Cultural Bailout

As you may have heard, the economy is verklempt. And you've probably also read about the corporate bailouts that are supposed to loosen the economic blockage. So who's bailing you out, you ask? Why, the arts, of course. From noon on Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday (March 28 and 29), the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park offers a cultural bailout in the form of the Ming Dynasty Family Weekend. Kids twelve and younger receive free admission to the exhibit Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty with a paid adult admission, so you can take whole family out for some entertainment. And be prepared to make a day (or two) of it, because free admission is just the beginning. At noon on Saturday, the ShaoLin LoHan Pai Lion Dance Group performs the ceremonial lion dance to open the festivities, and to bring luck and happiness to all who watch. There's also a special presentation on the art of tea, martial arts demonstrations and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, a bit of Peking opera when New York's Chinese Theatre Works perform The Monkey King Steals the Heavenly Peaches, an excerpt fron Journey to the West. If your kids are Dragonball Z fans, they may recognize this story; Dragonball Z's epic plot is lifted entirely from the legend of the Monkey King. So go, have fun, see a bit of the world.
Sat., March 28; Sun., March 29, 2009