Did you know our town has one of the oldest and largest camera clubs in the nation? The St. Louis Camera Club, founded in 1914, has more than 300 members of all skill levels and meets weekly at The Ethical Society. But St. Louisans were snapping their shutters long before the club was officially established: documentation exists showing a Gateway City photography group presenting lantern slides as early as 1891. The club celebrates its centennial through Aug. 16 with an exhibition at The Sheldon Art Galleries.
The Mad Potter, written by St. Louisan Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, has gathered quite a few accolades since it was published last year, including a 2014 Sibert Honor for Nonfiction and plaudits from the American Library Association and School Library Journal.
Kakao Chocolate was the only St. Louis winner at the recent Good Food Awards. The national competition in San Franciso recognizes delicious, sustainably produced food. Owner Brian Pelletier was singled out in the ‘confections’ category for his lavender chocolate truffles. Pelletier was congratulated by Alice Waters, left, godmother of the U.S. slow food movement, and Sarah Weiner, founder of the Good Food Awards and daughter of T&S editor-in-chief Dorothy Weiner.
Michael Staenberg (here with wife Carol) recently was honored by the Regional Business Council for his role in establishing the It’s Our Region Fund, which distributes grants to projects that beautify the community. Two new pieces of public art, commissioned by the RBC and funded by the Staenberg Family Foundation, were installed in the America Center Lobby. Both works are by local artist James Smith.
T&S ‘Nostalgia’ columnist Judy Goodman is feeling especially nostalgic lately: Her daughter’s getting married next month. Clayton High School grad (‘98) Lauren Ross Goodman, now an attorney in Washington, D.C., will marry businessman Alexis Bogdan Lefebvre. Judy and her husband, Mark, live in Clayton.
White Flag Projects, a contemporary art gallery that features cutting-edge artists, has been awarded a two-year grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The foundation is dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts and ensuring that Warhol’s open-minded spirit will continue to have an impact for generations to come. “In addition to the Warhol grant, White Flag is also hosting a satellite performance of the 2014 Whitney Biennial here in St. Louis,” notes owner Matt Strauss.
