Category: Events

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Events South St. Louis Southwest Garden

Walking Tour of Southwest Garden This Saturday

Landmarks Association Sponsors Tour of Southwest Garden Neighborhood Led by Edna Gravenhorst

When: Saturday, November 8 at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Meet at the Southwest Garden Neighborhood Association Office, 4950 Southwest Avenue

Contact: Landmarks Association, 314-421-6474

FREE

On November 8, Landmarks Association sponsors a free walking tour of the Southwest Garden neighborhood, one of south city’s best-kept secrets. Edna Campos Gravenhorst, author of the new pictorial history Southwest Garden, will lead people down charming residential streets, robust commercial districts and the scene of the famous Great St. Louis Bank Robbery.

The tour starts at 10:30 a.m. at the office of the ever-busy Southwest Garden Neighborhood Association (4950 Southwest Avenue), where President Floyd Wright will welcome the crowd and discuss current projects in the neighborhood. Then the tour moves to the Southwest bank where former bank president Ed Berra will provide a tour and tell people about the famous 1953 robbery that was immortalized in the Steve McQueen film The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery. After the bank, Edna will narrate a walk to houses ranging from 20th century Craftsmans to 19th century revival-style beauties. The tour will include Gurney and Heger Courts as well as the storefront commercial architecture of the area. Visitors will see all sides of a beautiful neighborhood near the garden.

Southwest Garden was commissioned by the Southwest Garden Neighborhood Association in celebration of the associationʼs 30th anniversary. The book is divided into four historical walking tours with twenty sites in each tour. The oldest landmarks in the book are the Botanical Garden, Tower Grove Park, the State Hospital, Campbell Plaza and Fire Station 35.

Categories
Events Historic Preservation Illinois Southern Illinois

Fort de Chartres Hosting Winter Rendevous November 1 and 2; Closure Extended to November 30

by Michael R. Allen

This past weekend, on October 4th and 5th, the annual French and Indian War Assemblage took place at Fort de Chartres near Prairie du Rocher, Illinois. Crowds of people, a few shown here in photos taken at the end of the weekend, watched reenactors depict fort life at the time of the war that led to the French retreat from North America. Visitors to the Assemblage were among the thousands of people who enjoy visits to Fort de Chartes each year. Last year, 38,100 people visited a site where some of Illinois’ earliest history unfolded.

The event may be the last at the site, depending on how the state historic site fares in the state budget negotiations expected to start up again in January. For now, Fort de Chartres remains open until November 30, and is anticipating the usual great attendance at its annual Winter Rendezvous, held November 1st and 2nd. The potentially chilly weekend will feature period costume and camping as well as games, music and demonstrations. St. Louisans should consider the relatively short trip to the forth then to have fun, learn and demonstrate our support for a part of our region’s French colonial heritage. More information is online here. Directions to Fort de Chartres are located here.

Categories
Architecture Art Downtown Events

Architecture St. Louis’ First Exhibit Opens on Friday

Following the launch of educational programs at its new downtown home, Architecture St. Louis, Landmarks Association of St. Louis hosts its first public exhibit opening at the new space this Friday, October 10.

In conjunction with the American Institute of Architects – St. Louis Chapter and the chapter’s Young Architects Forum, Landmarks presents After Hours, a juried student drawing competition shown alongside assorted work (furniture, photography, collage, painting) produced by young architects either unlicensed or within ten years of licensure. Subjects range from St. Louis architecture to nature to modern furniture.

Opening: Friday, October 10 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (Work will be on display 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday for the subsequent two weeks.)

Where: Architecture St. Louis, 911 Washington Avenue #170 (located in the arcade of the Lammert Building)

Categories
Events JeffVanderLou North St. Louis Northside Regeneration St. Louis Place

Neighbors for Social Justice Hosts Rally and March on Saturday

From Neighbors for Social Justice:

September 26, 2008
Contact: Sheila Rendon 621-6002 or neighborsforsj@aol.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Neighbors for Social Justice continue to call Paul McKee and Mayor Slay to account. On Saturday October 4th 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. near Northside residents will march and rally. The march begins at Sts. Teresa and Bridget’s Catholic Church on North Market and Grand continuing East to N. Market and N. Florissant for rally and speakers.

Speakers include Alderpersons April Ford Griffin, Sheila Rendon and other community representatives.

Neighbors for Justice is comprised of residents from the 5th and 19th Wards. We want Paul McKee and Mayor Francis Slay to end the disrespect they have shown our community. We call for a moratorium on any sales to Paul McKee. As neighborhood residents we want a voice in any development plans for our community. As his constituents, we want Mayor Slay to publicly meet with us and support our efforts.

Categories
Events Rehabbing

Rehabbers Club Classes Begin This Wednesday

ReVitalize St. Louis and the St. Louis Rehabbers Club are extremely excited to announce that the 2008 Fall Rehabbers Club Classes will be sponsored by St. Louis Chapter of AIA [American Institute of Architects] Bookstore. They are located at 911 Washington Avenue in the Lammert Building downtown. This location is centrally-located, close to MetroLink and MetroBus lines, on-street parking is plentiful and it is fully accessible.

Directions from your location are here.

Classes begin on Wednesday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m. and the semester will run for eight consecutive weeks. Sessions are two hours long and there is time set aside during each class for Q & A. Details and descriptions are provided on the website on
this page

Topics include:
— Buying A Foreclosure
— Pioneering Partnerships
— Funding Your Rehab
— Working With A Contractor
— Neighbors in Action
— Real Estate Law 101
— Green Rehabbing
— Smart Landlording

The fee for each class is $10 [$15 at the door] or you can purchase an eight-class package for $70. You may pay online using PayPal.

Categories
Art Events

Rust Belt Readings Inaugural is September 26

Rust Belt Readings is pleased to present:

An evening of poetry with

VICTORIA BROCKMEIER
winner of the 2008 T.S. Eliot Prize
(Buffalo, NY)

and MICHAEL R. ALLEN
(St. Louis, MO)

When: Friday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, 3151 Cherokee Street (http://www.fortgondo/. com)
FREE

About the readers:

Missouri native Victoria Brockmeier‘s first book, my maiden cowboy names, won the 2008 T.S. Eliot Prize. This is the latest accomplishment for someone who has worked as a waitress, a web designer, a drive-thru girl, an artist’s model, an Air Force marketing specialist, & a palmist. Her poetry has appeared in LIT, Boston Review, Natural Bridge, The Texas Review, & Inkwell. Brockmeier currently is a candidate for a PhD in poetics at the University at Buffalo, where she teaches. She earned her MFA in poetry at Louisiana State University in 2004. She believes that poetry can save the world.

Best known as an architectural writer, Michael R. Allen edits Ecology of Absence. Allen also has published poetry, drama and prose in journals including flim, Can we have our ball back?, The Adirondack Review and The Implosion. Additionally, he co-edited MPRSND: A Journal of Experimental Writing from 2001-2005 and has read at venues ranging from the River Styx Hungry Young Poets series to anachist book fairs to a morning television news program.

More information: Email or call 314-920-5680.
Categories
Events Media Urban Exploration

"Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness" Screens Thursday

Ever wonder what it’s like to prowl an abandoned asylum in the night? What you’ll find in the darkest corners of Paris’ catacombs? Who is sleeping in an abandoned, moldy “house of the future” on a Florida roadside?

Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness follows people who have sought answers to these questions. One of the best things about the film is that rather than make itself about places that are featured in two hundred photos on Flickr, the director hits at a more elusive aspect of urban exploration: the personalities and motivations of those who self-identify as explorers. The film is more of an inquiry into the handful of explorers profiled, and includes great interviews and some laugh-out-load hijinks.

The film screens at 7pm Thursday, September 11 at the Winifred Moore Auditorium at Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood Avenue in Webster Groves.

Thomas Crone has an interview with directory Melody Gilbert here.

Categories
Events Historic Preservation Illinois Metro East Salvage

Scenes from the Building Arts Foundation Tour

by Michael R. Allen

Over 50 people attended Saturday’s Rehabbers Club tour of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation Conservatory in Sauget, Illinois. Foundation President Larry Giles discussed the past, present and future of his unique collection of architectural artifacts and the equally-unique former steel foundry that is now its home. See more photographs here.
Categories
Events Historic Preservation Illinois Metro East People Salvage

St. Louis Building Arts Foundation Conservatory Tour on Saturday

Drawing (c. 1955) courtesy of Larry Giles.

The Rehabbers Club presents:

Tour of St. Louis Building Arts Foundation Conservatory

Saturday August 23, 2008
2:00 p.m.

Join us for a very special tour at the Conservatory of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation led by founder Larry Giles. The Foundation was created in 2002 to help realize Larry’s dream of opening a museum of architecture centered on his collection of nearly 300,000 architectural artifacts assembled during a 35-year career as an architectural salvage specialist.

In 2005, the Foundation purchased the former Sterling Steel Casting foundry in Sauget, Illinois. The site, called the Conservatory, will eventually serve as an off-site facility for the architectural museum. Till then it will serve as interim interpretive center and library.

The 15-acre site includes 13 historic foundry buildings built between 1923 and 1959 that the Foundation is rehabbing as the home for Larry’s collection, previously stored in four different locations. Larry has already completed an impressive amount of work at the complex and moved over half of the collection there.

Don’t miss this rare chance to come inside and see both a marvelous collection of architectural artifacts as well as a one-of-a-kind historic rehabilitation project!

Note: Due to ongoing work, public access is limited and there are no bathroom facilities.

If you’d like to carpool or caravan, meet at 1:30 in the Quiznos parking lot at 1535 South 7th Street in Soulard. Or you can meet us there promptly at 2:00 p.m.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS [for map graphic, approximate address, 2300 Falling Springs Road,
62206]:

1. Take eastbound I-55/I-64 traveling across the Poplar Street Bridge
2. Exit onto southbound Illinois Route 3
3. LEFT turn at Monsanto Avenue
4. RIGHT turn onto Falling Springs Road
5. LEFT turn into parking area at St. Louis Steel Castings foundry

TO RETURN:

1. RIGHT turn onto Falling Springs Road from parking lot
2. LEFT turn onto Monsanto Avenue
3. Right turn onto Illinois Route 3
4. Look for westbound I-55/I-64 [left lane], enter ramp to Poplar Street Bridge

Categories
Eminent Domain Events JeffVanderLou Northside Regeneration

Eminent Domain Coalition Meeting on Thursday in JVL

Citizens Coalition to Fight Eminent Domain Abuse

Come Join US
At
JVL Daycare Center
2953 M.L. King
August 21, 2008
At 6pm to 7:30pm

Special guests:
Ed Martin, Former Assistant to the Governor
Marvin Steele, Paul McKee Properties Consultant

For more information contact: Isaiah Hair, Jr. at 314-38707592 or Pam Talley at 314-535-6867.