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.
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.
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.
RAC Gives More Than $3.7 Million in Grants
The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) awarded a total of $3,723,212 in funding following the organizations’ 2025 grants cycle for arts and culture organizations and programs in St. Louis city and county. The majority of dollars were awarded to arts nonprofits, with $3,282,000 going to 122 organizations. A total of 52 nonprofits producing programming with an arts focus will receive $441,212.