This past Friday, the first in October, I chose to venture to the Grand Center Art Galleries to attend First Fridays. During the first Friday of every month, six Grand Center district art galleries are open free to the public, from 5 to 9 p.m. The Bruno David Gallery, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, the Saint Louis University Museum of Art, the Sheldon Art Galleries and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation each participate. All are within walking distance of campus, and it is worth the trip to witness many beautiful pieces of art.
Of the six galleries, my personal favorite was the Sheldon Art Galleries. The first level of the gallery was composed of various photographs from the 20th century that demonstrate what life was like in St. Louis. The second floor, my favorite, had galleries of children’s art, photography, country music artists and paintings by artist Barbara Holtz. The first half of the gallery consisted of Holtz’s work, ranging from paintings of her father and mother to gorgeous landscapes. The next section of the gallery had both photographs of children and drawings done by children themselves. Another gallery contained photographs from country singer Marty Stuart’s mother, Hilda Stuart. This gallery focused on the Stuarts’ life, and especially Marty as a child.
However, my favorite section was the Gallery of Music. This gallery had photographs of country stars, in addition to their personal items, such as clothing and boots. Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Marty Stuart, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson were all represented. To top it off, there was a Marty Stuart concert at 8 p.m. in the Sheldon Concert Hall.
All in all, I would rate this First Friday five out of five stars. It was a night full of rich culture and new experiences that I am glad I was able to enjoy. I highly encourage you to go to the next First Friday, which will be Nov. 7.