Strike up the band! Kranzberg Arts Foundation has launched a Music Artist in Residence Program to provide performance, rehearsal and recording resources for area musicians with new, original projects. The selected artists will play at Grand Center venues and get marketing support, office space and other services to boot. The 2018 group includes Bob DeBoo, Mo Egeston, Jesse Gannon, Anita Jackson, Ben Reece, Owen Ragland, Tonina Saputo, Kasimu Taylor and Ptah Williams.

St. Louisans have long touted Tower Grove Park for its lush green space, and it recently received some prestigious recognition for all of that leafy loveliness. ArbNet, an international accrediting organization, dubbed the park a Level II Arboretum for the size and quality of its trees and its dedication to nature education. Tower Grove’s 289 acres are home to nearly 300 varieties, including two Missouri State Champion trees. Learn about all of them via a GPS-enabled map at towergrovepark.org.

It’s the end of an era at The Center for Hearing & Speech in Rock Hill. Executive director Rita Tintera will retire at the end of 2018 after 25 years leading the nonprofit, which assists more than 16,000 people with communication disorders each year. Tintera first joined the organization as a receptionist in 1970 while studying at Fontbonne University. She was honored at the center’s annual fundraising event April 6.

California tech exec and author Anna Yen will make a stop in the StL this month to talk about her new novel, Sophia of Silicon Valley. Held at 6 p.m. April 24 at The Vault Luxury Resale in Brentwood, the event will combine fashion, networking and entrepreneurial spirit. Yen will share entertaining stories of working alongside technology gurus like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.


the main events

Head over to the Saint Louis Zoo at 9 a.m. April 14 for the One Health Fair, which highlights the links between wildlife conservation and human health. Learn about climate change, ecosystems, food security and other topics that affect all creatures.

Take a day trip down to Missouri wine country for the Augusta Plein Air Art Festival April 18 through 29. Join amateur and professional artists from across the nation as they hold open-air painting demonstrations, workshops and pop-up galleries at wineries and other locales.

Award-winning singer and songwriter John Legend is set to headline Variety’s Dinner with the Stars at the Peabody Opera House April 28. The black-tie event is part of Variety Week, a fundraising and awareness campaign for the children’s charity. Purchase tickets at varietystl.org.