All Arts and History in Sainte Genevieve

About the Museum Learning Center:  If you’re looking for something that will dazzle you to see in a small town, be sure to stop by the Museums Learning Center (otherwise known as the “Dinosaur Musuem.”  This place is one huge labor of love and a microcosm of what makes this community special.   Your adventure starts in the hall of giants, a room full of massive life-like dinosaur and other Cretaceous Period animal replicas.  Surrounding those are shadow boxes filled with actual fossils from different periods.  On the west end of the hall is a glassed-in room where live Archaeologists periodically work in front of visitors scrupulously chiseling away the clay around the bones of the Missouri dinosaur.  The next layer of exhibits centers around the fossils of that now-famed dinosaur and the current dig happening just south of Sainte Geneviève.  The entire upstairs moves more toward modern times and focuses on interesting collections from a variety of topics, from Civil War Battlefields, to the objects found buried in the outhouses that used to reside in the yards of early St. Louisans.  The story that you won’t get that makes this so impressive is the collections on display, and the dinosaur Read more…

Music Art Love – Where ChrisAlex Created a Gallery/Boutique/Venue/Living Room That Refuses to Fit Any Single Category At 137 North Main Street, ChrisAlex (Christine Alexander) has created something that defies conventional retail categorization—part art gallery featuring her signature GuitArt (mixed media collages on salvaged guitars), part boutique selling clothing and home décor, part music venue hosting open mics and concerts, part community living room where you can play house instruments, challenge someone to chess, bring in wine from neighboring establishments, read inspirational books, or just sit and absorb the eclectic creative energy. There’s a kids’ nook so families can browse while children stay entertained. Monthly events include open mic nights (welcoming musicians, poets, stand-up comedians, and all creative expression), music showcases, trivia nights, movie nights with personal introductions from ChrisAlex, art exhibits, presentations, and classes in art, acting, exercise, and improv. Founded in 2020, Music Art Love represents ChrisAlex’s vision of what a creative space can become when you reject the rigid boundaries between gallery, retail shop, performance venue, and community gathering place—creating instead a fluid, welcoming environment where visitors become participants, where browsing transforms into playing instruments or games, and where the line between performer and audience dissolves during Read more…

Rural Heritage Day, the fourth Saturday in October, is a celebration of history, reverie, and reminiscence dedicated to the hard-working founders of Ste. Geneviève. Come see how it used to be done: whether it’s farming, cooking, spinning, lace-making, leatherworking, soap-making, wood carving, gardening, apple pressing or good old-fashioned games. Read more…

Rust Artisan Shop – It’s All About the Ambiance, Baby! At 173 North Main Street in downtown Ste. Genevieve, Rust Artisan Shop transforms Missouri’s surplus corrugated tin into luminaries and lights that cast perfect shadowed images onto walls and ceilings. Owner Sam and her team of local artisans have created a gallery where recycled materials become art—corrugated tin salvaged from old barns and buildings finds new life as functional sculpture. The shop’s tagline says it simply: “At Rust, we make stuff from recycled products.” Featured in Missouri Life magazine, this Main Street mainstay represents the kind of authentic, locally-rooted creativity that makes Ste. Genevieve’s shopping scene distinctive. As one visitor noted: “We purchased several pieces from the shop to remember this awesome spot. Love, love, love!” Recycled Relics and Artisan Craft Rust Artisan Shop specializes in the “Recycled Relics” line—products made entirely from reclaimed and donated materials. The signature pieces are tin luminaries and lampshades crafted from old corrugated tin, creating distinctive lighting that projects intricate patterns. Candle holders, ornaments, and signs emerge from scraps that might otherwise end up in landfills. The philosophy centers on utilizing Missouri’s abundant supply of vintage corrugated tin from deteriorating barns, sheds, and agricultural Read more…

Sainte Genevieve Art Center & Museum – Historic Legacy Meets Living Creativity Nestled comfortably in the shadow of the historic Sainte Geneviève Catholic Church at 310 Merchant Street, the Sainte Genevieve Art Center & Museum occupies a place of quiet significance in both the physical and cultural landscape of Missouri’s oldest town. This isn’t just another small-town art gallery—it’s a vital institution that illuminates Ste. Genevieve’s surprisingly important role in American art heritage while serving as an active, thriving hub for contemporary creativity. A Building with Its Own Story The Art Center is housed in a stately Norman-Revival stone building that itself tells a story of community pride and celebration. Built in 1934 in preparation for the city’s bicentennial celebration, the structure reflects the civic confidence and architectural ambition of Depression-era America. The choice of Norman-Revival style—with its solid stone construction, arched openings, and medieval European echoes—was particularly fitting for a town celebrating its French colonial heritage. That this beautiful building now serves as home to the Art Center creates a perfect synergy: historic architecture preserving and presenting both historic and contemporary art. The stone walls that once marked a bicentennial milestone now safeguard the legacy of artists who found Read more…