ladue | Renowned historian and presidential biographer Jon Meacham will appear March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Clark Family Branch of St. Louis County library. In the Post Event Space (the lecture hall on the first floor), Meacham will discuss his latest book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, in conversation with Jody Sowell, president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society. Meacham, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is perhaps best known for significant biographies of U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. But in this volume, he explores the challenges we face today by presenting the widely varied perspectives about the significance of what happened in the past. In our polarized era, Meacham asserts that history has become a subject of political contention. Many see America as perfect; others contend that the national experiment is fundamentally flawed. The truth, Meacham argues, lies between these extremes. In American Struggle, he illuminates the nation’s complicated past. This rich and diverse accounting covers a broad swath of history, from 1619 to the twenty-first century, with primary-source documents that take the reader back to critical moments when Americans fought over the meaning and the direction of our republic. Tickets, which include a signed book and admission for either one or two guests, are available at eventbrite.com. The library’s Clark Family Branch is on Lindbergh Boulevard across from the Plaza Frontenac.
creve coeur
World War II brought more unique horrors than just the Holocaust in Europe. In 1942, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt forced the imprisonment of all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, which was home to the second-largest population of Japanese people living outside of Japan. To commemorate this period, the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum has opened “Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy,” which will run through April 4. Told from the point of view of Sansei, or third-generation Japanese Americans, “Resilience” is an exhibition of eight artists whose work reflects on internment camps as the horrible experience has resonated from generation to generation. While several of the artists employ traditional Japanese methods—e.g., kimono cutouts honored in ceramic vessels—others use cultural iconography as a starting point—such as photographs-as-kimono and columns of replicated camp ID tags. The artists express moments of deep pain and reluctant acceptance, emotions which were often withheld by their elders. The exhibition intends to cultivate social dialogue and change around racism, hysteria and economic exploitation. “These artists lived through years of silence about the camps,” the co-curators say. “That silence made a deep impression on them.” It is a relevant installation for the museum, which is dedicated to using the history and lessons of the Holocaust to reject hatred, promote understanding and inspire change. It is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information can be found at stlholocaustmuseum.org/resilience-2.
kirkwood
Get your kicks on Route 66— at the National Museum of Transportation in southwest Kirkwood, which will have a special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ‘Mother Road.’ “Roads, River, Rooms & Reels” opens March 14 and will explore the stories, memories and modes of travel that helped shape America’s most iconic highway and the communities connected to it. Two very special features will anchor the exhibit, one ‘river,’ one ‘road.’ Visitors won’t be able to help themselves; they will gawk at a stunning 26-foot model of the S.S. Admiral, beautifully restored by the skilled craftsmen of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 36, honoring the legendary riverboat that once defined river travel and entertainment in the Midwest. It was anchored below the Gateway Arch for decades after being retired, became a stationary casino for a spell, then was towed to Alton, Illinois, and reduced to tons of scrap. The exhibit will also spotlight the beloved ‘66’ Park-In Theatre on Watson Road, owned by the Wehrenberg family and a treasured symbol of drive-in movie culture. A shopping center including a Schnucks supermarket and several big-box stores has replaced the giant screen and parking lot. Now, listen up: As part of the exhibition, the museum invites the public to participate in a special storytelling initiative titled ‘I Remember…’ Community members are encouraged to share personal memories of the S.S. Admiral, the ‘66’ Park-In Theatre, or any drive-in theater back in the day. But you’d better get rolling, and fast: Essays must be received by Jan. 25, and selected submissions may become part of the exhibition. So, you’re on deadline! Entries of 600 words or less should be emailed to museum@tnmot.org with the subject line ‘I Remember.’
notable neighbors
delmar loop
Since April 2009, the Moonrise Hotel has been the only place for an overnight stay in the Delmar Loop. Mel van den Bergh is general manager of the Moonrise, where “The difference is night and day,” like both sides of his business card. On the front is a smiling crescent moon and stars, on the back, a retro-style spaceship battle with a woman firing a weapon at a pursuing spaceship. She’s facing backward next to the pilot, who’s wearing a helmet with no face mask, kind of like he just left a 1940s college football game. She, of course, is wearing no head protection, her strawberry-blonde locks flowing behind her alongside a cape. It’s how they must have imagined around World War II what a human-alien dogfight might look like. Y’know, with a femme fatale at the controls of the laser cannon. Retro/anachronistic could sum up the look and feel of much of the Moonrise’s décor and vibe, what with display cases chock-full of space-age toys and other vintage doodads reflecting what creatives in Buck Rogers’ day must have imagined space travel would be sometime in the future. And that’s just inside. To enhance the overall futuristic vibe from back in the day, a huge rotating replica of the moon hovers over the rooftop bar outside. That will set the stage for the 19th annual Loop Ice Carnival, Jan. 24, which will feature a mind-blowing drone show after dark around the Moonrise. “It will be synchronized with music,” says van den Bergh, who came to the hotel in December 2024. He’s excited to see what organizers have in store beyond the live ice carving demonstration outside Fitz’s in U. City. But the ice carnival stretches into the St. Louis section east of Skinker, where the Moonrise is located virtually next door to the Pageant concert hall. “Embrace the Chill,” organizers say about the carnival, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., rain, shine or, gosh, whatever other weather might happen in late January. There’ll be more than 40 ice sculptures on display throughout the Loop, which may welcome as many as 10,000 visitors that day. Kids can participate in an ice-sculpture scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes. Thrilling fire-breathing and fire-juggling performances and live music will keep spirits high throughout the event. The drone show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets for ‘front-row seats’ at the Moonrise rooftop bar will get the party started there at 5 p.m.. Van den Bergh will be in his element: Hospitality. “That’s my whole life!” he exclaims. He didn’t go to high school here, it’s fair to say. He has a pleasant Dutch accent, having come to the States 32 years ago from the Netherlands. His career since graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC has taken him from Miami, Orlando and Coconut Grove, Florida, to Chicago, and since 2014 several locations in the StL. He’s proud of his work under a chef’s hat, but feels even more fulfilled in his role as a GM. He’s most comfortable removing any obstacles so everyone else can do their job. “Everyone should leave with a smile,” he emphasizes. “At the end of the day, we’re creating unique experiences.” Take the transporter beam to moonrisehotel.com or thedelmarloop.com.
