There are so many things happening this weekend in the St. Louis art and culture world! Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a safe and happy three day weekend. Be sure to check back on Monday for a very special post in honor of Martin Luther King Day.
1. Maryville Talks Books: David Von Drehle
Friday (January 18), 7 pm
Maryville University Buder Commons
In Rise to Greatness, acclaimed author David Von Drehle has created both a deeply human portrait of America’s greatest president and a rich, dramatic narrative about our most fateful year. As 1862 dawned, the American republic was at death’s door. Twelve months later, the Civil War had become a cataclysm but the tide had turned and the blueprint of modern America had been indelibly inked. And the man who brought that nation through its darkest hour, Abraham Lincoln, had been forged into a singular leader.
I enjoyed reading Rise to Greatness in the midst of all the current “Lincoln nostalgia.” I am looking forward to HEC-TV’s interview with Von Drehle tonight prior to the lecture at Maryville. The video will air on HEC-TV on March 13.
2. St. Louis Symphony: Slatkin Conducts the Planets
January 18-20
Powell Hall
STL Symphony Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct Holst’s celestial masterpiece, The Planets. Portraying the astrological character of the planets, Holst vividly portrays a martial Mars, jolly Jupiter, mystical Neptune and more sure to ignite your musical imagination.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Maestro Slatkin will conduct the performances on January 18 and 19 only. Courtney Lewis, Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, will conduct the concert on Sunday, January 20.
Earlier this week, St. Louis Symphony announced its upcoming annual Town Hall Meeting on February 7th. HEC-TV is thrilled to partner with SLSO to broadcast the event live. For more information about the event, check out this article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
3. Freedom Riders Lecture Event
Civil Rights from St. Louis to Little Rock, and Beyond
Friday (January 18), 1-3:15 pm
Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse
In honor of Martin Luter King Jr.’s birthday, the U.S. Courts and The Judicial Learning Center will host “Freedom Riders.” This exhibit, developed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, looks at six months in 1961 when more than 400 courageous Americans – old and young, black and white, men and women, Northern and Southern – risked their lives to challenge segregated facilities in the South.
The U.S. Courts and The Judicial Learning Center invite you to an afternoon of learning, exploration and discussion. The lecture is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.
4. Flight of the Butterflies Opening
Friday (January 18)
OMNIMAX Theater at the St. Louis Science Center
The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. Weighing less than a penny, it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been in the mountain peaks of Mexico. Follow the monarchs’ perilous journey and soar a mile high alongside one of the greatest spectacles of the natural world. For the first time ever, look inside a chrysalis, thanks to advanced MRI and micro CT scans. Be captivated by the true and compelling story of an intrepid scientist’s 30-year search to find their secret hideaway, with the help of citizen scientists across North America. Supported by the National Science Foundation and a high quality educational outreach program, the film interweaves spellbinding natural history with an uplifting human story. The film features breathtaking cinematography and an award-winning production team, including Oscar® winner Peter Parks. Unravel the mysteries and experience the Flight of the Butterflies.
5. Edward Curtis: Visions of Native America Exhibit Opening Day
Friday (January 18)
Saint Louis Art Museum
The work of famed photographer and amateur ethnologist Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952) has shaped the world’s image of Native Americans. This exhibition of eleven pictures provides a brief overview of Curtis’s monumental endeavor to document tribes in the early part of the twentieth century, as forced relocation onto reservations diminished the ability to live in traditional ways. The photographs on display include representations of American Indians living in the Plains and Southwest. The images focus on a range of subjects, from vivid portraiture and atmospheric landscape to details of dress and the production of arts and crafts.
Edward Curtis: Visions of Native America will be on view in Gallery 321 from January 18 through June 16, 2013.
6. Carrie Newcomer in Concert
Friday (January 18), 8 pm
Sheldon Concert Hall
Known for her uniquely poignant take on the world, singer–songwriter Carrie Newcomer has been hailed as one of the most definitive voices in roots music today. Called a “soaring songstress” byBillboard magazine, Newcomer has written songs for and performed with artists such as Allison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nickel Creek.
7. Circus Harmony: Capriccio
Performance Dates:
Saturday (January 19), 2 pm & 7 pm
Sunday (January 20), 2 pm
Saturday (January 26), 2 pm & 7 pm
Sunday (January 27), 2 pm
Catch the flying children! Circus Harmony presents its annual confluence of circus and music in their new show, Capriccio. This vaudeville based show features thirty fantastic flying children accompanied by the sensational Circus Harmony Band in a lively show with all new acts that will amaze and amuse the entire family.
The term “Vaudeville” is thought to have derived from the expression voix de ville which means “voice of the city”. Capriccio features children from all corners of St. Louis. For this first time ever, this Circus Harmony production will include singing along with trapeze, juggling, wire walking and other feats of skill and daring. Come see and hear the most talented voices and bodies of St. Louis!
8. Sunrise Freedom MLK Celebration
Saturday (January 19), 8:30-10 am
Saint Louis Art Museum
Keynote Speaker: John A. Wright, Ph.D., St. Louis author and educator
Doors Open at 7:45 am
Join the Saint Louis Art Museum to celebrate the life and honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s program will celebrate Dr. King’s dream for educational, economic, and social equality while remembering his vision for communities filled with peace and harmony.
9. Great Green Adventures: Color Walk
Saturday (January 19)
Missouri Botanical Garden
Ages 6-12
Sign up now or just drop-in to explore a special area of the Garden. There many not be many plants blooming, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find color in the Garden. Join us as we search for common, and some not so common colors in the Garden.
10. MLK Day Celebration: 50 Years Fulfilling the Dream
Monday (January 21), 10 am
Touhill Performing Arts Center
Join the University of Missouri- St. Louis and the St. Louis community for a spectacular celebration of the Dr. King Holiday. This will be the first in a series of events celebrating the University’s 50th Anniversary. Dr. Julianne Malveaux, a provocative economist, author and commentator will be the guest speaker. A special media presentation will capture the event’s theme, “50 Years of Fulfilling the Dream.” Musical guests will include the talented Dickson String Quartet, the Trinity Mt. Carmel Church Mass Choir, and other artists. A program for children ages 5 to 11, hosted by the University’s College of Education, will run concurrently. Celebrate 50 Years of Fulfilling the Dream with us.