Sababa is getting bigger—and St. Louis is invited. After attracting approximately 3,000 guests in 2024, the Sababa Jewish Arts & Culture Festival could welcome as many as 5,000 people when it moves to downtown Clayton on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Headlining the free celebration is Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, joined by an impressive musical lineup that includes Yuval Raphael, Nissim Black, Elana Jagoda and Klezundheit. Rooted in Jewish culture but created for everyone, Sababa—modern Hebrew slang for “awesome” or “cool”—invites the entire St. Louis community to experience contemporary Jewish culture through live music, art, kosher cuisine and family activities. From fine art and a 12-foot-tall “tree of life,” activation inspired by the tradition of placing written messages in Jerusalem's Western Wall, to challah braiding, a bubble party and plenty of pastrami and knishes, there is something for every generation. Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Come curious, come hungry—and absolutely come for Lisa Loeb. With potentially 5,000 people celebrating together in Clayton, that sounds pretty Sababa to us.

St. Louis has long produced extraordinary artistic talent, but some of the city’s most important artists may still be hiding in plain sight. Here, we turn to three respected St. Louis gallerists—William Shearburn, Philip Slein and Tanner Steslow—to identify 18 artists they believe deserve the attention of serious collectors. Their selections range from internationally recognized talents including Kennedy Yanko, Katherine Bernhardt and Tom Friedman to rising and underrecognized artists such as Amy Granat and Jamie Adams (pictured here), whose work may represent compelling opportunities for collectors. The list also revisits historically significant figures such as Ernest Trova, Oliver Lee Jackson, Arthur Osver and Ernestine Betsberg, making the case that collecting well requires looking backward as well as forward. Ultimately, the story is about more than acquiring art. It is about developing the eye and conviction to recognize important work before consensus arrives—and preserving the remarkable artistic legacy and evolving cultural story of St. Louis in the process. Read about the background and see the works here.

This fall, one of St. Louis’ most important yet underappreciated artists returns to the spotlight with a major exhibition in the heart of the Central West End gallery district. Beginning October 23, Philip Slein Gallery presents Edward E. Boccia: An American Modernist, bringing together approximately 30 paintings spanning five decades, including monumental multi-panel works that demonstrate Boccia’s remarkable fusion of Renaissance traditions, Expressionism and deeply personal storytelling. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Edward E. Boccia: Painter of Nightmares and Dreams by art historian Rosa J.H. Berland, the first comprehensive scholarly monograph devoted to the influential longtime Washington University professor and painter. Sophisticated Living readers, collectors and art enthusiasts are invited to experience this long-overdue rediscovery at the opening reception Friday, October 23, from 5–8 p.m. at Philip Slein Gallery, 4735 McPherson Avenue. The exhibition continues through April 23, 2027, offering St. Louis the rare opportunity to reconsider an extraordinary artist in the city where his mature artistic vision flourished.