Nicki's Central West End Guide

Dr. George Benson's photos from the Himalayas

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.

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. 

The Food Pantry at Second Presbyterian Church

There is a lot to learn about the impressive Romanesque Revival Second Presbyterian Church, including its collection of Tiffany windows in the sanctuary. The Church, located at 4501 Westminster at Taylor, is currently undergoing some interior renovation, see photo above.

Some readers may be familiar with the classroom space in the lower level of the Education Building, constructed in 1930, as the polling place for two 28th Ward precincts in the CWE. It also houses a food pantry, Good Ground, which has been in existence for over thirty years. On Saturday mornings 18 to 25 families come for groceries and, here's what's unique to this pantry---samples of a healthy recipe. If the clients (who are scheduled to visit the pantry once a month) are interested, they are given the recipe and a bag full of ingredients they'll need to recreate the dish at home.

Jana Sisler and John Leo are co-directors of Good Ground Pantry. The items on the well-stocked shelves above were purchased by the volunteers using monies donated by parishioners and others. Bread-stuffs come from Panera Bread on Forest Park Blvd. which donates end-of-day items to a different organization each day.

Other donations come in the form of fresh produce. One of Second Church's parishioners purchased a share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and donated it to Good Ground Pantry. CWE Board Member Arthur Culbert also drops off fresh produce from the community garden he and the 4th grade class from New City School cultivate on Waterman. And children at the Washington Montessori School in north St. Louis have planted a garden that benefits the pantry. Neighbors are also invited to drop off excess produce grown in their backyards, see information at end of this post.

Once a month, a nutritionist from Operation Food Search brings a healthy recipe that volunteers help Karen Buckey test and then make for sampling each Saturday. The March selection was "Friendship Soup," above, which included legumes that don't need to be soaked, a spice packet, and a bag of oyster crackers.

A spicy bean salsa was April's selection, above and below. It came with a box of cornbread mix. The volunteers shop at big box stores, or wherever they can get the best prices on the ingredients. In addition to developing the recipe, the nutritionist from Operation Food Search visits Good Ground Pantry once a month to offer advice to the clients on healthy eating. The hope is that with exposure to the good nutritious food Good Ground provides, and follow-up consultation with a nutritionist, the clients' health will improve.

There are lots of ways you can help Good Ground Pantry at Second Presbyterian Church continue its work. To volunteer by handing out samples of the healthy recipe on Saturday mornings, contact KABuckey@gmail.com. If you have excess produce growing in your backyard, bring it to Second Presbyterian Church on Saturday mornings at 9:30, or drop it off in the church office during business hours. Use the entry on the parking lot, there is a buzzer.

And once a month a group of volunteers gets together for "Table Talk," which is a chance to network over dinner. The group meets at a local restaurant--last month it was Duff's--to support a locally-owned restaurant and discuss topics such as local food sources and sustainability. Contact Karen Buckey if you'd like to join Table Talk: KABuckey@gmail.com.

Finally, donations to Good Ground Pantry can be sent to Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster, 63108. Make the check out to Good Ground Pantry.

ME's "Have Art Supplies, Will Travel" Workshop

For the past couple of years Mary Engelbreit has been celebrating her birthday by holding a Home Companion Workshop in her CWE Studio at Euclid and Maryland. This year's birthday celebration is scheduled for the weekend of June 9th and 10th. The editor of the late Home Companion Magazine and CWE resident Barbara Eliott Martin has been helping Mary organize the event, and two dear friends of mine, Charlotte Lyons and Kathy Curotto, are teaching. Another star in the crafting world, Amy Powers, will be there too. 

It's a great opportunity to see Mary's fabulous studio, enjoy a day or two learning something new, and of course, eat a little birthday cake. There are a few spots left, so dash over to the Workshop's webpage and sign up here. 

Sifting through a photographer's archives: Brides

A 1929 Broadway play,  "Whoopee!", produced a song written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn that has endured throughout the decades. You can listen to Eddie Cantor sing his 1929 rendition of "Another bride, another June..." here. All of which leads into today's presentation of photographs from Martin Schweig's archives showing three brides from that 1920s-era.

I have loved studying these photographs showing shorter wedding dresses, veils with beaded headbands and gathered netting, and bridal bouquets with cascading ribbons that end in bows.  

Notice the detail at the bottom of this dress---lace pockets?---and, of course, the great shoes!

Martin identified this beautiful bride as being from the Muckerman family, a well-known name in St. Louis. The photograph was taken in her family's home (which Martin thinks was in the CWE) as was the custom of the time. You can't help but marvel at the gorgeous lace on this wedding dress and veil with its extra-long train.

Perhaps one of you recognizes a great- or a great-great grandmother in one of the other photographs. If so, please let me know so I can share their names.

Thanks again Martin! He and I are going to sift through more photos soon so I can share more of them with you.

A.J. Brewington's 26th Anniversary!

Last month A.J. Brewington, proprietor of Brewington Art & Interiors, celebrated her 26th year in business. She was in a philosophic frame of mind the day I visited her shop at 4814 Washington Avenue. (As a matter of fact, I visit her shop most days as she occupies a second floor space in the Pierce Arrow Building, a property that Jim and I own.)

To explain her rather gutsy decision to move her shop from a smaller street-level space on McPherson to a second floor 2500 s.f. loft space with no street presence she said,  "I try not to be complacent but am constantly redefining what my business is. It's always evolving and changing. One wants to be at a point in your life where you can be influenced and inspired. Since I've moved (in December, 2010), I've never enjoyed my business more."  A.J. considers her current space to be a big-city-sophisticated approach to retail in St. Louis. She feels she is her business, it doesn't matter where she is. Her long-time clients, creative people with imagination, follow her wherever she goes.

What you won't see in this post is a photograph of A.J., who is surprisingly camera-shy given her larger-than-life personality. The quote on her website pretty much sums up why there is never a dull moment when you stop by Brewington's for a visit.

 "Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather skid in sideways shouting 'What a ride!' "

Her first store in the St. Louis area was in Webster Groves where she was a member of a co-op consisting of 12 antique dealers. From there she moved to a space on Rosebury in Clayton where she sold traditional antiques. Her second store in the DeMun District, Geronimo's Cadillac, specialized in Mid-Century Modern. She moved to McPherson in the 90s, where her shop carried an eclectic mix of both antique and Mid-Century pieces.

The vintage bronze swans in the photo (above) have been sold since I took the photo. A 1950's Italian plant stand (left), $375, holds a mercury glass gazing ball, $65. The contemporary 4-panel screen at the rear is covered with maps, $300, and the vase on the stand (right) is $475. The three antique wooden columns in front of the window were originally used as props at Dillards, $1500. Sitting on the window ledge (and barely visible) is a pair of French-style folk art roosters, $75 each.

Selling art has become a large part of A.J.'s business in recent years. She currently represents three artists, internationally-known Edward Boccia (whose painting is shown in the photo above), Jim Pegg, and French artist Claude Rene Krutchmar. Boccia is Professor Emeritus at Washington University's School of Fine Art where he retired from teaching painting in 1986. A.J. told me that the late Morton May, the philanthropic chairman of the May Department Stores, was a huge Boccia collector who donated a large part of his collection to SLU. Word is that SLU is going to exhibit their collection of Boccia's paintings in 2013.

Other items in the photo are contemporary mercury glass lamps with silk shades, $350, 8 vintage waterford grapefruits bowls on the tray, $585, and a silver mercury glass gazing ball, which can be used as decoration in the garden, $38.

On the showroom floor is a contemporary Ligne Roset sectional that includes two sofas and an ottoman that came from a local estate, $2500. The handsome silk patchwork pillows on the sofa are $60 for the pair.                   

Around the store there are gifts galore in many price ranges from crystal candlesticks, $32 (not shown), to the silver pieces right. I have been noticing all the new babies in the neighborhood, which is why these two sterling silver porringers (right) caught my eye, $95 and $45. The sterling silver bowl (top) is $125, and the antique sterling silver serving spoon is $95. 

 

Love the contented smile on the little bronze dog at rest (left) by a Santa Fe artist, $400.

 

 

 

 

Brewington's Art & interiors, 4814 Washington, Suite 230, Tues. through Sat. 10:30 to 6 p.m., (314) 361-5373.

From glam art at Atrium to herbal sodas at Bowood

There was an opening at Atrium Gallery Friday evening featuring the art of Christopher Tanner, a New York artist. Tanner, who is also an an actor, playwright, performer, and cabaret singer (in drag), was not able to attend the opening--"Com'on to My House"--as he is in rehearsals for a new play. As a performance artist, he has worked with Cindi Lauper, Bloolips, David Lynch and Karen Finley among others. 

The bold, and in a few instances over-the-top mixed-media pieces contain bits of vintage jewelry, beads, baubles, bullet casings, millinery trim, and more. When you visit the Gallery--and you should--plan to spend some time, each piece deserves more than a quick glance.

Tanner's stunning 92" x 92" mixed media on canvas piece above, "Hand in the Pool of Maria Montez," is a cool $35,000. The close-up below shows a detail of "the Pool" and gives you an idea of the amount of work that went into creating it.

As you might imagine, Tanner has a quirky sense of humor as evidenced by the titles on his smaller pieces, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2", above--"Lucy Left and Tighty Right," "Diana Vreeland," and  "Mao Wow." Up close, each one is like peering into a tiny archaeological dig.

    

 

 

 

 "Helen of Troy," 2011 is 6 1/2 x 6 1/2", $1500.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Stars Have It," 2011, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2," is also $1500.

"Come'on To My House" will be on view at the Atrium Gallery, 4728 McPherson, until June 17.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, over at Bowood Farms...

Saturday afternoon, David Kirkland (above), chef of Cafe Osage at Bowood Farms was handing out samples of the restaurant's sparkling herbal sodas. The tasting coincided with a book signing by the authors of Missouri Harvest, shown below. The sodas are made with homemade herbal infusions of rosemary, basil, or lavender. 

Chef Kirkland generously shared the recipe. You'll need lots of herbs to make these, so stock up at Bowood, $3.50 each.

To make sparkling herbal sodas: Steep two bunches of rosemary, basil, or lavender in 2 cups boiling water for 1/2 hr. Discard herbs but save the steeping liquid to mix with an equal amount (or to taste) of simple syrup (heat equal parts sugar and water till dissolved). Cool. Pour 1 1/2 ounces herbal infusion into a glass, add about 7 ounces club soda. Fill with ice and serve. Herbal infusion will last for weeks in the refrigerator.

Also at Bowood last Saturday, Maddie Earnest, left, the co-founder of South City's popular Local Harvest Grocery and Cafe, and Liz Fathman, an anthropologist and Publications Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden, were signing copies of their newly-released paperback, Missouri Harvest (see post here). The  "Guide to Growers and Producers in the Show-Me State," $18.00, takes you on a tour of farms throughout the state by region, with information on what each farmer grows and how to get your hands on it. There are also some interesting recipes including a "Spring Onion, Spinach and Goat Cheese Bread Pudding" from Goatsbeard Farm in Harrisburg, Missouri. If you missed the signing, stop by and buy the book. It's a great resource to have on hand.

And finally to Liz Fathman: Apologies for not capturing you with eyes wide open!

Bowood Farms and Cafe Osage, 4605 Olive, check website for hours.

Sifting through a photographer's archives: Part IV

 
Today's photo from Martin Schweig's archives feature a 1927 Gardner Model 90 Roadster parked on the upper Muny Opera lot, filled with what Martin assumes are actresses involved in a Muny Opera production. 

To get more information about the automobile, Martin sent a copy of the photo to Al Mercer, President of the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America). After some research Al reported that Gardners were semi-luxury automobiles built in St. Louis from 1919 to 1932. Mercer continued,  "The photo was probably a publicity photo for Gardner and the Muny."

Other automobiles manufactured in St. Louis (approximately 10) in the early part of the 20th century were the Moon, Diana, Ruxton, and the Dorris, which was manufactured in the building now known as the Dorris Lofts at Laclede and Sarah.

The photographs above and below were also taken by Martin's father on the Muny grounds during the same time period.

Some of the women look as if posing with the stuffed toys is the last thing they want to do, don't they?

Thanks again Martin for sharing these photos. Next up from the archives: Bridal photographs.

L Photographie lands in the CWE

I wish I could take credit for the gorgeous photographs in this post, which were provided by Kristie Cromie, on the right above, co-owner with Liz Sloan, middle, of L Photographie.  Also pictured is L Photographie's Kate Hayes, left. You'll notice a huge bump-up in quality and styling on this page, and you may also realize that this post is yet another about a female-owned business located in the CWE, a theme that is beginning to have a familiar ring to it.

Liz Sloan had been an event manager in the media world before switching to photography in 2003. She serendipitously ran into Kristie Cromie, a friend from Mizzou, in their Soulard neighborhood. The friends had lost touch with each other, but decided to join forces and form L Photographie after that chance meeting. Kristie had been working as a graphic designer for the Switch Agency for 9 years, and had been dabbling in photography as a hobby. After Kristie became a mother, she decided to refocus her attention from wedding photography to concentrate on family portraits. That's when Kate Hayes, a photographer they met at a Bridal Fair, came onboard. When I observed that they all seemed to get along so well, Kristie said they think they mesh so beautifully because all three are the only girl in a family of boys, which meant they had to be tough and learn to get along. 

L Photographie is located in a building filled with small, creative entrepreneurs at 449 N. Euclid, above. Since all three women are residents of the City of St. Louis they wanted to keep their business within the city limits. "There is a perceived value to being in the CWE," Liz said. The neighborhood has a 'boutique feel' to it--and we consider ourselves to be a boutique company--it's upscale, hip, well-maintained, and has a good eclectic mix...it's just cooler to be in the CWE!" Sounds like a great tag line for an ad for the CWE to me!

When I visited the trio of photographers (shown sitting at their workstations above) Kristie said that their clients tend to be with them full circle--for 5-7 years and beyond--from engagement photos, through the wedding, and "love the dress" sessions (after the wedding, the bride wears "the dress" in a completely different way). A few years later, there are maternity and baby photos, family portraits, and perhaps a high school photo in the future.

Two of the partners are mothers of young children and try to balance family life with work, but there are still many midnight editing sessions, especially during the spring and fall. Wedding season typically spans mid-March through mid-November and even New Year's Eve.

Photography sessions include archival-quality portraits, which the photographers edit themselves, digital files, custom framing, and custom-designed albums, which are exclusive to L Photographie (not available on do-it-yourself websites such as Snapfish). Sometimes clients will say they only want to order a disc with photographs, not the proofs. L Photographie provides the proofs anyway. As Kristie said, "As professional photographers we want to keep the tradition alive and take our work to its final stage. Who knows what the technology will be in twenty years, and if discs will even be around?" When you have the actual photographs, you and your children can always pull them out to enjoy for years to come.

Wedding photography by L Photographie starts at $3,000; family photography sessions, including new baby photos, run anywhere from $700 to $1500. Kristie said that the best time to take new baby photos--which can take as much as five hours--is during the first nine days of life. That's when babies sleep most of the time (tell that to a new parent!), and are easy to "style," i.e. dress and move around.

Liz allowed that every event is "once in a lifetime," so you may as well hire a professional. I know that the photography industry is going through a huge transition, but hearing Liz describe what has happened helped clarify some of the reasons. Cameras are so good now that anyone can set up a business without actually "going into business," i.e. renting a studio, paying taxes, etc. I learned that there is a term, "shoot and burns," for this type of hobbyist, which hurts the industry as a whole.

The remaining photos in the post show a series of vignettes taken in the light-filled space L Photographie occupies on the second floor of the Consulate Building, above and below.

L Photographie, 449 N. Euclid, by appointment only. Weddings: Liz Sloan (314) 265-3786, Kate Hayes (618) 910-8671; Portraits & family photography: Kristie Cromie (314) 503-7719.