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CULTURE
[ARTS]
Heat Seeker New annual arts magazine Search Party makes its debut, focused on St. Louis art and culture Written by
DANIEL HILL
A
new annual arts magazine focused on St. Louis-based creatives of color saw its debut Friday with a launch party at Cherokee Street apparel store rofield eserve. The print and online publication, dubbed Search Party, is the brainchild of longtime journalist and St. Louis native Tara C. Mahadevan, who serves as its editor in chief. Mahadevan, a regular freelance contributor for Complex with additional bylines in a slew of publications including St. Louis’ Stereo Assault, Made Monarchs, Eleven Magazine and the Riverfront Times, conceived of the endeavor in the spring of last year and soon secured a Futures Fund grant from the Luminary. According to Mahadevan, the effort started as a simple idea — and a case of great timing. “It really just came as a thought. I tweeted about it,” Mahadevan explains. “And then I googled, you know, ‘art grant in St. Louis,’ and the Luminary’s art grant popped up, and it felt kind of like kismet. I mean, the grant had just opened like a week before I googled it, and then the week after there was an informational session. And the timing was so eerie, I was like, ‘I have to go for this.’” With the grant secured, Mahadevan assembled a team that includes yan Brown a.k.a. Big Esco) as creative director and tephon hite a.k.a. phon as designer and photographer. Each are also rappers and artists in their own right, in line with the magazine’s identity as what Mahadevan describes as an “artistled collaborative publication.” “I think it being artist led is really important,” Mahadevan says. “I just feel like a lot of major pub-
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
The annual publication will focus on emerging musicians and artists in the St. Louis area. | TARA C. MAHADEVAN lications are run by people who aren’t artists themselves.” In addition to that core threeperson team, a host of St. Louis creatives contributed to the publication, including writer Ymani ince who also contributes to
the RFT) and rapper Mvstermind. All of the contributors are Black or people of color — around 30 people in total, according to Mahadevan. “That includes all the writers, the artists being spotlighted and
the visual artists,” she says. For Mahadevan, the publication is a passion project meant to spotlight up-and-coming musicians and artists in t. Louis, specifically in the Black and community, and serves as a continuation of her longtime and ongoing efforts to bring attention to the city’s considerable creative talent. “The magazine is really a culmination of the work I’ve done as a journalist and writer and really, you know, wanting to create a space for music discovery and emerging artists,” she says. “I’ve always tried to find a way to put on for St. Louis artists, and also [I’ve been] inspired by everything that’s been happening in St. Louis, in terms of the in u of people making stuff, just creating. “And personally, it’s really important for me to always champion the underdog,” she adds. “The person who is just coming up as well as the person who has 20,000 followers.” Hardcopy issues of the magazine are available for purchase for $15 apiece; PDF versions can be purchased for download for $10. For more information, visit searchpartystl.com. n
[BOOKS]
Andy Cohen Coming to Promote New Book Written by
JENNA JONES
N
ative St. Louisan Andy Cohen is headed back to the Lou, or more specifically, Clayton High School — his alma mater — in partnership with Left Bank Books. Fresh off a partnership with Clementine’s Creamery, Cohen heads to the high school to promote his new book, Glitter Every Day: 365 Quotes from Women I Love. The book gathers quotes from women Cohen has worked with on his talk show or that he admires in his everyday life. Cohen returns to St. Louis to promote and discuss the book on Tuesday, November 23, at 7 p.m. in Clayton High School’s auditorium (1 Mark Twain Circle). For those uunable to attend in person, Left Bank Books offers a livestream
NOVEMBER 17-23, 2021
riverfronttimes.com
Andy Cohen will be in the Lou to promote his new book. | VIA LEFT BANK BOOKS you can purchase tickets to. Guests will get signed copies of the book mailed to them after the event. “Andy not only gathers 365 sayings and quotes from the icons, thought leaders, ‘Real Housewives’ and legendary celebs that fuel his fun,” a press release details, “he writes about the people and experiences that have
made him live one of the most joyous lives that any little boy growing up in St. Louis could dream of so that you can, too.” Tickets cost $28 and can be purchased at left-bank.com. Attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask at the event, as well as bring a photo ID. n
