that breakthrough cancer research is the best line of defense and the best recipe for a world without cancer.” sl

THE PERFECT SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP

Over the past 15 years, Pedal the Cause has raised nearly $46 million for research at Siteman Cancer Center and for Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

By Christy Marshall

Local businessman Bill Koman was diagnosed with lymphoma. Twice. Once his treatments were complete, he decided it was time to give back to Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University in order to accelerate cancer research. Inspired by the Pan-Mass Challenge, a biking event that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Koman started Pedal the Cause in 2010. Dubbed the “100 percent model,” every single dollar raised goes directly to research.

“You can understand early detection, you can understand there is world class care if you are diagnosed, that there are ways to overcome cancer or avoid it in the first place,” says David Drier, executive director of Pedal the Cause. “But without the research, there’s just not as much hope in this equation. The research gives us great hope that one day we will see ourselves in a world without cancer.”

Something fairly phenomenal happens when money is raised for scientific research. Once an hypothesis has been proven — and granted, that can take years, the researcher can start getting outside funding, mostly federal. Before you know it, one dollar turns into $13. So that $46 million raised by Pedal the Cause has morphed into $598 million.

“We have a program called the Siteman Investment Program,” says Dr. Timothy Eberlein, director of the Siteman Cancer Center. “We invest in these new ideas. In many ways, it’s like a venture capital firm … Over the years, we have perfected that to the point that now we expect the people we invest in will then turn around and write grants to the National Cancer Institute and the NIH [National Institute of Health]. And in fact, they’re very successful. And that’s the reason that we’ve had this phenomenal increase in NCI funding, over 600 percent increase, and we have a 13 to one return on investment.”

The ultimate hope is a world where, as Drier says: “Cancer will be relegated to a chronic illness that can be controlled so that you can live a reasonably good life —a lot like a diagnosis of diabetes is today. It’s not a death sentence. It’s not, the beginning of the end.”

Drier knows all too well this world where cancer kills. His own daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and ultimately passed away. “She was the first to do multiple things on the cancer front because of the research we sought out and the treatments we were willing to engage with,” he says. “And she had 12 years, most of which were good, many of which were great. Without the research going on, not just at Siteman, but throughout what I call the cancer ecosystem, we wouldn’t have had this kind of hope. Pedal’s unique place in this ecosystem is seed capital. Think of us as the venture capitalists for feeding dollars into research at Siteman and Siteman Kids.”

When Pedal the Cause started, Drier says it gave grants of $25,000; today they’re $500,000. “That’s what it takes,” he says. To date, the organization has funded 223 research projects.

The organization also kicked in $1 million dollar into incentive packages for each of three new researchers recruited by Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes Jewish Hospital. The hospital added additional funds.

“This is big money, big time, big outcomes, big impact, big footprint and a big ride day,” Drier says. “At the same time, Siteman Cancer Center has been rising up the ranks in national stature and it is now one of the top 10 comprehensive cancer centers in the country.”

Last year’s event raised $5 million. On September 22, 2024, Drier hopes to top that record. Celebrating its 15th anniversary

Bob Cannon and Rich Liekweg 2022

this year, Pedal the Cause now stands in the top 10 national ranking for peer-to-peer cycling events. As Drier notes, “This ain’t just a little local ride.” He expects 4,000 riders this year. They start in groups of 500; the length of the ride breaks down into 10, 20, 30, 60 or 100 miles. For those who prefer a stationary bike, spinning is available.

For the first year, the event will be held at the Family Arena in St. Charles on the banks of the Missouri River and adjacent to the Katy Trail.

“Our 15th year has the potential to be the best Pedal the Cause ever,” says Bill Timmons, chairman of the PTC board. “We’re proud of what the Pedal Community has achieved to date and look forward to making an even larger and more meaningful impact toward a world without cancer.”

At the starting line, Drier walks around and asks riders “Who are you riding for?” he says. “Everybody’s there with someone in mind. It’s either for themselves — they’re in the fight or they’re in remission or they’re a survivor — or they have somebody in their family or close friend network that’s in the fight or lost the fight to cancer, or maybe they’re a caregiver or a healthcare provider.”

In 2009, Teri Griege, a triathlete, was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer. Four years later, it metastasized to her lungs. In 2014, she and her husband, Dave, founded Powered by Hope to offer support to cancer patients. Today Griege has been declared cancer free. A Pedal the Cause rider and board member since its inception, Griege has raised a whopping $697,980 and her Powered by Hope team has cumulatively raised $2.9 million to date (Griege fully expects to surpass $3 million this year).

“Cancer changed my life, Pedal changed my passion,” Griege says. “Bill Koman gave me purpose to my pain and the chance to create a community, to spread hope and to make a difference.”

Aside from climbing onto the back of a bike at the event, Drier explained that anyone can partake by doing anything they want from baking a cake to fishing, playing golf, taking a walk, reading a book, whatever, as long as it is done in partnership with Pedals. “That’s called our ‘Inspired’ category, which we came up when the pandemic hit and we couldn’t gather as a group,” Drier says. “We said, ‘Well, let’s still get people to sign up, raise money, get behind this cause. But their new start and finish line is their own driveway.’”

The costs of running both the operation and the event are covered by corporate sponsorships, family foundations and individual donors. Edward Jones will be the presenting sponsor again this year.

“Penny Pennington [managing partner of Edward Jones], has a great line where she says ‘This is an audacious undertaking and I couldn’t be more proud to be part of it.’ It’s brazen but we believe we’re going to have a world without cancer.’ We’re not messing around here,” says Drier.

Other annual fundraising events include A World Without Cancer Day, this year on August 2, where more than 150 local restaurants and shops donate a percentage of their proceeds to Pedal the Cause.

“The heart of the Pedal undertaking is all about hope,” Drier adds. “It’s the hope it instills in and across the community that a world without cancer, as audacious as it is, is achievable through this collective effort. And that hope’s a big part of our success.” sl

David Drier and Dr. Ryan FieldsTeri Griege and Harper

POP STARS!

The museum hotel, 21c, has a new exhibition exploring the influence of popular culture on the world of art today.

By Grayling Holmes / Photos courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels

Move over Andy Warhol. Pop Art has a completely new look — and plenty of star practitioners.

This summer, the museum hotel 21c St. Louis will feature a new exhibit titled: Pop Stars!: Popular Culture and Contemporary Art. It will be shown in the museum hotel’s vast 14,000 square foot second-floor gallery.

Opening July 10, the exhibit showcases 95 artworks from 50 different artists who work in the mediums of painting, photography, sculpture, and moving digital images.

The theme reflects what’s going on here and now. Politicians. Performers. Celebrities. Sports figures. Everything people revere today will be embodied in the show.

“Pop culture flashes before our faces every millisecond, every waking hour of the day,” says Alice Stites, Museum Director and Chief Curator of 21c Museum Hotels. “When we look at our phones. Pop! When we turn on the TV! Pop! When we go to the movies! Pop! When we go to a ballgame. Pop! Every time we open our eyes, we are pummeled with images and sounds that fill our

psyche. Pop Stars! will crystallize our obsession with the fast-paced reality we have come to embrace in the 21st century.

“Social media has only served to exacerbate our culture of celebrity,” she continues. “With every TikTok, every YouTube, every 30-second sound bite, to some degree every person is seeking affirmation and on-screen fame. People strive to make a $1 million from a TikTok or viral video. Everything is absorbed through the media. Our own sense of self and identities have been impacted by that desire to be famous for three seconds. 21c is bringing to St. Louis an exhibition that lays bare the pop star in all of us.”

The pop art movement, on which the exhibit is based, is a bridge between common and high art. It came into being to bring the everyday, the ordinary, to the world of fine art. Pop Stars! spans what began in the 20th century and casts the net into the waters of the 21st.

“Pop culture is our culture,” Stites says. “Although this exhibit has been shown six times at other locations, the exhibition has changed and grown with each revolution, and is now much bigger. The show will bring the new and the now.”

Frances Goodman, Dark Thoughts, 2017, Hand-stitched sequins on canvas.

Blockchain technology has emerged as a driving force and instrument utilized by digital artists to reshape the way their art is showcased and monetized. Once only the “currency” of the crypto world, blockchain now ensures that artists can “tokenize” their digital creations on the blockchain. The new trend will be part of the Pop Stars! exhibit.

“These tokens are called NFTs,“ Alice explains. “NFT stands for non-fungible tokens, and it allows artists to embed royalty mechanisms into the code of their digital works and create smart contracts to essentially copyright their works of art.”

One such artist in the exhibit is the internationally recognized artist Brendan Fernandes. “What you will see will be a video screen and it will look just like a video, but the original form of the work was made digitally using blockchain technology as an NFT,” Stites says.

Based in Chicago, Brendan ‘s work addresses issues of race, queer culture, migration, protest and other forms of collective movement. His works have been shown at the Guggenheim, the MFA Chicago, the Barnes Foundation and more. In September, the Pulitzer will be presenting a new work by Brendan. “We have another work by him in the show that’s actually a neon wall sculpture that’s based on a West African mask,” Alice says.

Celebrated Atlanta artist Fahamu Pecou will speak at the opening reception on July 23rd. “He’s shown all around the world,” Stites says. Pop Stars! features “Broken Open” by Fahamu. The 21c musuem curator says that it’s not really a self-portrait, the painting looks like a rock star singing on stage and covered in gold leaf. He uses the painting to denote both the triumph and trauma he has been through as a black man.

Derrick Adams, Floater No. 11, 2016, Acrylic and fabric on paper.

Brendan Fernandes, 1979.541.7, 2013 Neon on Plexiglas backing, with pink cord

Robert Wilson, Lady Gaga: Mademoiselle Caroline Riviere, 2013, HD video

The main gallery of 21c was once the basketball court of the historic downtown YMCA. “Hold up!” Alice says. “You just reminded me of something. I am very excited that there is actually a whole section of the show that is about sports and the pop culture associated with it.”

One of the star attractions of Pop Stars! will be a video of the artist

Mark Bradford shooting hoops while wearing a repurposed Laker’s uniform that he’s turned into an antebellum women’s dress with a hoop skirt. He’s playing basketball on a very windy day in Santa Ana.

Over and over again and against all odds, he tries to shoot the basketball into the hoop. Wearing the hoop skirt, he keeps falling. He finally makes the basket. Alice explains that Bradford made the video after Obama was elected in 2008, and that it is a metaphor for achieving something monumental even though the odds are stacked against you.

Like the O, the 2-ton ball of glass filled with distilled water that stands in the foyer of the 21c hotel, the Pop Stars! exhibition is designed to leave visitors agape in wonder. While the O, by artist Serkan Ökaya, is one of several permanent art installations at 21c St. Louis, Pop Stars! is a traveling exhibition that will continue to evolve and grow with time.

“Like Chicago’s famed Bean, and dare I say, someday comparable St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, I hope that the O and other permanent installations will put 21c — the 21st-century contemporary art museum hotel — on the proverbial map,” Stites says.

Just as the 21st century daily unveils fresh paths, 21c continually forges new concepts. It is the first contemporary art museum to be paired with an upscale boutique hotel. It is the first to own its art collection and the first to be free and open to the public 365/24/7. sl

Above, Fahamu Pecou, Broken Open, 2016, Acrylic, enamel, spray paint and gold leaf on canvas.

Kehinde Wiley, Akilah Walker, 2015, Bronze.

Left, Hassan Hajjaj, Wamuhu, 2015, Metallic Lambda print on dibond, handmade frame, cans of Mountain Dew.

Our Fleet Has Expanded To Better Serve You

SpiritJets is excited to announce the continued additions of the Challenger 600 series to our Charter Shares Program. This large-cabin aircraft has greater range, along with more comfortable seating and baggage capacity than our mid-size Hawker fleet. Our Client Services staff is prepared to quote and arrange your private jet travel needs on our fleet of mid-size and large cabin jets. Thank you for your continued loyalty to SpiritJets.

With over 40 years of experience, SpiritJets is locally owned and operated, with numerous options to accommodate your private jet travel needs.

Matt Ranum Client Services Manager

SOPHISTICATED CELEBRATIONS

July

4 Veiled Prophet’s 141st America’s Birthday Parade, vpstl.org

12 2024 SIU Day at Busch Stadium, siu.edu

13 8th Annual Michael Tocco Golf Classic, miketoccofoundation.org

13 F.I.R.E. Retirees 2nd Annual Black and White Fundraising Gala, athletes2fr.com

19-25 “Fiddler on the Roof”,The Muny, muny.org

20 6th Annual Heroes for Autism 5K and Mile, letsdothis.com

26-August 25 Disney’s “Newsies The Broadway Musical” STAGES St. Louis, stagesstlouis.org

August

9-15 “In the Heights”, The Muny, muny.org

10 National Building Arts Center Tour, nationalbuildingarts.org

14-16 Ronald McDonald House 24th Annual Kids & Clays Tournament and Auction, rmhcstl.com

19-25 “Anything Goes”, The Muny, muny.org

27 Without Walls Digital Media Conference, Rung for Women, rung.org

28 “Hamilton”, Fabulous Fox, fabulousfox.com

For more Celebrations and party pics, go to sophisticatedstlouis.com

WINGS OF HOPE GALA HITS NEW HEIGHTS

Wings of Hope’s Soaring to New Heights Gala lived up to its name when more than 300 guests gathered at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac to celebrate the organization’s work using aviation to change and save lives. Emcee and Chief Pilot Dick Horowitz kept the crowd roaring with his high-flying aviation humor. Successful silent and live auctions, and generous event sponsors, generated mission-critical funds. Families who have benefited from the nonprofit’s free flights to medical care were in attendance, including Cortney McKenna who shared how Wings of Hope flights to the Mayo Clinic helped her achieve remission from brain cancer, start a family as mom to twoyear-old Mac, and build a thriving real-estate career. “Life is good!” she told the audience.

1) Auctioneer Matt Godbehere 2) Cortney McKenna shares her Wings of Hope story. 3) Wings of Hope’s Holly Berthold, Lena Pak, Beverly Wrobel and Brittni Snidle

4) Wings of Hope Board Member Christian Rusteberg (far left) and guests 5) Ericka and Damian Mahoney 6) Jean and Rob Wunderlich

7) Phil and Dianne Koch 8) Emcee and Wings of Hope Chief Pilot Dick Horowitz 9) Sandra Denson

THREADS AT THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY

On Saturday, April 13, the Missouri Historical Society hosted its biennial fundraiser, THREADS. This year’s theme was “Make It Bold. Make It Patterned. Make It Work.” More than 300 attendees walked the red carpet in front of the Missouri History Museum and enjoyed a runway show featuring 21st-century pieces inspired by historic textiles in the MHS Collections. The captivating evening of fashion brought together local designers and fashionistas while raising funds to continue the important work of preserving the history of the St. Louis region. THREADS was sponsored by Caleres and the Saint

1) Brandin Vaughn (designer co-chair), Ted Wight (event co-chair), Amy Hunter (event co-chair), Claire Thomas-Morgan (designer co-chair), and Tim Eichholz (sponsorship chair)

2) Craig Greene 3) Craig Kaminer, Debbie Kaminer, Pat Whitaker, Dick Miles 4) Carmen Mercer, Rochelle Caruthers, Darlene Sugarman 5) Michael Shead, Anu Reed 6) Jay Perez, Charles Houska, Brooke Meeke with Izzy Polanco taking the shot. 7) Amy Drummond, Bill Carson 8) Julie Dubray, Drew Dubray 9) Jody Sowell 10) Lydia Pyre-Huston, Tamaki Stratman, Jason Stratman

Louis Fashion Fund.

Photos by JJ Lane of Be Lovely Photography.

CAM’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

The Contemporary Art Museum’s 20th Anniversary Gala + Soirée celebrated the museum’s past and present. By the end of the evening, the event raised more than $600,000, which ensures free access to art for St. Louisans. Gala Chair and CAM Board Member Emily Rauh Pulitzer—who was part of the architect selection committee during its development—gave a heartfelt speech honoring architect Brad Cloepfil. Then CAM Executive Director Lisa Melandri surprised him with a proclamation from the City of St. Louis recognizing April 19, 2024 as Brad Cloepfil Day, commemorating the Museum’s groundbreaking which took place on April 19, 2001.

1) Gala Chair Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Honoree Brad Cloepfil, Gala Chair Betsy Wright Millard 2) Julie Shearburn, David Cramer, Gala Chair Jan Greenberg 3) Gala Chair Alison Ferring, Sue McCollum, 4) William Shearburn, Toni Kaufer 5) Ken Kranzberg, Nancy Kranzberg 6) Keiko DeClerck, John Warrington. 7) Carol Schuchard, Pat Schuchard 8) Laura Sawyier, CAM Executive Director Lisa Melandri, Joanna Wolff 9) Min Jung Kim, Michael Dierberg 10) Luke Mafazy, Sarah Doriani 11) Tyler and Monica Meyr

Photos by Sarah Carmody

3,700+ Sq. Ft. Home Where Costal Charm

9564 Litzsinger Road

LADUE, MISSOURI 63124

$975,000 | 3 BEDROOMS | 3.5 BATHS | 3,783 SQ. FT

This home sits on a .74 acre lot that is completely private. Enter to a soaring vaulted wood ceiling with skylights and a wall of windows, filling the space with natural light. The living room, featuring a cozy wood-burning fireplace, opens to a brick terrace. Charming breakfast/card table nook. The dining room, featuring a wet bar and vaulted ceiling, also opens onto the brick terrace, creating an effortless flow for entertaining. Office off of the living room. The main floor primary suite boasts 2 walk-in closets and a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The primary bath includes a shower, soaking tub & dual vanities. Sunroom with marble floors and a built-in hot tub just off the primary bath. The kitchen is a has ample cabinetry, pantry and an adjoining family room with a fireplace. Upstairs find 2+ additional bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms. 2-car garage. Main floor laundry.

Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty 8301 Maryland Avenue, Suite 100, Clayton, MO 63105 314.725.0009 | dielmannsir.com | dielmannsir

THE 2024 SAINT LOUIS VISIONARY AWARDS

The Saint Louis Visionary Awards celebrates the outstanding contributions, achievements, and excellence of women who work in or support the arts in St. Louis. In April, the organization was proud to recognize the 2024 Visionary honorees: Heather Beal-Himes, (Outstanding Working Artist), Elizabeth Mannen Berges (Major Contributor to the Arts), Shawna Flanigan (Outstanding Teaching Artist), Meridith McKinley (Outstanding Arts Professional), Luisa Otero-Prada (Community Impact Artist), and Alexa Seda (Emerging Artist).

1) Zoe Russo, Sara Burke, Marilyn Sheperd, Melissa Wolfe, Renée Brummell Franklin, Kim Eberlein (Photo Credit: Lois Ingrum) 2) 2024 Saint Louis Visionary Award Honorees: Luisa Otero-Prada, Heather Beal-Himes, Shawna Flanigan, Alexa Seda, Meridith McKinley, Elizabeth Mannen Berges (Photo Credit: Lois Ingrum) 3) Kelly Pollock, Ellicia Lanier

(Photo Credit: Diane Anderson) 4) Jessica Hentoff, Alison Ferring (Photo Credit: Diane Anderson) 5) Naretha Hopson, Rick Ruderer, Deborah Patterson (Photo Credit: Lois Ingrum) 6) Ann Haubrich, Andrew Jorgensen, Erin Warner Prange (Photo Credit: Diane Anderson) 7) Mee Jey, Roseann Weiss (Photo Credit: Diane Anderson) 8) Jina McAtee, Young Hie Nahm Kromm (Photo Credit: Lois Ingrum) 9) Min Jung Kim, Pacia Elaine Anderson, Margaret McDonald (Photo Credit: Lois Ingrum)

SINCE 2015, WE HAVE HELPED RAISE MORE THAN $3-MILLION AND GARNERED MUCH NEEDED AWARENESS FOR ST. LOUIS NONPROFITS.

ON-LINE DONATIONS | MATCHES WITH CORPORATE DONORS REPORTS ON GIVING TRENDS IN ST. LOUIS | ADVICE FROM DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS

There are more than 19,000 nonprofits in St. Louis. Sophisticated Giving helps them stand out.

IN THESE DIVISIVE AND UNPREDICTABLE TIMES, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT WE SUPPORT ST. LOUIS’ NONPROFITS TO ENSURE THEY BOTH SURVIVE AND THRIVE. BY STATING THE ORGANIZATION’S HISTORY, PURPOSE, GOALS, AND NEEDS, ORGANIZATIONS — FROM THE ARTS TO EDUCATION, PUBLIC WELFARE AND FAR BEYOND, YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE GROUPS WHO ARE HELPING OUR CITY HELP OTHERS. THE STORIES THEY TELL EDUCATE US ON WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHAT IS STILL NEEDED.

HELP US WRITE ANOTHER STORY

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE NON-PROFITS SO WE CAN FEATURE THEM IN THE 2024 SOPHISTICATED GIVING CHARITY REGISTER. AND PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING SO WE CAN PROFILE AS MANY NONPROFITS AS POSSIBLE AT NO COST TO THE NONPROFITS.

THANK YOU

COCACABANA: KALEIDOSCOPE

COCAcabana: Kaleidoscope brought together more than 600 business and community leaders to celebrate community, culture, and the arts on Friday, April 26, at COCA. COCAcabana raised more than $1 million to sustain COCA’s critical work throughout the St. Louis community, which provides arts programming in schools without access to arts education and offers scholarships for students to participate in COCA programs. The event featured cocktails and dinner, silent and live auctions, artistic performances by COCA students, and a late night party. Kwame Building Group, Inc. was the Presenting Sponsor.

1) Laurie Lock, Sean Lock, Aisling Leonard, Dr. David Leonard, Bahja Johnson, Indigo Sams, Daffney Moore, Melissa Merlin, Rob Merlin, Karen Grudzien, Mark Grudzien 2) COCA student performers

3) Lisa Warticovschi, Rachel Sokolich, Melissa Merlin, Matt Marglous, Ray Marglous, Sawyer Merlin, Rob Merlin, Mattison Murphy 4) Russell Hornsby, Virginia Howell, Kristina Tavira (Cybr.Grl), Sherry Hornsby 5) Indigo Sams, Robbie Montgomery 6) Meghan Fox, Abby Hailand, Chris Wideman, Virginia Howell, Arthur Hailand, Caroline Wideman, Jonathan Katz 7) Ford Howell, Julia Corte Real, Virginia Howell, Margot Leggat, Jack Howell 8) Peter Tuteur, Susan Tuteur 9) Evette Nichols, Lydia Huston, Katina Shannon-Crawford, Michael Thompson, DeAna Carter, Indigo Sams, Phenicia Brown, Sonja Lemmie, Tiffanie Toles, Diamond Spence 10) Ted Wight, Rachel Sokolich 11) Anna Tegethoff, Megan Smith, Ajla Tang

ROCKY BAROQUE BY KOSTA BODA

HOME SWEET HOME FURNISHING HOPE GALA

On April 27th, more than 250 St. Louis locals came together at Busch Stadium for Home Sweet Home’s Furnishing Hope Gala. The event garnered funds to help furnish the homes of disadvantaged families, offering them not just furniture but a foundation to rebuild their lives. The gala began with a cocktail hour, offering guests a unique chance to spend time on the field, followed by a seated dinner, silent auction, and speeches that underscored the profound difference a bed, couch, and dining room table create for a family. The paddle raise was a highlight, allowing the community to directly support Home Sweet Home’s mission, which led to the remarkable achievement of raising more than $150,000. These funds will provide stability to domestic violence survivors, veterans, refugees, individuals who struggled with homelessness, and others facing significant challenges. The event, emceed by Kelly Jackson from “5 On Your Side”. was an evening of hope, demonstrating the power of community support in changing lives.

1) Karen Korn, Kent Higginbotham, Victoria Higginbotham, Amy Inman 2) John Judson, Cathleen Jones, Tom Schopp, Gulnara Abdullayeva, Naim Gasanov, Tyler Roath

3) Kayla Curran, Paige Albertson, Michael Chen, 8. Jeanie Wescott, Cindy Morrison, Alina Syed, Dr. Reza Haider, and Emily Weber 4) Paddle Raise

5) Cathleen Jones, Dan Stoner 6) Trevor Lewis, Katy Trimble 7) Mike Johnson, Kelly Johnson, Kelly Gast, Gus Gast 8) Grapevine Wines’ Mike and Diana Gray with Home Sweet Home founder Betsy Reznicek (center) 9) Kelly Jackson 10) Ally Melvin, Betsy Reznicek

AVALON PLACE Fantastic business/lifestyle opportunity! Ripe with potential for a new caretaker. The charm and grandeur of this property offer a canvas for conferences, retreats, weddings/receptions or other hospitality events. As you enter the hall through the large custom wood doors and walk thru the main floor, notice the exceptional woodwork and stained glass. The large stone fireplace at one end fills the hall with warmth. A second level mezzanine offers a second bar and additional seating. Six sets of east facing french doors lead to multiple levels of outdoor entertainment spaces overlooking the MS. River Valley. Set on 14+ acres of walking gardens, quaint paths and water features. An outdoor pizza kitchen is in addition the commercial kitchen attached to the hall. In addition to the hall, the property includes a 4 bed house with spectacular views of the valley and an “overlook” With an alter/stage for outdoor weddings or music. The possibilities are endless! Your vision can become reality!

LISTING PRICE

$2,100,000

RACKHEATH HOUSE This is Rackheath! This wonderful home sits on the bluffs of the Mississippi River on 4+ acres with incredible views of the river valley. The home was built in 1860 and has been updated and re-sized to accommodate todays lifestyle. The first floor has an amply sized living/dining combination, a green house w/hot tub and kitchen with center island. Additionally the first floor has a bedroom with it’s own full luxury bath and a common sitting area. The second level has 2 more bedrooms each with it’s own bath and a common area/sitting/tv room with incredible views on 3 sides. The large outdoor patio area has views of the grounds and are of an English garden, landscaped and manicured shrubs, pathways and statuary. Can you find the secret garden with the oversized chess set? This is a must-see property! LISTING PRICE $775,000

a prominent riverboat captain, Cedarcrest began its life as a plantation home and quickly became the archetype for a number of houses built in the Mississippi River Valley. This is a fantastic opportunity as a family home, corporate retreat location, or just your home away from home. The home is complete with 7 bedrooms, each with it’s own full bath. The home has a commercial kitchen and an owners suite with it’s own kitchen in the lower level. The private grounds feature Victorian gardens, a pool and pool house with changing rooms, a bathroom, and a fireplace. The property has an abundance of entertaining areas including upper and lower level patio areas. The home has most recently been used as a bed and breakfast and is still configured as one or it’s easily used as a residence. This is a must-see property.

LISTING PRICE $1,200,000

CEDAR CREST MANOR The amazing Cedarcrest Manor sits on 2.5 acres on the bluffs of Clarksville and overlooks the Mississippi River. Built in 1842 by Captain Benjamin Clifford,

HAVEN OF GRACE’S MOMENTOUS LUNCHEON

The Haven of Grace’s “A MOMentous Luncheon” on May 8 at the Missouri Athletic Club downtown was a sold-out success. The organization works to break a generational cycle of poverty through a mission of serving women who are pregnant and unhoused by providing a safe nurturing home, educational programs and long-term support to both the mother and her child. Auctioneer Mark Howald conducted the “Fund-the-Mission” and raised more than $210,000 for the Haven of Grace’s Transitional Living Quad Apartments on the organization’s campus. Robert and Lesa Steward served as the event’s Honorary Co-chairs. The Haven of Grace Executive Director Patricia Bosman presented an inaugural “Outstanding Philanthropists” award to Stacy and Robert Cockerham.

1) Linda Haley, Sarah Melinger, Dr. Eliza Sanders, Beth Jantz, Becky Moss, Todd Roth 2) Father David Hodges of St. Peters Episcopal Church, Founder Sally Lemkemeier, Haven of Grace Executive Director Patricia Bosman, Lisa Hodges, Dr. Marissa Hardwrict 3) Bonnie Gipson, Dr.ElinorHancock, B.Marcell Williams, Gwen Key 4) Board member Vince Mannino, Patti Mannino 5) KMOV anchor Samantha Jones with auctioneer Mark Howald 6) Robert and Lesa Steward with their sons, Jordan and Morgan and their daughter-in-law, Silvia 7) Molly Imming, Jason Posley 8) Lee Haynes, D’Anne Shelton 9) June Brown, Joyce Price 10) Robert Cockerham and Stacy Cockerham, recipients of the Outstanding Philanthropists award

REGISTER, ENTER AND PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TO ST. LOUIS' NEWEST AWARDS PROGRAM!

SOPHISTICATED AWARDS 2024

DESIGN | ARCHITECTUR E | BUI LD ING

Showcasing innovative designers, visionary architects, outstanding builders, and the cutting-edge projects that are shaping the future of our city.

18 Award Categories / 5 Nationally Recognized Judges / Lifetime Innovator Award

Finalist and Winners will be showcased in the November/December issue and the winners will receive their awards at an industry gala hosted at 21C Museum Hotel on November 6, 2024

Entries Accepted May 1 thru August 15

For sponsorship information contact: Leslie Tunney / leslie@slmag.net

Distinguished National Judges as of June 15, 2024

Marshall WatsonCJ Lotz DiegoKate Dundes ShattanMatthew Hufft

LUXURY ON THREE+ ACRES WITH POOL, POOL HOUSE, PUTTING GREEN, GOLF SIMULATOR, AND MORE

5 BEDS | 5 FULL 2 HALF BATHS | 6,940 SQ. FT. | PRESENTED AT $3,495,000

A truly special home perched atop three rolling acres with view of lake. One of the only long standing private roads still rich with the "Country" character from days long before the "Town" transformed this municipality into predominantly one acre lots. Built in 2015, this custom home is fully loaded with primo finishes/amenities -a perfect balance of unassuming functionality yet boasting a chic ambience unmatched by others in contention. Exquisite kitchen equipped to the nine's, open to dining area, great room, pool and veranda. Tastefully appointed dining room and living room with bar complete the main entertaining areas. A lovely master suite, office, laundry, mudroom and half bath complete the main. Four additional bedroom suites on the seconnd floor – the fourth bedroom is enormous with a vaulted ceiling and could be used as a great room, media/rec room, or possible Au Pair quarters. Partially finished lower level with exposed ceiling currently used as fitness space, wine room, sauna and golf simulator. Stone surrounds the saltwater pool/spa, extraordinary newer pool house and outdoor kitchen, putting green, covered outdoor veranda with fireplace, oversized four-car garage and more. A slice of "Country" located minutes from all the city has to offer!

Luxury Homes of St. Louis Since 1996

SUZIE WELLS

suzie@suziewellshomes.com | suziewellshomes.com 314.973.8761 Suzie

Where Creativity Starts

Connect with a listing agent & search luxury homes at bhhsall.com/luxury-collection

A taste of summer.

Catch up with family and friends over a delightful dinner at Idol Wolf. Visit 21c Museum Hotel in the heart of downtown St Louis for exceptional dining, contemporary art museum, and spectacular events.