Monthly Archives: November 2010

Date Night, Holidays

Bach Society of St. Louis & Christine Brewer

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If you have yet to hear the stunning, soaring, lush, and thoughtful voice of soprano Christine Brewer, go experience The Bach Society of St. Louis’s Christmas Candlelight Concert on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 7:30 pm, Powell Symphony Hall. The program features Christine Brewer and chorus singing Poulenc’s Gloria, O Holy Night (arr. Mack Wilberg), and Rutter’s Little Lamb/Dona nobis pacem. Several traditional Christmas Carols will also be performed by the Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra and the St. Louis Children’s Choir. Enjoy favorite holiday pieces including: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, Still, Still, Still, and Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.

Even if you are not a Christmas fanatic, you may appreciate the music planned for the evening. These works can be poignant, humanizing, and moving in ways you might not expect. (And did I mention soprano Christine Brewer?!)

Tickets are $20 to $70 and can be ordered online or by calling 314.652.2224 for more information.

SPECIAL PROMOTION: Through November 30, 11:59 pm, you can get an orchestra level ticket to this concert for $15 (value $30) via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s daily deal.

Photo: Bach Society of St. Louis

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers

Play at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

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The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis started a great program for kids this Fall. Stroller Tour Tuesdays (ages up to 24 months) and Wednesday Morning Play Dates (ages 3 to 5) are engaging ways to introduce your child to art, the museum space, other kids, stories, and yummy pastries generously donated by Companion Bakery.

I attended the Wednesday Morning Play Date in October with my three year old and enjoyed a somewhat overly complicated (but fun!) craft followed by a wonderful story time. It was a small group of about six kids, but I’m guessing that number will increase as word gets out about this creative event. Art critic Jerry Saltz happened to be in the galleries for his talk later that day which made for some laughter when he came over to “critique” the kids’ art projects. My daughter and I ended up walking around in the galleries after the play date was over and enjoyed talking about all the images and then lounging on the lobby furniture.

The complimentary coffee, pastries, and beautiful light in the museum made for a very relaxing morning. These events are free and a delightful arts opportunity for kids and their caregivers.

Free street parking fills up fast when we were there, so make sure you have a few quarters for metered parking.

Wednesday Morning Play Dates (ages 3 to 5)
December 1, 2010  |  10 to 11 am

Stroller Tour Tuesdays (ages up to 24 months)
December 7, 2010  |  9 to 10 am

Photo: Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

Holidays, Little ways to make life easier, Visual Art at Home

Two notable gift sites

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Yes, I wish I could make the extra effort to buy locally, but I do end up doing much of my shopping online when my three-year old is sleeping (hopefully in her own bed). I came across two great online stores recently. Although I haven’t ordered from them yet, they both have some unique gift items, perfect for the holidays.

Founded in Chicago, The Paper Source has locations throughout the country. They sell beautiful calendars, invitations, note cards, ornaments, gift wrap, and more. There are some great design-y art project ideas here too. A few of my favorite items available online are the 2011 Animals to Love Desk Calendar, the 2011 Paper Source Wall Art Calendar, and the Woodgrain Rubber Stamp (I’m not particularly crafty by nature, but I can think of some pretty cool art projects you could make with this stamp).

Based in San Francisco, the garden store Flora Grubb captures a certain vision of those who are architecturally inclined, in love with storybook whimsy and plain old imagination. If you can’t get out to San Francisco, there are several gift items on their website. In the not so expensive category, I love the Handcrafted Forest Floor Ornaments, the Wall Bubble Aerium, and the Cube Aeriums.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Date Night

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

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Want to hear some of the newest and greatest emerging artists sing their hearts out?

The 51st Annual Metropolitan Opera National Council St. Louis District Auditions take place on Saturday, November 13, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at Ladue Chapel. This year’s panel of judges includes soprano and Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s English Diction Coach Erie Mills.

The event is free and open to the public. Audience members are (quietly!) welcome to come and go throughout the day.

Read more about the auditions on the Metropolitan Opera’s site.

Look at this prestigious list of past winners.

What to Read

Three pigs, a sheep, and a wildly happy dinosaur

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We are obsessed with visiting our local library and have discovered a few great books over the last month. Here are three favorites that are perfect for your goofy preschooler and ripe for you to try out your funny voices. (Hasn’t your variety of funny voices grown since you had your kid?)

1. The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale |  Steven Guarnaccia
This old standby is refreshed by updating the pigs’ homes to signature houses inspired by Frank Gehry, Phillip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The drawings and fonts are smart, funny, and may introduce your child to some new lines and shapes. Perfect for all you Dwell Magazine parents.

2. Baa-Choo! |  Sarah Weeks, author and Jane Manning, illustrator
“I’ve got the ahhh but not the choo. No, no, this sneeze will never do. Can someone help me, help me please, to find the ending of my sneeze?” Follow this poor sheep’s humorous adventure as he tries to recover his sneeze’s lost “choo.” A hen, pig, and goat attempt to help in this well written “I can read” book. What makes Baa-Choo! really stand out is the rhythm and cadence of Sarah Weeks’s rhymes. Makes for fun bedtime reading, sure to make your preschooler giggle out loud.

3. Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct |  Mo Willems
Are you a fan of Mo Willems’s Knuffle Bunny series or the Gerald the Elephant and Piggy books? You will love Edwina. Edwina is a loving, helpful, sweet, and innocent looking dinosaur who lives to play with kids, help others, and bake chocolate chip cookies for friends. No one seems to question that she is a dinosaur living in modern day life–they just seem happy to have her around. Everyone believes in Edwina’s existence except for Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie. Reginald tries to convince everyone that Edwina should be extinct but no one believes him, or even cares to listen. The only one who eventually listens to Reginald is Edwina. This is a wonderful book about believing in yourself, others, and well, the unknown.

Happy reading!