By Kallie Cox
St. Louis is a vibrant, bustling, hub for talented artists beginning and thriving in their careers.
While the most well-known places in the city’s art scene tend to be the St. Louis Art Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, there is a wealth of local favorites that give you a different experience.
These include local art galleries, performance venues, music halls, and cocktail lounges that double as art salons.
Below is a guide to a few of these to better explore the city like a local.
Local Galleries
Houska Gallery
Are you in the mood to purchase some unique, locally-made art for your home? Or, perhaps take a stroll through some of St. Louis’ more intimate art exhibits?
These local galleries are perfect for discovering your new artistic muse, while supporting local artists before they make it big.
Houska Gallery
Houska Gallery is located in the Central West End of St. Louis and boasts multiple showrooms with a rotating schedule of exhibitions. The gallery specializes in contemporary art and is home to the work of dozens of artists.
The gallery was originally opened in 1998 as the studio of local pop artist Charles Houska. Houska’s gallery is considered a launch pad for local artists and hosts multiple exhibitions and group shows a year.
It is located at 4728 McPherson Ave and is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Upcoming exhibitions and events are detailed on the gallery’s website.
St. Louis Artists Guild
The St. Louis Artists Guild in Clayton showcases multiple exhibitions a year and hosts a variety of outreach events and classes for the community. It has supported up-and-coming artists since 1886 and has more than 600 members. The organization is currently exhibiting “The Beauty of A Black Man Loving Black Men,” by Tiélere Cheatem in its Ramp Gallery, “Apperception” by artist Sarah Lorentz in its Curated Gallery, and juried exhibit “Clearly Human V,” in its juried gallery.
These exhibits will be displayed until August 24, 2024. To learn more about upcoming classes and exhibits at the gallery visit the St. Louis Artists Guild website.
The St. Louis Artists Guild is located at 12 Jackson Ave, in Clayton, and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Soulard Art Gallery
Soulard Art Gallery is a co-op showcasing the work of 14 different artists in the heart of Historic Soulard. Ranked best art gallery from 2021-2023 by St. Louis Magazine, best art gallery (reader’s choice) in 2017, 2018, and 2023 by the Riverfront Times, and the local’s choice for best art gallery in 2023 by STL Bucketlist, the co-op hosts a diverse set of artistic mediums. The artists involved work in everything from drawing, painting, and photography, to sculpting, pottery, and jewelry making.
The gallery is currently showcasing a juried, all-media exhibition “Who Saved Who,” themed around pet rescue. While this exhibit ends on August 30, 2024, the gallery also hosts a group exhibition each month.
Upcoming exhibitions can be found on the Soulard Art Gallery website. Soulard Art Gallery is located at 2028 S. 12th Street.
Duane Reed Gallery
Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in the Central West End, the Duane Reed Gallery exhibits a range of contemporary artists — many nationally recognized — specializing in painting, sculpture, and photography.
“Works of gallery artists can be found in major public and private collections that include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, The Museum of Arts and Design, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Carnegie Museum, Philadelphia Museum, LA County Museum, Victoria and Albert, and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, to name a few,” the gallery boasts.
Duane Reed Gallery hosts approximately 15 exhibitions per year and its upcoming shows are listed on its website. It is located at 4729 McPherson Avenue.
Experiences
If you are an art lover who prefers a more active approach to appreciating the local scene, or if you’re a parent looking for art-related activities to enjoy with your children, these experiences are for you.
Perennial
Perennial is a non-profit that hosts hands-on classes and workshops that teach folks how to make art from sustainable materials. These classes include woodworking, stained glass, mosaics, bookbinding, sewing, and survival crafts for the apocalypse.
Perennial is the perfect place to visit if you want to be creative and learn a new skill all while helping the environment by recycling materials. By repurposing what others would consider waste into art, the organization is able to divert 10,000 lbs of waste from landfills, it says.
The organization is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It is located at 3762 S Broadway. Events and class schedules can be found on its website.
Laumeier Sculpture Garden
Laumeier Sculpture Garden is a perfect way to get your steps in and enjoy a coffee while also appreciating unique sculptures and exhibitions. Laumeier is one of the first, and largest sculpture gardens in the country.
The garden has dozens of works on display and hosts rotating performances and exhibits throughout the year. Additionally, it hosts a calendar of yoga classes, family art workshops, and wine tastings that can be found on its website.
The garden is free and open from 7 a.m. until 30 minutes past sunset daily and is located at 12580 Rott Road.
Mural Mile
Graffiti artists nationwide have staked their claim on a section of St. Louis’ famed Mural Mile. The Mural Mile, also known as Paint Louis, is painted on the Mississippi floodwall and features the work of more than 250 artists.
If you visit the floodwall every few years, you’ll likely have a slightly different experience each time as it is frequently painted over and artists paint new murals annually.
The Mural Mile is located between Victor and Chouteau Avenues, south of the Gateway Arch.
Music/Performance
The Opera Theatre of St. Louis
If you have a flair for the dramatic and prefer to listen to talented musicians or watch theatrical performances, St. Louis has just the scene for you.
Jazz
St. Louis is home to a vibrant Jazz community and its many clubs and venues host some of the most talented musicians in the genre. Many of these venues also offer food and wine and are excellent choices for a romantic night on the town:
Jazz St. Louis– located at the Steward Center (3536 Washington Avenue). This Jazz & Blues club offers monthly “jam sessions,” as well as a full calendar of performances that can be found on its website.
Blue Strawberry– A showroom and lounge that regularly hosts Jazz concerts as well as artists and composers of other genres, it is located at 364 N. Boyle Ave.
The Dark Room-The Dark Room at the Grandel is operated by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. In addition to other shows and art exhibits, it hosts a weekly, free Jazz night every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is located at 3610 Grandel Square.
Opera
The Opera Theatre of St. Louis has a 50-year history of awe-inspiring performances. It is located at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 130 Edgar Road, and outside of its gorgeous theater is a garden that is perfect for pre-show picnics. Tickets for performances at the theater start at $25. While the 2024 season came to a close on June 30, details on its 2025 season are available here.
If you are between seasons and would like to view other theatrical performances or musicals, St. Louis Arts has a list of 2024 performances in the city that we highly recommend.
The Muny
Wildly popular among locals, the Muny is a cherished summertime tradition that offers a variety of plays and musicals at its outdoor theater in Forest Park.
For the end of its 2024 season, it will be showing Waitress July 30-August 5, In the Heights August 9-August 15, and Anything Goes August 19-August 25.
Picnics are encouraged and the venue also has a cafe and concession stand.
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre has been “unleashing the art” since 2003. The theatre’s mission is to make theater more accessible, celebrate diversity and inclusiveness, and to serve as a safe haven for artistic expression.
In addition to putting on a robust season of performances, the theater gives back to the community by teaching children, or “stray pups” the art of theatre and gives them a place to perform.
The theater is currently putting on “Ruthless” until Aug. 24, and then it will show its final two plays of the season “Nevermore” and “Bell, Book & Candle.”
Stray Dog Theatre is located at 2336 Tennessee Avenue. To purchase tickets or view the performance schedules, visit the theatre’s website.
Food/Drink
Sophie’s Artist Lounge
Looking to wind down with a cocktail or grab a bite to eat after a long day exploring the city? These establishments have excellent options and double as art galleries.
High Low Literary Arts Cafe
Operated by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, High Low doubles as a coffee shop and gallery.
It is open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and customers can order Blueprint coffee before strolling the cafe’s gallery. It has a full calendar of exhibitions, artist panels, and poetry readings and is frequented by writers and artists from the city.
On Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., the cafe hosts its “High Noon” event and invites the community to free artistic programming during their lunch hour.
High Low is located at 3301 Washington Ave, more information about upcoming events can be found on its website.
Sophie’s Artist Lounge
Sophie’s Artist Lounge offers a cocktail menu with non-alcoholic options patrons can enjoy while wandering its gallery of street art. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, which operates the venue, describes it as: “an immersive art lounge servicing up high fidelity audio-visuals with a creative cocktail-focused menu.” The lounge features different DJs and is open from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. from Wednesday-Saturday.
The lounge’s Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday happy hour deals, as well as its calendar of events, can be found on its website. It is located at 3333 Washington Ave.
Venice Cafe
Venice Cafe is a local treasure and represents the wacky, weird vibe that is St. Louis. The bar and beer garden is filled with unique art, sculptures, and colorful mosaics. The bar is cash only and features “funky folk art,” and a basic drink menu with cocktail selections and beer. Food is not served, but outside food is allowed.
The cafe frequently hosts concerts and has a full calendar of performances on its website every month. Venice Cafe is located at 1903 Pestalozzi St. and is open 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day except Sunday.
St. Louis boasts a lifetime of art to explore and this list is by no means all-encompassing of everything the city has to offer. For more options on where to look for art in the Lou, visit our “Find Your Vibe” tool which can show you experiences and venues based on your vibe of the day.
Kallie Cox is a former staff writer at the Riverfront Times. They began writing freelance content for the StLouisArts.org in June 2024.
Photo credit: Houska Gallery website, The Opera Theatre of St. Louis Facebook, Sophie’s Artist Lounge Facebook, Venice Cafe Facebook
