St. Louis summer arts guide

MAY

Chihuly in the Garden

May 2–October 15

Experience the works of renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly alongside the blossoms at the Missouri Botanical Garden beginning this month. The specially curated exhibition includes 18 dramatic installations comprised of thousands of pieces of blown glass. Missouri Botanical Garden. 4344 Shaw.

Greater St. Louis Book Fair

May 4–7

The largest charity book fair in the Midwest returns with a variety of hardback and paperback books, records, media, comics, and ephemera—most of which cost less than $5. The fair has hundreds of rare and collectable items in the Collector’s Corner, including first editions, limited editions, and signed copies. Get early admission on Thursday for $15, or visit free Friday through Sunday. Queeny Park, 550 Weidman.

The Damnation of Faust

May 5

Hector Berlioz said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play Faust was so good that “I couldn’t put it down. I read it at meals, in the street.” From that obsession came Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. Stéphane Denève will conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in this performance with Isabel Leonard as Marguerite, Michael Spyres as Faust, and John Relyea as Méphistophélès. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand.

Blaze

May 19–20

Blaze is a curated blend of new works and audience favorites from the Big Muddy Dance Company, the local repertory dance company that seeks to “invigorate life through dance.” Among the works will be world-premiere choreography from both Elizabeth Corbett and Michael Willis. COCA, 6880 Washington.

Emerson SPRING TO DANCE Festival

May 26–27

Dance St. Louis will close its 57th season with the most celebrated dance festival in the Midwest, which invites national touring professional companies to St. Louis. The SPRING TO DANCE Festival includes styles such as modern, ballet, contemporary, aerial, tap, hip-hop, and flamenco, and the performances fill the Touhill’s terrace lobby and main stage with impressive, evocative works. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill.

Twelfth Night

May 31–June 25

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s annual show in Forest Park will have a modern twist this year. Director Lisa Portes’ production of Twelfth Night—one of the bard’s oft-referenced romantic comedies—will be set in current-day Miami Beach, “where Latin expression thrives, love is love, and you never know who you will fall for.” Shakespeare Glen, 6604 Fine Arts.

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PLUS:

Reframing the Narrative: New exhibition brings modern African art to the Kemper.

Looking for some of the biggest concerts coming through St. Louis this year? Check out The Big 2023 St. Louis Concert List.

Meet Me at the Fair

Art and craft fairs abound during spring and summer.

May 12–14 | 36th Annual Art Fair, Laumeier Sculpture Park

The Laumeier Art Fair returns Mother’s Day weekend, with 150 juried artists from across the country.

May 19–21 | Art on the Square, Downtown Belleville Public Square

This juried fine arts festival welcomes approximately 100 artists each year and draws tens of thousands of art lovers to downtown Belleville.

June 2–4 | 19th Annual Webster Arts Fair, Eden Theological Seminary

Located on the seminary’s picturesque grounds, the Webster Arts Fair includes work from more than 100 local and national artists.

August 18–20 | Festival of the Little Hills, St. Charles Main Street

St. Charles’ largest festival of the year welcomes more than 300 craft booths, plus live demonstrations from the region’s talented artisans.

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JUNE

Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s–1970s

June 24–September 3

This exhibition is the Saint Louis Art Museum’s first to explore modern Native American art in the postwar era. Visitors can see an array of paintings, sculptures, textiles, and works on paper created during a period of artistic experimentation and midcentury abstraction. Many of the pieces are from women artists, “whose work remains largely unknown even among specialists.” Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

June 1–24

Ponder modern dilemmas of love, sex, and social class with a musical set in ancient Greece. In this farcical tale, songs by Stephen Sondheim and a plot devised by Burt Shevelove weave a web of misunderstandings. Beyond the puns and double takes, though, viewers might find that A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum tackles a range of timeless questions. New Line Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard.

Susannah

June 10–24

This summer, join the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OSTL) for Susannah, the harrowing story of a young woman facing ostracism from her church community. Although it debuted nearly 70 years ago and is one of the most-performed American operas, OSTL’s production is believed to be the first to feature a stage director and conductor who are both women. Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar.

Gloria: A Life

June 1–18

In this play by Emily Mann, an all-women cast details the life of trailblazing activist and journalist Gloria Steinem. While audiences may be familiar with Steinem’s story, which is the focus of the show’s first act, they’ll be asked in act two to expand the conversation by sharing their own experiences. According to the playbill, “The first act is Gloria’s story; the second is our own.” The New Jewish Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus.

PLUS

Bigger is better for this year’s Open Highway Music Festival

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JULY

Chess

July 5–11

Chess hits The Muny stage for the first time this summer in partnership with the St. Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame. The Cold War–era musical—developed by pop sensation ABBA and lyricist Tim Rice—follows a dramatic face off between two grandmasters, one American and one Soviet. The Muny, 1 Theatre.

Art of the Arcade

July 7–September 22

Pinball wizards (and casual fans) are bound to enjoy this retro-inspired exhibition at Foundry Art Centre. In partnership with Two Plumbers Brewery & Arcade, the collection will feature works that celebrate the “unique, interesting, and fun artistry” of classic cabinet games. We recommend that guests come prepared for a strong dose of childhood nostalgia. Foundry Art Centre Main Galleries, 520 N. Main Center.

Pippin

July 20–23

Travel with the cast of Pippin as they journey across a metaphorical battlefield, traipse through the circus ring, and repeatedly break the third wall. With a whimsical setting and a score by Stephen Schwartz, this award-winning show is a feast for the eyes and the ears. COCA’s production promises to appeal “to the young at heart throughout the world.” COCA, 6880 Washington.

St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase

July 21–30

For the 23rd consecutive year, outstanding local filmmakers will gather to unveil their work. Past awards have honored the best costuming, screenwriting, visual effects, and more in projects that have strong St. Louis ties. On the festival’s final night, a $500 prize will be awarded to the “Best Showcase Film.” Multiple locations.

LaBute New Theater Festival

July 7–23

What started as an evening performance of playwright Neil LaBute’s one-act shows is now celebrating its ninth year as a weeks-long festival. Each summer, LaBute contributes a new play to be staged at The Gaslight Theater alongside a highly curated program of outside submissions. The Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle.

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AUGUST

Vaughn Davis Jr.

August 26–December 17

St. Louis–based artist Vaughn Davis Jr. is bringing his first-ever solo museum exhibition to Laumeier Sculpture Park. Davis works a kind of magic on his canvases. Rips, tears, and draped pieces turn paintings into shape-shifting sculptural objects and leave Davis in a space somewhere between forms. The artist will also create two new flags, which will be displayed on Laumeier’s Northern Grove flagpole, for the exhibition. Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott.

Evolution Festival

August 26 & 27

A “new, elevated music festival experience” is coming to St. Louis. For those who’ve been missing LouFest, Evolution Festival promises to bring a music-festival atmosphere back to Forest Park. The new fest on the block promises to supply its attendees a weekend with plenty of bourbon, barbecue, and bands. Forest Park, 5265 Wells.

Festival of Nations

August 26 & 27

The city’s largest multicultural event returns to Tower Grove Park this year for a weekend of food, music and dance performances, artisans, and fun. Thanks to the many people of different cultures who have made St. Louis their home—and the traditions they’ve brought along—this annual fest staged by the International Institute of St. Louis is one of the city’s favorites. Tower Grove Park, 4257 Northeast.

Art to Make You Smile

August 4–September 1

This exhibition, first dreamed up during the pandemic, is now a standard at Soulard Art Gallery. The prompt for artists is simple: The work must make you smile. The show is curated by gallery chairman Rich Brooks, who began the tradition with his own series of large, outdoor paintings. Soulard Art Gallery, 2028 S. 12th.

PLUS

For the Culture: Hip-Hop and art collide at SLAM.

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Summer Favorites

A primer on some of summer’s hottest events

Kick off your summertime slate of activities with a free concert under the stars. The Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden begins May 31 and continues every Wednesday through August.

Starting June 1, The Big Top will welcome Circus Flora for high-flying fun. The Muny’s 105th season begins with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical June 12 and continues throughout the summer. From June 15–30, Citygarden will host nature-themed films with Cinema at Citygarden. Also keep an eye on PrideFest’s lineup of celebratory events in June.

In July, catch Fair St. Louis and all of its live music, food, and fireworks. Then, take in a tribute to Bastille Day on the second Friday in July with Let Them Eat Art, a free evening of art demonstrations, music, food, and drinks in downtown Maplewood.

During the dog days of August, check out the Blues at the Arch Festival August 11-13 or Grub and Groove on August 12 in Francis Park. Theatergoers can flock to the annual Tennessee Williams Festival’s lineup of events that honor the seminal playwright’s life and work.