The Commonspace > March 2005 > It's All Happening

Wednesday, March 2
Black & Green Wednesday Forum: Confronting Police Violence in St. Louis
Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, 3151 Cherokee St.
Free, all ages, 7 p.m., 314-385-6906, www.gateway-greens.org

The monthly forum co-hosted by the Gateway Greens and the Universal African Peoples Organization turns its attention this month to police misconduct and brutality, and the status of a long-agitated-for civilian review board overseeing the St. Louis Police Department. Come add your thoughts to the discussion, and hear from a panel including Irene Smith, Alderman Terry Kennedy, Willie Marshal and moderator John Chasnoff. (AED)

Friday, March 4
Exhibit Opening: "Sakhi: A Multi-Ethnic Look at Women's Health and Bodies"
Third Floor Gallery, 1214 Washington Ave.
Free, all ages, 6-10 p.m., 314-773-9090, x 179, www.iistl.org

Part of the "Inside Out Loud" conglomerate of community happenings, this opening was curated by the folks at the International Institute and addresses physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of women's health. The title, "sakhi," means "female friend" in several South Asian languages, and you're bound to discover some new female friends at this joyous kickoff, complete with traditional dancers from cultures around the world. (AED)

Friday, March 4
Arch Rivals Comedy: "Survival of the Funniest"
St. John's Episcopal Church, 3664 Arsenal
$10 (discounts available), all ages, 7 p.m., ken@3wk.com, 314-495-9454

"Survival of the Funniest" is a family-friendly show that pits two improv teams against each another. Like Highlander, in the end, there can be only one as the audience applause-o-meter winnows the field down to the funniest comic of the night. This is the troupe's inaugural show in its new digs — the parish hall at St. John's, which has been rechristened "Little Grand Theater." They'll be playing there on the first and third Fridays of each month. (BHM)

Saturday, March 5
Lecture: The Economics of Hip Hop, by Leota Blacknor of Virgin Records
Missouri Historical Society, Lindell & DeBaliviere
$5 (reservations required), all ages, 1 p.m., emr@mohistory.org, 314-454-3150, www.mohistory.org

Okay, part of this reminds me of the old "make money from mailing from home!" scam that my friend Rachael and I fell for in the summer after our first year of college: the deal is, uh, to make money from home, you mail money off to someone, and they send you back a packet advising you to place ads in publications offering to tell people how to "make money from mailing from home!" in exchange for their money. So, it just strikes me as funny to pay $5 to hear about the economics of hip hop. But I'll get over it...and in the meantime, I bet you could learn a lot about how hip hop (the music) has infiltrated society and inspired Hip Hop, The Lifestyle. Ms. Blacknor is the director of urban marketing for Virgin. (AED)

Saturday, March 5
Film: "This is Nowhere," dir. Doug Hawes-David and Drury Gunn Carr
Winifred Moore Auditorium at Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood Ave.
$6, all ages, 314-968-7487, www.webster.edu/filmseries.html

On their quest to make films about environmental, wildlife and natural resources issues, Hawes-David and Carr happened upon a most unusual group of folks: RV enthusiasts who seek out Wal-Mart parking lots rather than, say, the closest national park. A quirky bunch, for sure, who exemplify a lot of what's, um, uniquely American about the odd relationship of nature, equality and civic values. This screening promises plenty of humor, much of it unintentional. Screens with "The Naturalist," about a man who lives in the Ozarks, eschewing modern amenities to have a Thoreauean experience of nature. (AED)

Sunday, March 6
Dred Scott Anniversary Concert
Old Court House, 11 N. Fourth St. at Market
Free, all ages, noon, 314-655-1700

Dred Scott Though its resolution here wasn't quite the outcome we celebrate today, the case of former slaves Dred and Mary Scott had its start in St. Louis, and its legacy still reverberates throughout our legal system and society. During Black History Month, many celebrations and commemorations will take place at the Old Courthouse, where the case was tried. Today's concert is an "Anthology of Black Music," presented by the Robert Edwards Band. (AED)

Sunday, March 6
Chick Soup for the Venus Soul fundraiser
4152 Castleman Ave., in the Shaw neighborhood
$25, (reservations required to info@venusenvy.org), all ages (and genders!), 2-4 p.m., 314-865-0181

We love chicks. Really, whether spunky females or in yellow Peep form, we love everything about 'em. So we're happy to exhort you to go eat soup on behalf of some bitchin' babes, the wimyn of Venus Envy. As you know, they put on the awesomely eccentric, all-female, juried art show that graces four cities now (having started in the Lou), and this afternoon is all about helping them raise some cashola to do so. There's a vast array of soupage, and wine and Mich Ultra, all in the graceful confines of a George Barnett-designed home. (AED)

Wednesday, March 9
SLOWednesdays: Beer & Cheese Tasting
Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest
$10 advance/$12 door, 21-up, 5:30-7:30 p.m., www.schlafly.com

I swear, if they keep this up, we're going to start thinking those kids over at Schlafly are actually serious about all this holistic, community-minded mumbo-jumbo: next up, their contribution to a local cultivation of the global Slow Food movement, which advocates "slowing down and getting to know your food and its origin." Tonight, you can get to know some excellent Schlafly pours and some tasty artisanal cheeses from The Wine Merchant. Pleased to meet you! (AED)

Saturday, March 12
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Route starts at Broadway and Market
Free, all ages, noon, 314-241-PATS, www.irishparade.org

this pretty much says it all

Saturday, March 12
Wall Ball 2005
City Museum, Architectural Hall, 701 N. 15th St.
$25 advance/$30 door, 21-up, 7 p.m.-midnight, 314-865-0060, www.scosag.org/wallball/

This is a lovely example of a "friend-raising" activity that neatly mirrors the mission of the benefiting organization: in this case, keeping the gift of creative expression flowing for children in St. Louis by coming out and enjoying a night of vicarious creativity, as 33 local artists create art right in front of your eyes, and partygoers have a chance to bid on the artwork on the spot. Besides the art, there's free beer, tasty bites, KDHX DJs and a host committee that includes movers and shakers from Steven Fitzpatrick Smith to Roz and Charles Lowenhaupt. Move! Shake! (AED)

Saturday, March 19
St. Louis Museum Stores Garage Sale
Living World at the St. Louis Zoo, in Forest Park
Free admission, all ages, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 314-781-0090, www.stlzoo.org

Okay, this is nifty: if you've ogled Space Goo at the Science Center, or coveted a tapestry jacket with the evocative rendering of a lone, howling wolf at the Zoo gift shop, today could be your lucky day: the object of your desire could be among the leftover treasures of the combined attractions' shops! Or, it could just be mounds of ill-advised crap they couldn't sell...in either case, a bargain's a bargain, and the garage sale is a good place to take acquisitive kids, who will probably lost interest in whatever you buy anyway. Might as well get a deal! What will it take to put you in this candy dinosaur egg today? (AED)

Friday, March 25
Film: Citizen Ruth
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum auditorium at Washington University, near the Skinker/Forsyth intersection
Free, 7 p.m., 314-935-4523, kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu

Before Alexander Payne got all fancy-pants with the "Sideways" nominations, he made several other outstanding films including this one, a political satire about the over-zealousness and excesses of both the pro-life and pro-choice communities in the abortion debate. Laura Dern plays the title character, struggling with the choice and the fact that she's been made a poster child by opposing sides. And it's still called a "comedy/drama"! Part of the excellent "Inside Out Loud" exhibit currently on view at the Kemper. (AED)

Saturday, March 26
A League of Their Own: Women in Baseball
Missouri History Museum, Lindell & DeBaliviere
Free, all ages, 1 p.m., 314-454-3150, www.mohistory.org

It wasn't just a cute vehicle for potty-mouth Bette Midler and lanky Geena Davis (she's an archeress, too, you know); The All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League really did exist and this afternoon celebrates their contribution. First is a screening of the film "A League of Their Own," and then hear from a fascinating panel that includes three former pro baseball women, who played from the mid-'40s to early-'50s for teams like the Racine Belles, South Bend Blue Sox, Muskegon Lassies and Minneapolis Millerettes. You can bet they've got some stories to tell! (AED)

Saturday, March 26
Concert: Noah Earle
Hartford Coffee Company, 3974 Hartford Ave.
Free, all ages, 7 p.m., noahearle@myway.com, www.noahearle.com

Noah Earle is a third-generation singer-songwriter based in Columbia, MO. His acoustic folk/blues music is a nice match for the comfy confines of Hartford Coffee Company. He has some MP3s available for your listening pleasure on his web site to help you get ready for the show. (BHM)

Monday, March 28
Artist's Slide Talk: Contemporary Quilts/Art Quilts, by Pat Owoc
Center for the Humanities at UM-St. Louis, Gallery 210 Auditorium in the Telecommunity Center (next to North Campus MetroLink)
Free (bring a lunch), all ages, 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m., 314-516-5699

not your grandma's quilt Unless you are among a rarified group of aficionados, I've got some news that may shock you: you don't know jack about quilts these days. I had my eyes opened a few years ago while volunteering for the amazing Quilt National exhibit (which makes its way back to our town this September): we're talkin' quilts made of handpainted silk strips, quilts made of Pepsi cans....crazy, crazy quilts! Artist Pat Owoc can open your eyes, too, to a Whole New World of Textiles. Check it. (AED)

Thursday, March 31
Artist Talk: Matthew Buckingham
Saint Louis Art Museum Auditorium, One Fine Arts Drive in Forest Park
Free, all ages, 7 p.m., 314-721-0072, www.slam.org

We'd kill any such prophet who rose up from our own ranks, right? But bring in a New Yorker, and it's all good: that's because Buckingham (who is, in fact, New York-based) has some interesting truths to tell in his Currents 94 exhibit that opens after the lecture at SLAM. His work, in media from film to sculpture, focuses in this exhibit on St. Louis' love affair with the "clean slate" approach to building (and rebuilding) our town. Let's just clear it all out and start over from scratch! Let's assemble large tracts of land for redevelopment! (Sound familiar?) All that "do-over" has distinctive repercussions for the communities it affects, and Buckingham has explored what's left in its wake. (AED)