Brad Walls is a New York-based visual artist originally from Sydney, Australia. He is known for his unique aerial perspective, transforming movement and everyday environments into minimalist works that emphasize symmetry and negative space. His subjects, including synchronized swimmers and ballet dancers, become studies in geometry and rhythm. The final product of his unique perspective is visually arresting, as the image transforms familiar scenes into something unexpected.
Read MoreCan you name a place that you can go for Halloween whether you’re a soccer mom or a school-aged child? City Museum, that’s where. Yes, adults can indulge at the Vampire Bar, Covens & Cauldrons Witches Bar or at Beatnik’s Bob, while the kids enjoy all manner of fun in the spooktacular playground. Halloween season at the museum runs October 1 -26.
Read MoreOn Friday, May 16, 2025, devastation swept through the City of St. Louis. Alarms were silent, although the deafening sound of the catastrophic tornado roared. The ear-piercing winds shattered lives and buildings. Yet, out of the rubble, voices still ring out. This October, the Union Avenue Opera will “lift every voice and sing.” Voices of Union Avenue Opera will rise in performances of the first-ever “One-Act Festival.” The festival will be held in an alternate part of the church that was spared within the historic Union Avenue Christian Church. Get tickets.
Read MoreEight members of the St. Louis Circus Harmony troupe just returned from Stuttgart Germany after soaring high when reuniting with their partners there, Circus Circuli! This marks the fourth collaboration between the two youth circuses from the sister cities of St. Louis, Missouri and Stuttgart, Germany.
Read MoreJust in time for fall, Pirates & Pumpkins makes landfall at The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19 marks the opening this special event. The pirate invasion will continue through November 2. The Aquarium is decorated with pirate-themed scenes, including a ghost ship with smoking, booming cannons. Pumpkin carving demonstrations and trick-or-treating happen as it gets closer to Halloween.
Read MoreContrary to popular belief, Labor Day does not signal the end of summer, rather the annual ritual on Art Hill, the SLSO free concert is summer’s swan song. The celebratory event signals the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s season opener. 2025 rings in the Gateway City’s milestone 2025/26 146th season on Wednesday, September 17th. The festivities begin at 7pm. Fireworks will emblazon the skies over Forest Park’s Grand Basin to top of the night.
Read MoreSince 2017, OxFest has donated more than $322,000 to local charities that help and support children. Providing scholarships for local high school students; grants for teachers to improve their classrooms; and helping impoverished rural families with children receive the healthcare they need, the OxFest Music Festival is expected to add thousands of dollars to the causes. Held this year on the Washington Fairgrounds in Washington, MO on Saturday, September 20th, gates open at 11:30am. Music begins at 12pm.
Read MoreOne hundred years after first opening its doors, the building known as Powell Symphony Hall has a new $140 million, 64,000 square foot complex and it has a new name, the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, named after the late founder of Enterprise Holdings. With opening weekend concerts from September 26-28, the public will get to see what these millions of dollars have wrought. The result is simply spectacular and it consists of two very distinct parts: Powell Hall and the new Snøhetta-designed addition. Combined you have the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. Details here.
Read MoreFall is in the air. Can’t you feel it? Yes, the calendar still says August, but Mother Nature says otherwise. In true St. Louis fashion, she flipped the script on us again and the weather went from a hot and humid 97 one week to 72 degrees the next, with not a humid in sight. And the nights. Once the moon makes his nightly debut during this faux fall, the temps dip into the 50’s. Sugar plum sparks dance above bonfires. Hoodies and sweaters are donned. Suddenly, it feels like fall is here. And not a moment too soon. Because Sophisticated Living’s September/October issue is here.
Read MoreMUSE: The Styled Course, is an intimate, one-night-only fashion and culinary experience and couture-inspired dinner where fashion meets flavor. Happening October 2, 2025, at 21C Museum Hotel St. Louis, it is a production of Brainchild Next. MUSE pairs Chef Bonnie Moore, Executive Chef of Idol Wolf, with acclaimed designer Shanna Britta for a four-course dinner inspired by fashion, styled with intention.
Read MoreThanks to patron of the arts Mary Strauss, the Missouri Historical Society will soon become the steward of an extraordinary private collection of Josephine Baker memorabilia. This generous charitable bequest from the longtime St. Louis philanthropist ensures that the legacy of the legendary entertainer and civil rights activist– born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis’ Mill Creek neighborhood– will be preserved and shared for generations to come. The full scope of the bequest, one of the largest of its kind to the organization, was publicly revealed during a ceremony on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the Missouri History Museum.
Read MoreJust revealed is the complete 25/26 season of The Rep. The start of the season begins just after Labor Day with the sharp-witted fresh comedy The Cottage. The Virginia Jackson Browning Theatre (mainstage productions) run September 3, 2025 through April 2, 2026. In addition to The Cottage, the mainstage season feature The Woman in Black, Emma, Primary Trust, and Gypsy. Also on the mainstage one night only is The Ugly Duckling, the final performance from Imaginary Theatre Company. The productions at the Emerson Studio at the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts 25/26 feature The Brothers Size, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, and The Enigmatist.
Read MoreInternationally acclaimed photographer and Sony Artisan of Imagery Andy Katz mesmerizes global audiences with his breathtaking photography that explores the intersection of nature, light, and raw beauty. His lifelong passion for photography, nature, and storytelling propels his ongoing quest to unite and inspire through the lens of his camera. What started as a childhood fascination quickly evolved into a profound calling that would take him across continents, to over 90 countries, capturing the beauty and mystery of far-flung destinations. See more.
Read MoreThe St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and the Fabulous Fox announced that more than $350,000 has been raised to support the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ Disaster Relief Fund, a joint initiative that included a benefit concert on June 29 at the Fabulous Fox and a related online donation effort.
Read MoreFor ten years now, the institution (and yes, they can officially call it an institution at the decade mark) has lifted high the banner and has been the siren call that beckons all to bask in the brilliance of St. Louis’ adopted son, and arguably the greatest playwright in the nation, the inimitable Tennessee Williams. This month and next, the festival shifts into high gear with events at the St. Louis County Library, the Missouri History Museum, a CWE mansion, and the eleven day festival itself in the Grand Center Arts District.
Read MoreAs you globe trot this summer, you may notice that the planet is getting warmer. 2024 was the warmest year on record since 1880. Record-setting temps have swept the country in June, and St. Louis is no exception with the heat index soaring to 105 degrees or more. It’s about to heat up a whole lot more, especially when the July/August issue of Sophisticated Living St. Louis hits your mailbox, or you pick it up at one of our advertisers. If you’re reading this, you’re probably from the Show-Me State, and as always we SHOW YOU the best in fashion, travel, cuisine, architecture, design, and philanthropic endeavors to be, well, for lack of a better word...seen.
Read MoreOn June 5th, Joan Lipkin’s “Queer Writes 2025” at the Missouri History Museum helped launch Pride Month this year. In its third outing, the community was showcased. In 2023, the award-winning theatre artist, Lipkin, founded this out-of-the-box literary event of local LGBTQ+ writers or those with St Louis roots. It was the most ambitious production to date. “Queer Writes” is part of the Missouri History Museum’s Pride Month programming as well as its Thursday Night at the Museum series.
Read MoreThe national observation of Juneteeth commences with the opening of The Missouri Historical Society Tuskegee Airmen: America’s Freedom Flyers at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum on June 19. The exhibit will run through November 2, 2025. This exhibit tells the story of the first Black pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps and their courageous service during World War II. Through images and interpretive panels, Tuskegee Airmen: America’s Freedom Flyers celebrates the resilience and impact of these trailblazing servicemen who fought for freedom abroad and equality at home. Details here.
Read MoreThe St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and the Fabulous Fox are holding a special concert fundraiser to support the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’s ongoing relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts following the May 16 tornado. This collaborative effort features the SLSO and members of its two resident choruses performing a variety of music on at the Fabulous Fox at 3:00pm, Sunday, June 29. Gospel and R&B singer and Grammy Award-winning vocalist BeBe Winans joins the orchestra and choruses for this community-centered special event.
Read MoreArtist Jeremy booth recently wrapped up his solo show, “Sweat and Blood,” at the Square One Gallery in St. Louis’ Central West End. His digital art painting in acrylic have been seen at the Marfa Invitational, and featured in Christie's 2024 Beyond the Screen exhibition and auction at Art Basel and a group exhibition at Sotheby’s NYC. His multidisciplinary work has navigated through the “Wild West” of NFTs en route to capturing the nostalgic-laden landscape of the American West on large-scale canvases.
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