Military might on a Friday night, First Friday and more

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. this Friday at the Kellerman Foundation's Flag House, 740 North St. in Cape Girardeau, an open house will feature not one, not two, but three speakers with local ties and military decorations.

Dale Dye

Max Lederer, publisher of the Stars & Stripes newspaper, which has roots in Bloomfield, Missouri, will attend and present, as will Cape Girardeau native and leading Hollywood director Dale Dye, and Jack Jackson, a highly decorated soldier in Vietnam and former test pilot for Boeing in St. Louis. All of this according to Frank Nickell, regional historian with the Kellerman Foundation.

Stop by for some local history, some food, and some great company.

Jack Jackson

Perryville mural

A mural underway in Perryville, Missouri.Courtesy of Trish Erzfeld

A new mural is underway in Perryville, Missouri. Covering a 14 by 45 feet space on the United Title Land building at 15 E. Ste. Marie St. will be a piece of public art that Perry County Heritage Tourism director Trish Erzfeld hopes will be a cool spot for fun photo opportunities with an exciting splash of colorful history.

Christine Brunk-Deshazo, owner of Spectrum Graphics Studio in Murphysboro, Illinois, and Zach Nelson are the artists.

Painting started Tuesday and the team estimated that the mural will be complete by October 5, weather permitting.

Teen poetry contest

Riverside Regional Library at 1997 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson will hold a book-spine poetry contest for teens ages 12 to 17 in October. Participants are invited to create a festive poem by stacking books so the spines (titles) can be read to make a poem. Take a picture of the poem and send it to asmithey@rrlmo.org to enter the contest. Name and phone number must be included in the email. Submit entries by Oct. 28. Winner will receive an Amazon.com gift card.

More info: www.riversideregionallibrary.org, (573) 243-8141

What a way to make a living

Don't forget, "9 to 5: The Musical" is underway at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, in Bedell Performance Hall. Three unlikely friends take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can't do, even in a man's world. Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, based on the seminal 1980 hit movie. Set in the late 1970s, this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking, and even a little romantic.

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday, and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday.

Tickets: River Campus Box Office, Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau; (573) 651-2265; www.RiverCampus.org

Play set for February

An interactive dinner theater play is set for February 2021 in Dexter, Missouri. John Stephens said he's written a play, "The Glue of Gopher Gulch," about big-city girl Polly Palate who moves to the sleepy little town of Gopher Gulch to perfect her new glue formula. A local con man, Greedy Gregory Grip, has his sights set on the glue formula and Polly herself. What twists and turns are in store for the lazy little town of Gopher Gulch?

Stephens called it a mix of the classic Dudley Do-Right melodrama and Mel Brooks-style comedy. Casting is this weekend and performances are set for February. More details will be set soon.

Virtual Craft Fair update

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri's annual craft fair will be held virtually this year, on the website Booth Central, incoming director Kelly Downes told me earlier this week. All transactions will be handled between the vendor and the customer, but it will be very easy to find a vendor's page in a search. Other features include live chat or text with vendors, and a digital booklet to showcase wares.

The fair will be held online Nov. 21 and 22.

More info: www.capearts.org/CraftFair.aspx

Preregistration open

A "Halloween Paper Model Workshop" will be held at Crisp Museum on Southeast's River Campus from 1 to 4 p.m. October 10 and 11.

The event is free and open to the public, ages 10 and up. Face coverings will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be in place. Participants will receive individual supplies and tools, and materials are not to be shared. Participants may bring their own water and snacks.

During this workshop, participants will make a haunted light house, haunted house, vampire casket pop-up or horse-drawn hearse by folding and taping a preprinted color copy sheet. Additional items may be created if participants wish to freehand more pieces.

Preregistration is required by Oct. 3.

More info: (573) 651-2260, museum@semo.edu

First Friday

It's First Friday tomorrow! Incoming Arts Council of Southeast Missouri director Kelly Downes told me this week that First Friday is still happening, but scaled down to allow for social distancing and other safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reservations are accepted at semoartscouncil@gmail.com.

That said, there are still a few events I want to highlight this week.

At the Arts Council's main gallery, 16 N. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau, "Brian Alworth: 30 Years of Photography" will be on display. The opening reception will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.

The Micro Galleries will feature "Kelly Downes: Monuments, Footprints and What Remains of the 40 Acres" and "Craig Hardesty and Race Deen: Corporeal Expressions in Surrealism."

At 20 North Pacific art gallery, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Downes' work will be featured, as will musician Shawn Lohman and Atlanta-based photographer Emerald Green will show us what scares her during the gallery's first Artist Talk.

"Mindful Construct," an exhibition of ceramics and sculptural works by John Oles, will be on display Oct. 2 to Nov. 13 at Southeast Missouri State University's Catapult Creative House at 612 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

More info: Contact Leah Powers at lepowers@semo.edu or (573) 651-2742