Sheldon Art Galleries Tells the Story of The History of Blues Music in St. Louis

 

Sheldon Art Galleries Tells the Story of The History of Blues Music in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO - The Sheldon Art Galleries presents Legends of St. Louis Blues Music, September 25, 2009 - August 28, 2010 in the History of Jazz Gallery. Please join us for an all-gallery opening reception on Friday, September 25, 2009 from 5 - 7 p.m.! Galleries will be open until 8 p.m due to The Sheldon concert featuring Bettye LaVette. NEW Gallery Hours are Tuesdays, Noon - 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Noon - 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and one hour prior to Sheldon performances and during intermission. Admission is free.

For more information on the exhibition visit the galleries' website at www.thesheldon.org/galleries.asp. The exhibition is made possible by Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg , The Engelhardt Family Foundation, and Steve and Andi Schankman.

 

Organized by the Sheldon Art Galleries , this exhibition tells the story of the rich history of blues music in St. Louis through illustrations by Kevin Belford from his upcoming book The Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-war Blues Music of St. Louis, Missouri; biographies on key musicians; photographs by Jennifer Silverberg, Charley Taylor, Bob Shelli and Photo Joe; ephemera; recordings; and memorabilia including Johnnie Johnson's electric piano. Building on its key role in ragtime music, St. Louis became a gathering place for early blues piano players such as Speckled Red, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, "Barrelhouse Buck" McFarland and Wesley Wallace. Blues guitarists also made St. Louis their home - including "Blind Blues" Darby, Lonnie Johnson, J.D. "Jelly Jaw" Short, Big Joe Williams and Henry Townsend. There were outstanding women singers Mary Johnson, Edith North Johnson, Alice Moore, Irene Scruggs, and Victoria Spivey, as well as big name recording stars such as Walter Davis and the twins Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks and Milton "Lindberg" Sparks. W.C. Handy's famous "St. Louis Blues" is one of the landmark blues songs from the St. Louis blues tradition.

This exhibition uncovers and celebrates important St. Louis blues musicians and songs, and shows how blues music has influenced our musical heritage, including jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll.

Legends of St. Louis Blues Programs:

Opening Night Concert

Bettye LaVette, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall

Don't miss this powerful concert by critically-acclaimed singer Bettye LaVette, who brought the house down at the Kennedy Center Honors and the 2009 Presidential Inauguration concerts earlier this year! A must-see concert! Tickets $35 and $30 at 314.534.1111 or at www.TheSheldon.org.

 

Musicians and Makers: St. Louis Blues Music Panel Discussion and Concert

 

Tuesday, October 20, 6 p.m. featuring artist and author Kevin Belford ; Bob Koester, founder of Delmark records and Jazz Record Mart in Chicago; bluesman Tom Hall; Robbie Montgomery and others. The panel is moderated by Dr. JoNathan Smith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, American Studies, St. Louis University , Department of American Studies. Sheldon Art Galleries , admission free. A Notes from Home blues concert with Tom Hall and Friends begins at 7:30 p.m. Sheldon Concert Hall, tickets available at the door, admission $10.

Notes From Home Concert: Tuesday, November 17, 7:30 p.m, Bottoms Up Blues Gang, Sheldon Concert Hall, tickets available at the door, $10.

 

The not-for profit Sheldon Art Galleries exhibits works by local, national, and International Artists in all media. Over 6,000 square feet of the galleries' spaces on the 2nd floor are permanently devoted to rotating exhibits of photography, architecture, jazz art and history, and children's art. A sculpture garden, seen from both the atrium lobby and the connecting glass bridge, features periodic rotations and installations, and the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Gallery on the lower level features art of all media. The Sheldon actively supports the work of St. Louis artists in all mediums and features a dedicated gallery with museum-quality exhibits by St. Louis artists, past and present.

Financial Assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Support is provided by the Regional Arts Commission and the Arts and Education Council. The exhibition in St. Louis is made possible by Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg.

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