Kaleidoscopes get a close-up in St. Louis as international expo makes its first visit

By Alex Heuer

Published May 3, 2022 at 4:25 PM CDT

The inside of a kaleidoscope shows a swirl of pink, green and blue tessellations — The view inside of a kaleidoscope on Tuesday at St. Louis Public Radio's headquarters in Grand Center.

You may think of kaleidoscopes as simple tubes with beads that kids play with. But kaleidoscope art is a serious venture.

Scottish scientist David Brewster invented kaleidoscopes in 1816, and 170 years later, the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society was founded to encourage their appreciation. Now, the group’s international expo is headed to St. Louis for the first time.

Listen: Kaleidoscopes get a close-up in St. Louis

Mike and Donna Thibodeau are two members of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society. The St. Charles couple are kaleidoscope artists and collectors.

“They're two pieces of art in one,” explained Donna Thibodeau. “The outside is often beautiful, and then the inside is just a ‘wow’ thing so much of the time.”

People who visit the kaleidoscope exhibit currently on display at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles can experience that ‘wow’ moment for themselves.

“When people walk through the Foundry Art Centre, if they didn't know they were coming into a kaleidoscope exhibit, they think they're looking at sculpture,” Mike Thibodeau said.

The Thibodeaus helped curate the exhibit in St. Charles. The dozens of kaleidoscopes on display include a necklace version as well as a kaleidoscope that weighs 400 pounds.

Some of those kaleidoscopes will also be on display at the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society’s expo at Westport Plaza later this month. Included in the expo will be the unveiling of works, classes and more.

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Mike Thibodeau and Donna Thibodeau, both of St. Charles, hold kaleidoscopes on Tuesday at St. Louis Public Radio’s headquarters in Grand Center.