Nicki's Central West End Guide

The first of "7 Saturdays in CWE" scheduled for this weekend!

This Saturday, June 2 is the first of our Spectacular Entertainment, Seven Saturdays  

This Saturday, June 2, from 4 to 8 pm, the Central West End presents something different and unexpected! Entertainment will be found in the most spontaneous places all along Euclid, from Maryland to Washington. Whether you are shopping, browsing an exhibition at a gallery or enjoying a nice meal and superbly mixed drink at one of our many restaurants and bars, the entertainment will add something exciting to your everyday adventures. 

 

Check out our Facebook Event page for more information. 
Follow us on Twitter @STLcwescene and tweet us your spontaneous Central West End experiences using the hashtag #Summer7

Many of our shops, restaurants, and bars will be helping us kick of summer:

• The Atrium Gallery will host a Happy Hour from 4 to 6 pm. Stop by, enjoy some free wine and browse their gallery. Their very own "sparkle man," Christopher Tanner is currently showing his exhibition.
• The Vino Gallery will be hosting a complimentary wine tasting that is sure to be delicious!
• Ivy Hill Boutique will be holding a trunk show, featuring Wai Ming from local designer Emily Brady Koplar from 1 to 5 pm.  Enjoy light snacks and beverages and get 15% off all fall pre-orders placed during the show.
• 10denza will offer 10% off all merchandise from 4 to 8 pm on June 2.

Stay tuned and check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for more information about what

our merchants are doing to help kick off our Spectacular Entertainment. 

So come on down to the Central West End — we'll help you kick off summer and put a little spunk in your Saturday!

See you soon,

Your Friends in the Central West End

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend 

 Copyright © 2012 CWENCID, All rights reserved.

A neighborhood get-together and dedication of Taylor Park Friday

In an effort to promote new connections and community spirit in the CWE, the Central West End Association has been sponsoring a series of monthly "First Friday Happy Hours" in various venues around the neighborhood. The May event was held at the World Chess Hall of Fame. Next up is Taylor Park, above, where the gathering will occur this Friday, June 1, starting at 5 p.m.

There will be music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres from Cafe Osage at Bowood Farms, and a cash bar. In addition, there will be a brief dedication of Taylor Park. All are invited and welcome to attend this neighborhood event. The intention is to provide an opportunity for neighbors to "meet and greet."

Taylor Park (above and below) is one of two new neighborhood parks made possible as part of the agreement between the City of St. Louis and BJC to lease Hudlin Park to the hospital for future expansion. That deal also provides for annual payments of $2.2 million, to be used exclusively for upkeep of Forest Park.  

Happy Hour and Dedication of Taylor Park Friday, June 1, 5 to 7:30, on Taylor between Lindell and Maryland. See you Friday!

Grounded by high winds

Each Monday morning I deliver Meals on Wheels  to several locations near St. Louis University for Trinity Church's Food Program. One of the stops on my route is the Council Towers on Grand between Hwy. 40/64 and the Forest Park Blvd. underpass. I have noticed over the past couple of years that if there is the slightest breeze, the winds are gale-force in that area.

As I approached the Tower on Memorial Day, I noticed a hawk circling above, which I thought was a little odd, but since I've been learning (and posting) about the presence of predator birds in our immediate neighborhood, I figured they had found hunting grounds further east as well.

                                                                                                                                                        As As I walked toward the building with my delivery I was aware of commotion on the parking lot as residents watched a large bird in obvious distress. The bird appeared to be injured as it kept getting knocked over by the wind when it tried to take flight.

                                                                    

After I finished my rounds I noticed that the bird had found its way to a trash can beside the entry to the building. (By the way, all I had was my camera phone, which is adequate but not as good as my Canon.) That's when I decided to call my bird-whisperer friend, Martin Schweig, for advice. He could barely hear me over the whistle of the wind, but asked that I stay put while he grabbed his hawk gloves and headed my way.

Martin identified the bird as a first-year Red Tailed Hawk. His first attempt to coax the hawk onto his glove failed,                                                  

and the bird took a short flight into a corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin was able to catch the hawk and carry it to a nearby patch of green under a tree. He was sure that the young bird wasn't injured, just grounded by the windy conditions. The hawk could hide there until his parent (circling overhead) could feed it.

With mission accomplished, Martin and I headed our separate ways. What had been a usual Monday morning, albeit Memorial Day, turned into a mini-adventure involving a stranded hawk, a knowledgeable friend, and confirmation that humans and birds of prey can co-exist in the middle of a city.

Sunday's bustle at Shakespeare Glen

Sunday's heat wave seemed to have little effect on the holiday crowd as it staked its turf in advance of the 8 p.m. curtain of the Shakespeare Festival's production of Othello. Nor did the pre-preformance activities taking place in every nook and cranny of Shakespeare Glen appeared to be bowed by the extreme temperature.

The Green Show's production of Othello had just begun when I arrived shortly after 6:30. I loved being able to peer backstage as the actors were about to make their entrance, above and below.

While the Shakespeare Festival's production is a free event, volunteers in bright "Will" t-shirts are more than happy to collect donations.

Over in another corner of Shakespeare Glen, a fundraising event was in progress to benefit the Shakespeare Festival's Summer Camp Scholarship Fund. About 125 people attended "A Poetic Picnic" under the tireless leadership of Special Events Chair Mary Morgan, above, shown with guest Tim Venturella.

I ran into charming Cheree Berry (see earlier post here) who designed the clever invitations for the picnic, and tags for the boxed suppers provided by The Butler's Pantry. Petals by Irene donated the big, beautiful arrangements shown in both photos above.

Proceeds from "A Poetic Picnic" also benefited the Festival's Grass Roots effort promoting casual and fun picnics at the site attended by family and friends to celebrate free, professional Shakespeare in Forest Park.

As I left Shakespeare Glen I noticed this banner announcing Forest Park Forever's contribution to the maintenance of Shakespeare Glen. The banner reminded me (as it should) that it's easy to overlook the contribution Forest Park Forever has made to the renovation and overall beauty of Forest Park over the past 25 years. I can't imagine what the park would look like without the organization's efforts.

Othello is performed at 8 p.m. nightly, except Tuesdays, in Shakespeare Glen, northeast of the St. Louis Art Museum. It runs until June 17.

 

Memorial Day 2012

Sunday, May 27

Dr. George Benson's photos at Coiffures by Shawn, updated

Following on the heels of Wednesday's post on last Friday night's gallery openings on McPherson, I want to mention a photography exhibit that occurred the same evening at Coiffures by Shawn, 312 N. Euclid. The salon is located above SubZero Vodka Bar. Gregory Smith, the proprietor of the salon for the past thirty years, and CWE resident and real estate broker Paul Mittelstadt, organized an exhibit of Dr. George Benson's photography. Dr. Benson, a retired psychoanalyst, lived with his wife, Virginia, on Pershing Place and later in the Greystone.

A small selection of the photographs that Dr. Benson, above, shot with his Hasselblad 500C large-format camera during his three trips to Nepal remain on display at the salon. (The photograph above Dr. Benson's head is not his work.)

Dr. Benson developed the photos he took on his travels to Nepal between 1980 and 1985 in his CWE home. Besides being an avid photographer, he enjoyed cycling, hiking, and mountain climbing, see photo above.

The group of photographs above were taken on Dr. Benson's treks through the Annapurna, Dhalguiri, and Everest mountains of Nepal, and also in the capital city of Kathmandu.

You can always count on Gregory to find ways to ramp up any occasion. SubZero provided drinks and appetizers from its new Market Bar, while in the back area of the salon stylists were on hand to offer free shampoos and styling using Moroccan Oil Hair Products. Also on hand were the creators of the locally-produced Smelly Things Candle Company. Coiffures by Shawn carries the company's line of 100% soy candles which come in a variety of fragrances.

Dr. George Benson's "Photographs from the Himalayas" will be on view at Coiffures by Shawn at 312 N. Euclid for several more weeks. Check out the website for hours.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Smith

This just in: At the end of June Gregory Smith drew the winner of the $400 Moroccan Oil Gift Bag Drawing that began the night of the opening for Dr. Benson's photography. Barb Wilkinson, above, Director of Development and Community Partnerships GO! St. Louis, is the winner of this fabulous prize. Barb has been a customer of Coiffures by Shawn for forty years! Congratulations Barb!

A big welcome for the Philip Slein Gallery

The Philip Slein Gallery recently moved from a location downtown to 4735 McPherson Avenue and celebrated with a grand re-opening last Friday night. Fellow gallery and shop owners along the McPherson corridor rolled out the welcome mat with openings of their own. The street was crowded with art patrons and those who were curious about the art, or just wanted an excuse to get out and enjoy the beautiful May evening.

The photo above shows the gathering in front of the Philip Slein Gallery, left, and a view into the neighboring, eye-catching Halbert Rugs.

We stopped in to visit with Atrium Gallery owner Carolyn Miles and her husband Joe, above. I recently posted a story about Atrium's current exhibition, "Come'on to My House" by New York artist Christopher Tanner.

This time I persuaded CWEnder Mike Owens to let me snap his photo in front of Tanner's "Hand in the Pool of Maria Montez." I thought the shot would add a little glitz (which is why he's laughing) to his run for State Rep of the 84th District (that's us). VOTE FOR MIKE on August 7th!

Shelton Davis Antiques at 4724 McPherson, was also open late for browsers.

Centro Modern Furnishings at 4727 McPherson featured new arrivals from Antonio Citterio for Flexform and kept the party going with its notorious CenCen Punch.

Eleven-month-old Max, who was gallery hopping with his parents from their home in Benton Park, thought the cool Feltry chair at Centro was just about perfect. Ginny Stewart, co-owner with Todd Lannom of Centro, said the chair's quilt was taken off for the evening, so if you're interested in learning more about it, stop in Centro, 4727 McPherson. 

Art even parked at a meter in front of the Duane Reed Gallery.

The Duane Reed Gallery hosted two exhibitions. In the front room is work by artists Jenny Pohlman and Sabrina Knowles who collaborated on pieces they named "Reflections." They create their stunning art out of "off-hand" blown and sculpted glass, found objects, beads, and antique West African findings, above and below.

 

Matthew Paul Isaacson, Ceramics Coordinator/Gallery Director at Forest Park Community College, incorporates industrial manufactured porcelain tiles & fabricated stainless steel into his sculptures. Gallery owner Duane Reed said that Isaacson arrived a week earlier with boxes of tiles that he put assembled on site. Both exhibitions are a must-see! Check website for hours.

Greg Halbert (center), proprietor of Halbert Rugs at 4733 McPherson, had visitors guess the price of his rugs, which are new but look old. We all flunked--they are much more reasonable than they appear. 

It was a one-way ticket for Jackie Saccoccio's oil and mica paintings at the Philip Slein Gallery.  By the time we arrived there were ten red dots on the New York artist's work---all of her paintings sold to St. Louis collectors!! How's that for an opening night?

The gregarious Philip Slein, above, is shown standing in front of one of the Saccoccio paintings visiting with a few of the many people who stopped in to welcome him to the neighborhood.

Another one of Saccoccio's paintings, above, and a final shot of some of those admiring her art, below.

I ran into an old high school friend at the Philip Slein Gallery who jokingly asked why I didn't wear my shorts that evening. I replied that I would have if I still could, but instead I'd rather admire the beauty I photographed above---love the legs, love the red shoes--loved the whole evening! And welcome Philip...

Shakespeare Festival's "Othello" opens this week

"Places everyone!" for the opening of the 12th Season of the Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park's Shakespeare Glen. This season features the Bard's Othello, which according to Festival Executive Director Rick Dildine, is one of their audience's most requested plays.

When I stopped by last week, signage was laid out and ready to be installed at the top of the beautiful glen northeast of the Art Museum; and actors were arriving to step onto the outdoor stage for the first time. 
Othello is directed by Bruce Longworth, head of the acting program at Webster University. Longworth also directed Hamlet in 2010. The Shakespeare Festival's production is set in 1912 during a lesser-known war between Italy and Turkey. The set designer is Robbie Jones and the costumes--always at the top of my list--are designed by Lou Bird.

Over the past eleven years the Shakespeare Festival has attracted over 500,000 people. The photo of the huge crowd above was taken two years ago when Hamlet was being performed. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, and a picnic--or purchase food and drink under a tent on the festival grounds. Othello will be performed each evening at 8 p.m. (except Tuesdays) from May 23 (May 23 & 24 are preview performances) through June 17. Complimentary backstage tours, 20-minute Talkback sessions, and Green Show activities are available starting at 6:30.

Major donors to the Shakespeare Festival include Emerson, Wells Fargo Advisors, UMB, Missouri Arts Council, Ameren and Scottrade. While the Shakespeare Festival is free, individual donations are definitely encouraged.  Call the festival office at (314) 531-9800 or check the website for more information. 

Sunday, May 20