Winter Art Shows and Festivals in Missouri

The end of warm weather does not mean the end of art shows and festivals. After taking a hiatus last year while the historic building underwent renovation, the Beaux Arts Bizarre was again held at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts in Columbia, MO. A unique arts and crafts fair, the Beaux Arts Bizarre is a celebration of the diversity and creativity of more than 50 local and regional artists and crafters. The setting is beautiful and the art presented was diverse and fantastic.

The Fourteenth Annual WinterFest Visual and Performing Arts Festival will be December 5–7 at Juanita K. Hammons Hall, on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. WinterFest combines the performing arts, central to the mission of the Hall, with the talents of the region’s best visual artists – in a three-day festival that provides a unique opportunity for all of the arts to “take center stage”. Artists are selected by jurors to participate in this top-quality show, held in the spectacular multi-level lobby of Hammons Hall. For more information, visit www.hammonshall.com/56859.htm.

Hermannhof Winery and the Hermann Arts Council sponsor the Dec. 13 and 14 Kristkindl Markt. Held at the historic Festhalle in Hermann, MO, the weekend features costumed artisans selling one-of-a-kind gifts, chestnuts roasting in the old stone fireplace, costumed storytellers, Grimm's Fairy Tales characters, and musical performances throughout the weekend. Kristkindl Market is a unique experience as all the artisans are in costume and the entire experience is like an old-fashioned German shopping experience. For more information, visit http://www.hermannfarm.org/attractions/events/.

Hummingbird fact for today: In the eastern US and in the area just west of the Mississippi River, the late season hummer is most likely not a Ruby-throated hummingbird but a wayward species which breeds in the West. The Rufous hummingbird which breeds in the far northwest and several varieties which normally occur in Mexico in winter have been seen in the US in fall and winter. Rufous hummingbirds seem to be able to adapt to cold as they can go into torpor and lower their body temperatures as much as 30 degrees.