Let’s start with the assumption that this weekend will actually be the start of spring. It does not matter what the calendar says, that really was frost a few days ago.
And perhaps you have extra family around because of Easter or Passover. Here a couple of ideas to get everyone out of the house.
The well-regarded show at the World Chess Hall of Fame – “A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes, Fashion and Chess” – will close Saturday, and this last week you can get in without paying admission. The buzz about the show started early with such publications as Harper's Bazaar, Art Daily and New York magazine taking interest in the exhibit.
As Brooke Bobb said in Du Jour, "It may seem odd to place an embellished Alexander McQueen dress in the middle of a chess player’s mecca, but it turns out the two have much more in common than you’d think. In fact, there is a poignant, regal symbolism intertwined into both, one that will be explored as part of the upcoming exhibit titled 'A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes, Fashion and Chess'.”
The World Chess Hall of Fame is at 4652 Maryland Ave., in the Central West End. Hours this week are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. It is closed this Sunday.
BBQ & Blues
If you want something other than the galleries, shops and restaurants of the CWE, you might head to downtown Washington, Mo., which is presenting its 6th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Friday and Saturday.
A blog entitled “Visit Flyover Country" – really – gave it a good, but not exceptional, review two years ago. The author, a native St. Louisan, said all he saw (except for one place serving salmon) was pulled pork, but Peppers and More, which was a contestant that year, talked about cooking chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.
One of the competitions this year, on Friday, will be “Anything But” – “any food item cooked on a grill that does not include meat as the main ingredient.”
On Saturday, 50 teams are expected to compete in a Kansas City BBQ Society sanctioned event. For $7, a person can sample the offerings. And as the name suggests, music will be offered throughout the day.
Gallery openings
The Gallery at the Regional Arts Commission presents The Art of Craft, One Definition. In this show, six artists working in metals, ceramic, and fibers “celebrate craft beyond its outdated designation as having utilitarian purpose.”
Opening reception is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday. The show runs through May 17; and a gallery talk will be from 5:30-7 p.m. May 14. The Gallery is at 6128 Delmar Blvd. 63112
Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine St., is opening Silence & Noise with a reception from 6-8 p.m. April 19. The exhibit of 50 works by 49 regional artists runs through May 29.
According to a press release, the works are to “reflect the push/pull of noise or silence. … Artworks featured are either be comprised of clean, simple lines and are visually silent, OR the artworks are multi-layered, messy and thereby visually noisy.”
