We stumbled upon the St. Louis Artists’ Guild this winter when I read that they offered free art projects for kids the first Saturday of every month. In need of a cold weather weekend activity, we became regulars at the Guild (which is somewhat of a hidden gem in town, and has been cultivating the arts and artists for over 125 years). Last week, the Guild had an opening for their new photography exhibit: Illuminating the Night. The idea: how photographers use natural and/or artificial light to take pictures after the sun goes down. The concept especially resonated with me, as taking pictures for this blog has taught me the importance that light plays in making or breaking a photo. Taking a good picture at night is particularly difficult.

The artists in the show were from all over the country and their photographs ranged from sunsets in St. Louis to the people at Mardi Gras illuminating by the street’s artificial neon lights.

above: The exhibit encourages patrons to add their own night photos to a gallery wall.

above: watching a 3-D film, also on display in the gallery

The exhibit is free and open to the public and runs thru Sept. 3. If you are local and have kids, make sure to check out their First Saturday art classes from noon-2. And they also offer summer camps for kids, the list of those remaining is here.