The 22nd annual Art of PAWS & People, presented by Purina, returns Friday, November 1 at The Gatsby Ballroom at The Alverne. The beloved fundraiser pairs art, pets, and purpose to raise critical funds for Vivent Health’s Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) program, ensuring that people living with HIV in St. Louis never have to choose between caring for…
Who said it ever really went away? Let’s first define what we’re talking about. Maximalist interior design is the art of collecting and layering objects—things inherited or gathered over time. For some, this might veer into hoarding territory, but it doesn’t have to be that extreme. Maximalism is the opposite of minimalism, which is known…
On Sunday, November 2, SIRenity closes out its sixth season with a brunch featuring an all-star Miss Gay Missouri America cast. The show, which will be hosted by Trixie LaRue and co-hosted by Akasha Royale, features forever MGMAs Vivian Versace, Tajma Stetson, and Tumara Mahorning, as well as reigning MGMA Penelope Booze. Brunch will be served at…
A powerful new documentary titled I Am is gaining attention not only for its emotional storytelling but for the remarkable journey it captures—one of survival, resilience, and human connection in the face of unspeakable trauma and anti-LGBTQ+ bias. The 2025 film, produced by 17-year-old twin brothers Ethan and Aidan Sinconis of Arizona, tells the…
One of the gifts of watching Michelle Zauner live is seeing someone who lives her truth in public, in performance, in lyric. She is openly bisexual, and though she doesn’t always make headlines for it, it flows through her songs and words. Some of Michelle’s words that stick: “I’m hella bi. Always have been always…
This feature originally ran in the October 25, 2023 issue of The Riverfront Times The year was 2015, and I’d been trying to set up an interview with Janet Kolar, Alton’s hearse-racing “Mistress of the Macabre” and proprietor of the Historic Museum of Torture Devices. I had first been drawn to Alton while exploring…
The curtain has risen on the Fabulous Fox’s season opener Life of Pi, a tour deforce production that does more than just dramatize a shipwreck. It invites the audience into a profound meditation on trauma, memory, and the human capacity to rebuild meaning in the aftermath of disaster. This magical stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s…
Mooneyham Art invites you to step out of the ordinary and slip into The Zone, an art exhibition unfolding at 305 State Street in haunted downtown Alton. The Zone will coincide with the city’s historic Halloween Parade. This immersive experience offers a surreal escape from the cold, complete with live music, hot cocoa, and mind-bending art while…
This year marks an important milestone for the Saint Louis Anti-Violence Project (STLAVP) as the agency celebrates 10 years of incorporation and commitment to uplifting LGBTQIA+ survivors of relational violence. STLAVP’s mission is to bring awareness of relational violence within and to the LGBTQIA+ community. Over the past decade, STLAVP has: Conducted field research of…
This past Saturday, October 4, a legend was honored in a way only legends can be. The National Blues Museum in Downtown St. Louis awarded Martha Wash a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her immeasurable contributions to music—and to the hearts and dance floors of multiple generations, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community. Often referred to as…
