Gaslight Rekindled

Frank Moskus Sr. is one of the unsung heroes of St. Louis. Moskus owned one of Gaslight Square's finer taverns during the entertainment district's heyday, and he also maintained a waterfront speakeasy on his boat, The Yacht Club, which was an after-hours gathering place for the fun-loving artists and goodtimers of the '60s. Keeping St. Louis entertaining and well-lubricated was his passion, and perhaps his calling. An exhibition of the versatile Moskus' paintings opens with a free public reception at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 27, at Joe's Cafe Gallery (6014 Kingsbury Avenue; www.joescafegallery.com). Frank "Joe" Moskus Jr. also has paintings in the show, which not so coincidentally are inspired by Gaslight Square. The glory days of Gaslight come to life in the photography of Thelma Blumberg, who captured the people and places of the district with a keen sense of composition; a strong sense of the spirit of the age comes through in her black and white photos of bikers, beatniks and regular folks. The three-part exhibition remains on display through the middle or end of November, and hours are by appointment only after the opening night.
Thu., Sept. 27, 2012