St. Louis Arts Coverage by Jeremy Goodwin

“The Work of Art” at St. Louis Art Museum displays art made by people working for the Federal Art Project, a New Deal program better known for its grand, public murals. It includes the first works by African American artists to enter the museum’s collection. Many have never before been on view.

An international fashion show will join the offerings at this weekend’s Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park. Five designers will show work including contemporary designs and clothing that reflects traditional garb found in other countries.

After winning the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in poetry and retiring after three decades teaching at Washington University, Carl Phillips has published a new collection of poems. Like much of his work, they linger on themes like the unreliability of memory and the ever-present specter of loss.

A lawsuit filed Friday asks a judge to force the community radio station to release many of its records, including financial documents and board communication.

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting a trio of the playwright’s early one-act plays. They show the influence the city’s vibrant cinema culture of the 1930s had on the writer.

After 16 years as artistic director of the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, James Robinson is headed west to lead Seattle Opera.

Erin Freeman, a choral director and conductor based in Washington, D.C., will become the third-ever leader of St. Louis Symphony Chorus. Predecessor Amy Kaiser retired in 2022 after 27 years at the helm.

Kate Bergstrom, the new artistic director of Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, plans to lure new audiences while welcoming back theater supporters who’ve drifted away in recent years.

The Artica festival, a gathering for site-specific artworks and offbeat performances, has a home for its 2024 event after months of uncertainty. The event comes to Chouteau’s Landing in October.

Gateway Studios & Production Services in Chesterfield has worked on 40 tours in recent years, including outings by jam kings Phish and high-flying contender Goose. One recent day at the Factory reveals the work that goes on before a band can take the stage.