Fire and ice mix for winter fun in St. Louis

Above: An artist carving an ice sculpture at the carnival. Monica McFee/City of University City photo Below: Third Degree Glass Factory showcases the art of glassmaking. Third Degree photo

For some hot and cold fun this winter, head to the Delmar Loop neighborhood just west of downtown St. Louis where you can embrace winter or escape from it.

The Loop, which was recently selected by the American Planning Association as one of 10 Great Streets in America, is heralding the winter with its third annual Ice Carnival. But if fire is your antidote to wintry weather, the community also is home to the only glass art center where glowing furnaces turn molten globs of glass into dazzling works of art within a 300-mile radius of St. Louis.

The Ice Carnival, which will be held on Jan. 19, will be a chilly celebration filled with arctic activities. The day kicks off with the Frozen Buns Run, a 5K race coordinated by the St. Louis Track Club. Then throughout the day along Delmar Boulevard there will be ice sculpting demonstrations during which artists will wield chain saws and chisels to create their art. There will even be small slides made from ice on which children can play.

Other cold weather fun will include extreme snowboard demonstrations, a human dog sled race, a winter hat contest and a chili cook-off. And visitors can enjoy more than 140 boutiques, shops, restaurants, galleries and bars in the area.

One spot not to miss is the Third Degree Glass Factory, located at 5200 Delmar between University City and the Central West End. The factory promotes contemporary glass art by offering educational programs, studio rental and work for sale by local artists. Visitors often can see artists forming colorful vases, bowls and more.

Yet perhaps the best time to visit is on the third Friday of every month from 6–10 p.m. Upcoming dates are Jan. 18, the night before the Ice Carnival, and Feb. 15. Third Degree started the event to raise awareness of glass art. Visitors can watch as artists use blow torches and blast furnaces to make glass pliable enough to twist and spin into wondrous shapes.

In addition to the glass- blowing demonstrations, the evenings also feature live music, a cash bar and art exhibitions. Visitors also can browse the HotShop Gift Gallery for traditional and experimental glass art.

For details about the Ice Carnival, click on www.visitthe loop.com or call (314) 727-8000. For information about Third Degree, call (314) 367-4527 or visit www.stlglass.com.

New museum enhances the art landscape in Kansas City

The museum’s cantilevered entrance and contemporary design make it a focal point on campus. Timothy Hursley photo

The new Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art has a spare, minimalist design, but the facility’s impact on the Kansas City art scene is anything but minimal.

Located on the campus of Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, Kan., the facility’s opening last fall pushed Kansas City onto the short list of U.S. metropolitan areas with two contemporary art museums. Joining the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo., the Nerman Museum has enhanced the region’s reputation as a cultural destination.

With its white limestone and glass exterior, the stunning museum has transformed the northeast corner of the JCCC campus from prairie grass to a geometric architectural icon. Because its style deviates from the rest of the brick buildings on campus, the museum provides a distinctive focal point.

One of the most striking aspects of the building is a 25-foot by 55-foot cantilevered entrance, itself a work of art. New York light sculptor Leo Villareal created an installation for the underside of the cantilever using 60,000 points of light radiating from 12,000 LED light nodes changing in a seemingly infinite number of abstract patterns.

Inside, visitors step into an almost three-story lobby, which functions as one of 10 museum exhibition spaces. In addition to traditional galleries showing the latest in contemporary art, one gallery is dedicated to video and computer art.

The museum is located at 12345 College Blvd. Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday; and noon–5 p.m. Sunday. Call (913) 469-3000 for details, or visit www.jccc.edu/museum.

Winter hike showcases the beauty of Brown County, Ind.

Hikers can follow two self-guided trails at the park. Brown County CVB photo

Instead of just enduring winter, encounter all of its quiet splendor during the Winter Hike at Brown County State Park in south-central Indiana.

If Mother Nature cooperates, Indiana’s largest state park, located near Nashville, will be dressed in white during the seventh annual Winter Hike, which will be held on Jan. 19. Visitors can celebrate the cold amid the scenic hills of Brown County.

Two self-guided trails take visitors through some of Brown County’s most picturesque scenery. Interpreters along the trails will discuss how area wildlife survive during winter. The three-mile Southern Loop Hike traverses a closed paved road and includes some stairs. The Woodland Hike, which loops around a lake and is more rugged, also is three miles long.

Hikers can progress along the trails at their own pace, and along the way they can enjoy s’mores at the shelter houses. Hikers should be accustomed to winter walking, dress accordingly and bring water, sunglasses, sunscreen and a first aid kit.

In addition to the hike, participants can visit the park’s Nature Center and take part in several events at Abe Martin Lodge. A breakfast with the naturalists will be held at 7 a.m. at the lodge, and a hiker’s buffet is at 11 a.m. Also, a Winter Craft Village will be set up all day.

The cost is $1 per hiker, plus the park entrance fee, which is $5 per car for Indiana residents and $7 per car for out-of-state visitors. Most festivities will take place from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. The park is located just south of Nashville off Highway 46. For more information, call (812) 988-5240, or visit www.browncounty.com.

Assemble in Illinois for colonial-era re-enactment

During the French and Indian War in the 1700s, soldiers and Native Americans not only battled each other, but they had to battle the elements during frigid winters.

To get a look at how they survived the cold while fighting for control of the entire area east of the Mississippi River, visit the French and Indian War Winter Assemblage at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in southern Illinois. Held Feb. 2–3, the event offers a glimpse of life during the conflict when French forces and their Native Ameri-can allies took on the British.

During this historically correct living history event, which is held on a smaller scale than some of the fort’s other re-enactments, visitors can see how the combatants lived in encampments. The re-enactors will wear authentic attire and compete in activities common to soldiers in that era.

In a “woodswalk” competition, re-enactors will match their skills against each other in muzzleloader rifle shooting and in using a compass. The French and Indian War was a departure from conventional warfare with many engagements fought using guerrilla tactics, so the woodswalk gives re-enactors a chance to demonstrate those combat skills.

Located about four miles west of Prairie du Rocher, the reconstructed fort marks the location of the last of three successive garrisons built by the French during their 18th-century occupation of Illinois.

The fort is located at 1350 State Route 155. The suggested donation is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Call (618) 284-7230 for more details, or click on www.illinois-history.gov.

Beautiful Basilica marks 100 years of service in St. Louis

The mosaics include more than 41 million pieces of tile. Cathedral Basilica photo

Instead of displaying art on the walls, the walls are the artwork at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis in midtown St. Louis.

The magnificent church, which recently marked its 100th anniversary, contains one of the largest mosaic collections in the world. More than 41 million pieces of tile and glass in 8,000 colors fill more than 83,000 square feet of walls and ceilings. The display is so ornate that it took more than 75 years to complete.

Ground was broken in May of 1907 for the church, a synthesis of Byzantine and Romanesque design, and the cornerstone was laid in October of 1908. But work continued on the massive church for 80 years before it was finished.

Visitors can admire the splendor of the architecture, mosaics, stained glass and statuary on their own every day from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. when Masses aren’t taking place.

Guided tours are offered Monday–Friday from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Call ahead to make sure tours are being offered and to make reservations at (314) 373-8240. Tours are $2 for adults and $1 for children. The basilica is at 4431 Lindell Blvd. For details, visit www.cathedralstl.org.