The Commonspace > April 2001 > It's All Happening

April 3
City Elections
A voting booth near you

To some, the election season ended with the primaries. Francis Slay was elected the Mayor, despite only winning his party's endorsement. Michael Chance, despite a lower Republican turnout, was routinely dismissed. If you're a City voter, you have a chance to weigh in on the issue. No endorsements here, just a wish for people to participate in this next step in the process. Corny, but true.

April 4
Cinema in the City, "Surrealism in Animation"
Beatnik Bob's Café in the City Museum
15th & Lucas, 968-7487
All ages, $4, 7 p.m.

This month's edition of the long-running Downtown series is given over to the works of such classic American animators as Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett and Max Fleisher. Appearances will be made by none other than Daffy Duck, Felix the Cat, Betty Boop and other mainstays of the form, in some of their most unusual adventures.

As we've been pointing out monthly, the night's a fun one, with food and drink available and a relaxed environment the norm. With reel changes expect about a two-hour program.

April 5
"The City: Digital Photographic Works"
By Thomas E. Patton
Opening Reception, 1-3 p.m.
Artist lecture, 1:30 p.m.
Free
Public Policy Research Center
362 Social Sciences Building
Info: University of Missouri-St. Louis, 516-5273

Thomas E. Patton, a faculty member in UM-St. Louis' arts & sciences department, is offering this show of architectural photography, with a national perspective. The show will run through June 28. If images of the urban landscape are appealing to you, find you're here in the next couple of months.

April 5
"Reclaiming our Riverfront"
Part of the "Shaping our Urban Environment:
The Power of Public Policy" series
The Missouri Historical Society, Lee Auditorium
7 p.m.; free
Info: 746-4599; www.mohistory.org

As part of a continuing series, this evening's event in the handsome Lee Auditorium will feature guest speaker Davitt Woodwell, Executive Director of the Riverlife Taskforce, which is working to improve on Pittsburgh's waterfront properties. Laura Cohen, Project Manager for the Confluence Greenway, will give the local twist on the subject.

April 19
May Auditorium, Olin School of Business
5:30 p.m.

In conjunction with the Earth Day festivities on Wash U's campus, Dr. Robert Bullard will give a presentation tackling the topic of environmental racism. He's the author of several books, including "Confronting Environmental Racism," "Dumping on Dixie" and "Unequal Protection."

April 22
Earth Day Festival
Sierra Student Coalition and Gateway Green Alliance
11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Brookings Quadrangle; free
Info: 721-3192

On and off, we've seen competing Earth Days in town, this one generally regarded by the environmental community as the "greener" and more grassroots of the options. This year's event returns to the Brookings Quad, near Skinker on the Wash U campus.

Several workshops are scheduled, as well as sets from local bands the Highway Matrons, Heidi Dean and Desharary. Crafts will be available for kids between 12:30-4 p.m.

Ongoing: Friday afternoons, 4-7 p.m.
"Blues in the Night" with host Art Dwyer
KDHX 88.1 FM (streaming at: www.kdhx.org)

Don't know that much about the blues, certainly not as much as I should. But a good chunk of what I do know comes from following up Art Dwyer's slot on KDHX for a couple of years, catching the better part of his show on Fridays during drive-time.

A natural on the mic, Dwyer's voice is gruff but gentle. He gives a proper historical perspective to his cuts and knows how to build a set, something he's been doing for over a decade. Flowing without a playlist, as many of the music jocks at the station can do, Dwyer takes listeners on a journey each week, from weepy ballads to salty rave-ups. A member of local favorites The Soulard Blues Band, he's steeped in the sound, which comes through every week.

Ending his last three hours is a weekly pledge that says, "if the creek don't rise and we don't have any meltdowns or crackups around here, I'll be back next week with some more blues ... you can use." It's a traditional outro on a show that's a tradition in itself.