arts and culture

 Six plastic miniature creatures — dwarves, elves, dragons, the gamut — ride aboard a small, two-dimensional boat, drawn in dry-erase marker on a brown checkered board. Five men and a young girl surround the board, each with about two…

Tina Bradley of Allen's Flowers in Columbia, Mo. L.G. PATTERSON Many years ago, Tina Bradley was kidnapped while at work. Making a stop deep in the Missouri countryside, Bradley was ushered inside the home of an elderly woman.…

Race & Meaning. Shortly after the Ferguson grand jury ruling came down in late 2014, local black community factotum Bill Thompson gave a talk at Ragtag Cinema on what it means to be black in Missouri. Thompson explained that…

Whether you live for culinary adventure or unfamiliar items on your plate make you nervous, trying new foods is a worthwhile endeavor. But even avid foodies don’t have the time to try everything. So how can you prioritize your food…

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Most people just wish they could follow that old adage, but some people do heed the advice and find amazing careers. From helicopter pilot to ballerina,…

Former Peace Corps workers Cy Kuckenbaker (left) and Jake Wilson. At the end of this month, a nationally recognized film festival will make its annual return to Columbia. No, it’s not time for True/False (that’s in March). The upcoming…

LUVELLI If you’re not familiar with the work of artist Jon Luvelli, it’s very possible you may have caught a glimpse of him in the heart of The District. Luvelli is best known for his ability to flawlessly capture emotion while…

Do you dream of Dalí? Are you a lover of Leibovitz? In need of some inspiration? Adding art to your home is easier than you might think. Artwork helps reflect who you are as a person and can make your house not only a home, but an…

Thousands of actors have graced the stage of the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre over the past 52 years and many of them came with Broadway credentials, but none had the pedigree of Dusty and Nigel, two experienced pros who were trained at the…

Lauren Rundquist leads the way to the dimly lit bottom floor of her house in southeastern Columbia. With each step, her blond ponytail swings from side to side as the stairs groan softly beneath her feet. Outside her bedroom door, she…

The New Year often brings about hasty makeovers, resolutions that last about two weeks and restarted attempts at fresh perspectives. There’s a possible solution to failed resolutions: creativity. Free yourself from making a resolution for a…

One day, your cute, lovable child will become a teenager and begin asking you to drop them off a block away from the movie theater, but there may be a way to stay better connected. Several Columbia families have beaten the odds and are…

Qristyl Frazier wants to know, “What’s your ‘Plus Sexy’?” A rainy late-summer evening found the St. Louis native and Stephens College alumna meeting, greeting and “photo-opping” with adoring fans outside Windsor Auditorium on the…