When Saint Louis University freshman Lauren Remspecher first saw the oversize fiberglass cake in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, she was enchanted. She read up on stl250’s Cakeway to the West (stl250.org/cake.aspx), an art project for which 250 festively painted fake cakes have been placed in front of 250 St. Louis attractions in tribute to our burg’s 250th anniversary. On impulse, she decided to visit all 250 cakes, photograph them, and blog about the experience at A St. Louis Cakewalk (astlouiscakewalk.wordpress.com).
“Visiting all 250 seemed so impossible, but it’s such a great way to explore St. Louis,” Remspecher says. She’s a long way from being finished, “but the cakes are only on display through this year, so I have a deadline of December 31. Some of the cakes are pretty far away. I’m planning a jaunt to Augusta, Mo., and I don’t even know where that is.”
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Cathedral Basilica
Artists: Martha Clark/Sara Scott
“The New Cathedral one was the first one I saw. It’s painted to resemble a mosaic. The cathedral has one of the largest mosaics in the Western hemisphere. If you go to Mass there, you’re too distracted to pay attention.”
Tower Grove Park
Artist: Mark Swain
“It’s still my favorite. It has a park motif with silhouettes of people walking their dogs, and on the back, the fountain and the trees. That’s how I learned the fountain was made with stone from an old hotel that burned down.”
The Old Courthouse
Artist: Henryk Ptasiewicz
“I’d heard of the Dred Scott case in elementary school. On the cake, there’s chains. I didn’t even notice the face. It’s freaky-looking, but also awesome.”
Steinberg Skating Rink
Artist: Ian Greenlee
“With the one at Steinberg Skating Rink, I was confused, because it has balloons. Then I realized that was for The Great Forest Park Balloon Race. It’s so pretty.”
