RAC's 2025 Impact

2025 has been a milestone year for the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and our region’s arts and culture scene. As we look back on all the meaningful moments that made this such a momentous year, we celebrate how essential the arts are to making St. Louis an outstanding place.

Culturalyst: Connecting Creatives With Community

Looking to network with artists and arts organizations? Want to find opportunities to amplify your work? Trying to connect with and hire artists? Introducing Culturalyst!  This brand new resource connecting creatives in St. Louis City and County with community. Instead of scouring the internet for opportunities and joining multiple platforms to network, Culturalyst has them all hosted in one place—artist directory, calls for art, residencies, and more.

The Arts are Big Business in St. Louis

The arts and culture sector contributes jobs, produces economic activity, and attracts tourists to St. Louis every year.

When You Support the Arts,
You Support St. Louis

Please consider helping bolster our local arts and culture sector through a donation to the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. Your gift will help fund our various grants and program for artists.

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RAC Brings Local Artistry to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis

As fans excitedly flock to St. Louis for the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) has partnered with the St. Louis Sports Commission to infuse our region’s creative energy to elevate the experience.Collaborating directly with local artists, RAC has curated a mix of music, live visual art, hands-on art experiences, and special athlete gifts to showcase the region’s world-class arts and culture scene

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RAC Announces Five-Year Strategic Roadmap During Town Hall

During a virtual town hall on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Vanessa Cooksey, President and CEO of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC), reflected on RAC’s impact on the St. Louis region’s arts and culture sector over the past 40 years, including progress made during her five-year tenure. Cooksey also outlined what creatives and nonprofit organizations can expect from RAC’s 2026 grantmaking and shared an update on the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute.

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Requiem of Light – A Mural Honoring the Lives Lost to COVID-19 in St. Louis

The Requiem of Light mural was created as a permanent representation of the civic arts project honoring the thousands of St. Louisans who lost their lives to COVID-19. Brought to life by artist Fatou Kane, the mural reflects the project’s central vision: that the light of those lost continues to illuminate the grief, love, and hope of those who remain.

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St. Louis Film Project Brings Showcase To STL in March 2026

Five local, visionary filmmakers are bringing bold, original stories to life as part of the St. Louis Film Project (STLFP), an effort led by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, in partnership with Continuity, and funded through the ARPA for the Arts initiative in support of the region’s growing film industry.