Fine at 50

For 50 years the Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design (6640 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-725-1177 or www.craftalliance.org) has offered art instruction to young and old alike. Some of the younger students end up going to art school and becoming professional artists, some of the adults are artists who use Craft Alliance's facilities as studio space, and some students simply want to learn to weave or throw pottery as a hobby. To its credit, the Craft Alliance treats all of those pursuits with the same care and concern -- and why not? If you're making your work with love, you're doing it right. The Craft Alliance celebrates its students of all ages with the biennial exhibition Works from the Studios, which opens with a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 27. That happens to coincide with Craft on Tap, a street festival in the parking lot behind the building that includes live music by Kid Scientist and Middle Class Fashion, and food and drinks from Urban Chestnut, Meshuggah Cafe, the Melting Pot and Vincent Van Doughnut. Craft on Tap runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and also offers artist demonstrations in ceramics, glass and metals with free admission. Works from the Studio remains on display through Sunday, August 10, and the gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: June 27. Continues through Aug. 10, 2014