arts

As a former art history professor, and now adjunct at the University, Julie Plax has a great appreciation for the ancient and the antiquated. It was this love that led her after many years to purchase one of Columbia’s oldest homes — and…

Gloria Gaus Draws on a Lifelong Love to Launch Her Second Act Art Off the Trail, Gloria Gaus’ new studio and art gallery, is — as the name implies — only a few blocks from the Katy Trail in Rocheport. She can be found there on Fridays…

Art enhances our lives in many intangible ways. But for one weekend this month, it will help enhance the lives of countless Columbians in a very tangible way, thanks to the Fall Into Art showcase. Free and open to the public, Fall Into…

The November entertainment calendar in any college town is bound to be a little lopsided. There’s usually a flurry of shows and activities during the first few weeks before things quiet down following the Thanksgiving egress. Quietly,…

One of the least popular pieces of mail to receive, next to bills, is the official summons for jury duty. Despite the disdain for this civic responsibility, there’s no denying that courtroom dramas have been a mainstay of entertainment for…

Sadly, the ever-fabulous Lupus Chili Festival will not be held this year. There is no shortage of October festivals in mid-Missouri (Fayette, Hartsburg and Fulton to name a few, not to mention Stephens College’s Citizen Jane Film…

Meagan O’Neil counts cash for a customer at Central Bank of Boone County. Unfolding each of the bills, she smiles politely and makes small talk about the weather. Meagan is the epitome of professionalism. She’s organized, intelligent and…

Founded in 2008 by Stephens College, the Citizen Jane Film Festival celebrates and showcases female filmmakers, screening their narrative, short and documentary films and hosting panel discussions. But the fest goes far beyond that, hosting…

Photographs by Jennifer Roberts Crafting is trendy these days. Grandmas are not the only ones knitting sweaters. Yarn bombing is the new graffiti. Kids everywhere are learning to crochet cute little animals (amigurumi) and yarn comes in…

More than any of the blues fests I’ve attended over the years, this month’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival in Stephens Lake Park showcases local players front and center and in their best light. Any given year Chump Change, the Bel Airs,…

This month, audiences at Columbia Entertainment Company are in for a special treat with the first ever staging of the melodrama, “Miss Kitty’s Little Pie Shoppe… or How to Make Some Big Dough.” This original work, written by Don Mueller who…

Photo courtesy of L.G. Patterson One of Columbia’s most eagerly anticipated festivals returns to Stephens Lake Park the weekend of Sept. 29–Oct. 1. A mass of music fans hungry for great listening, great eating and an all around great…

They do it at Disneyworld. They do it in Colorado. And now you can do it in Columbia. While world-class talent entertains you from two stages at this year’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, you’ll be wearing the latest digital fashion.…

Every family has one. A secret so embarrassing that all members collectively agree to never discuss it again. Maybe it’s dad’s story of getting lost on his way to Albuquerque without his wallet or mom getting pulled over after one too many…

Mike Dulak has been building mandolins for 22 years. Having spent decades playing in honky-tonks and clubs, he is a seasoned and grizzled musician with the chops to hang with any band you could put him with. Folks in Columbia might…

Every town has a heartbeat. Its pulse is kept alive by the community that thrives there. Some keep Columbia’s heartbeat going during their time devoting years of hard work — and fun — to higher education. Many others stay, and have…

It may be hard to believe but this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast.” The animated feature still retains a special place in many hearts and the familiar songs have kept their roots in many…

Located not far from Columbia in the historic town of Arrow Rock, the Lyceum Theatre brings the finest in professional regional theater to mid-Missouri. The Lyceum was established in 1961 in Arrow Rock’s abandoned Baptist Church.…

One of the most common questions an actor gets asked aside from “How do you memorize all those lines?” is “Did you really have to kiss?” The answer, depending on the actor, is equal parts hilarious as it is impossibly awkward. This month,…

“While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Chuck Berry comes the closest of any single figure to being the one who put all the essential pieces together. It was his particular genius to graft country and western guitar…