Flowers, food, fun!: April 13-22

Last week, my mother and I had a mother - daughter morning at the St. Louis Art Museum.  We went to see the current exhibit, An Orchestrated Vision.  The exhibit features staged photography.  One photographer went so far as to import snow in order to complete his vision.  The exhibit is here until May 13th.  I find a morning trip with the St. Louis Art Museum followed but lunch at Bixby's to be a wonderful start to the day.  Grab a a friend and get out of the rain this weekend at one of our local museums.

Since I didn't get my blog up when I wanted to at the beginning of the week, I'm rolling this weekend into next week's post.  There is a lot going on this weekend and next week.


The Italian Film Festival starts tonight (Friday, April 13th) and runs until Saturday, April 28th at Washington University.  The event is free, check their website for more details and showtimes.
www.italianfilmfestivalstlouis.com

Celebrate the end of one other worst periods of American History...Prohibition at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood on Saturday, April 14th from 12- 5pm.  $25 (advance), $30 (day of) gets you beer tastings, live music and a commemorative glass.
 
On Sunday, April 15th, Earth Day is being celebrated in Forest Park at the Muny Grounds from 11am-6pm.  There will be everything from live music to food to educational exhibits. 

Tuesday, April 17th, from 9:30am-12, enjoy spring at Shaw Nature Reserve.  The Spring Wildflower Walk leaves from the visitor center.  The informal class costs $8, reservations are requested but not required.

Still I Rise: A celebration of St. Louis Poets is a poetry event being held at the St. Louis Artists' Guild.  Tuesday, April 17th from 7-9pm, you can celebrate Poetry Month listening to readings of poems by St. Louis poets.

Art + Happy Hour= A Great Evening!  Thursday, April 19th (and the third Thursday of every month), the Contemporary Art Museum hosts a happy hour from 6-9pm.  There is a $5 cover charge, beer costs $1 and mixed drinks are $2.  There is also a DJ and of course, art.

Get out of town on Friday, April 20th and Saturday, April 21st and go to nearby Washington, MO.  Friday from 5-10pm and Saturday from 12-8pm the annual BBQ and Bluesfest will be going on.  Admission is free by the BBQ tasting on Saturday costs $7.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens is hosting the Metropolitan St. Louis African Violet Council Sale and Mid America Regional Lily Society Sale on April 21st & 22nd from 9am-5pm.  Buy a plant and get advice on how to care for it from experts.  The event is included with admission to the garden.

In Full Bloom: April 2-8

The replica of the Mastodon skeleton, the original is in London

On Saturday, I journeyed south to Imperial.  Just thirty minutes south of downtown in Imperial, is Mastodon State Historic Site.  In 1839, excavations of the park uncovered a Mastodon skeleton.  Today there is a museum dedicated to the Mastodon and the people of the Clovis culture who later excavations revealed were also living there at the same time.  After going through the museum you can follow the wildflower trail down to the site of the bone bed.  There is also a bird garden and a museum annex for children.

Mayapples in bloom along the wildflower trail

The Mastodons and Mammoths exhibit will be at the Missouri History Museum through April 15th.  Go by the Missouri History Museum and get the full story of the mega-fauna, then get out of town and head to Imperial to see where the bones were uncovered locally.

The Contemporary Art Museum must have some understanding of how hard it is to parent and maintain a your eye for art.  On Tuesday (and the first Tuesday of every month for that matter), they hold a Stoller Tour.  Parents and their crying babies are invited from 9-10am for complementary coffee and pastries. 

" Fiddler on the Roof " is playing at the newly renovated Peabody Opera House from April 3-8.  Make a date night out of it and try Mango Peruvian Cuisine's pre-theater menu.  From 4-6pm, Monday- Saturday, Mango offers a three course dinner for only $20.  It's a great deal at a great restaurant!

At the Crossroads: Exploring Black Identity in Contemporary Art at the St. Louis Art Museum is in its last week.  If you haven't had a chance to see this exhibit which six African American artists yet, may sure to go by this week.

Happy Arbor Day!  What better way to celebrate than with the free tree give away?  Friday, you can pick from a variety of trees, get tips on how to plant your tree from experts at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Dogwood Blossoms at Mastodon Historical Site