Calvin Wilson

Calvin Wilson

Calvin Wilson is an arts writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He is also host and creator of the jazz program, “Somethin’ Else,” on 107.3 FM and 96.3 HD2 in St. Louis.

Mona Hatoum: Reimagining the Familiar

Mona Hatoum: Reimagining the Familiar

Can a wheelchair pose a threat? Does menace lie in a bunk bed? Is there a hidden agenda lurking in a kitchen — as an ominous electric buzz humming through chairs and tables suggests? In the art of Mona Hatoum, the familiar can be disorienting and unsettling, challenging our assumptions and upending our expectations. “Terra Infirma,” an exhibition on view at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis through Aug. 11, spans the four-decade career of the Palestinian multimedia and installation artist.

Honors: Anne Boyer

Honors: Anne Boyer

It’s a good bet that Anne Boyer wouldn’t frame her recent success in clichéd terms. As an acclaimed poet and essayist, it’s unlikely that she would resort to such shopworn language as “the sky’s the limit” in reference to her ascending literary reputation. Or, for that matter, “the possibilities are endless.” Nonetheless, the future looks bright — there goes another cliché — for Boyer, an assistant professor of liberal arts at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Arts News – Kevin Mahogany: The Joy and Magic of Jazz

Arts News – Kevin Mahogany: The Joy and Magic of Jazz

Kevin Mahogany was the kind of jazz singer who made it all sound as natural as breathing. The Kansas City native cut an imposing figure — and his talent was easily as big as his frame. But aside from his voice, what you remembered about the vocalist who died last December at the age of […]

Glenn North: Truth Teller

Glenn North: Truth Teller

Artists have often explored connections across disciplines, resulting in work that can be as surprising as it is provocative — from theater director Julie Taymor and U2 bandmates Bono and The Edge collaborating on the troubled but intriguing musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” to actress Tilda Swinton reclining in a glass box as part of an exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Heartfelt Portraits by a ‘Jazz Fiend’

I don’t remember ever speaking to Speedy Huggins, but just spotting him around town left a lasting impression. Years ago, when I lived in Kansas City, I spent a lot of time in jazz clubs — and so did Huggins. The difference was, he was a legendary dancer and drummer, whereas I was merely a […]