Tonight, Make Mine Maplewood

Maplewood rules, OK? It's a nice little town with a host of oddball shops and businesses, and the Manchester Road stretch has that Main Street, USA, feel that is enhanced by the presence of a liquor store at one end and a White Castle at the other. But Maplewood is more than just the bad-ass stretch of Manchester: Tonight between 6 and 9 p.m., five galleries team up to host a coordinated opening that spans the Maplewood/Richmond Heights border. The evening is spearheaded by Norton's Fine Art & Framing (2025 South Big Bend Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-645-4040 or www.nortonsfineart .com), whose exhibition The French Connection: From Paris to Provence features painted interpretations of France by Jerie Artz, Marilynne Bradley and Shirley Nachtrieb, plus art quilts/tapestries by Suzanne Galli Koenen. Other participating galleries include Young's Regent Parade (2214 South Big Bend Boulevard), Big Bend Antiques (2337 South Big Bend Boulevard), Larutan Studio (2716 Sutton Boulevard) and Sutton Street Studio (2732 Sutton Boulevard). You can either start at Sutton and head north, ending your sojourn with a visit to Mr. Wizard's Custard Stand, or begin on Big Bend and stop by the aforementioned liquor store — the choice is yours.
Aug. 5-31