RAC to announce outcome of EVOKE, a year-long comprehensive community engagement process that has produced a new vision for arts and culture for St. Louis City and County.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ST. LOUIS, MO (August 29, 2018) – The Regional Arts Commission of St Louis (RAC), the largest public funder of the arts in St Louis City and County, will announce the results of its year-long EVOKE initiative on Thursday, September 13 at 6 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd in St Louis, MO.
The Big Reveal, a public event and community celebration of the arts, will be officiated by Mont Levy, RAC Chairman, Michael Scully, past RAC Chairman, and RAC Executive Director Felicia W. Shaw.
Other invited and special guests include St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and County Executive Steve Stenger. The Big Reveal is free and open to the public, and will feature live music, interactive arts activities and complimentary tastings from local food trucks. Civic leaders, arts organizations, local artists, and the larger community are also invited to attend. RSVPs are encouraged. (Details about the event and URL to RSVP are below.) RAC launched EVOKE in 2017 as part of a multi-phased community planning initiative—the first comprehensive cultural and regional planning effort of its kind in St. Louis. RAC’s motivation to plan stemmed from research and local trends that evidenced pronounced changes in the way people value and engage with the arts. The community engagement process was designed to help RAC better understand how St. Louisans value the arts and how the arts could play a larger and more impactful role in making St. Louis a better place to live. Advised by a body of civic and community leaders, EVOKE attracted participation from more than 3,000 St Louisans, including residents, artists of all disciplines, nonprofit arts and culture leaders, arts funders, and government and community organizations. The engagement process included individual stakeholder interviews, surveys, special events, and neighborhood listening sessions in geographically diverse areas of St. Louis City and County reaching as far east as East St. Louis and west to St Charles County. The key community findings affirmed that the arts matter greatly to St. Louisans who want more people to have access to programming that is high quality and relevant to their everyday lives. They also stress the need for greater equity in the arts, support for local artists, increased access to the arts for youth, and support for small and mid-sized organizations doing good work. Overall, the initiative found that St. Louisans want the arts unleashed from its traditional and siloed roles and expanded in ways that connect and make a difference in the lives of more people. EVOKE’s results will determine RAC’s priorities as it prepares to conduct a multi-year organizational strategic planning process later this year, informing the development of new programs and policies to be implemented over the coming years.
THE BIG REVEAL – A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS
Thursday, September 13 at 6-8 p.m. – FREE Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, 6128 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112 Community-identified priorities, including a comprehensive document of the EVOKE initiative results, will be unveiled at The Big Reveal on September 13. The Big Reveal culminates the cultural visioning process RAC has been developing for nearly two years through research, analysis and community engagement. The public will learn about the new path for the future of St. Louis’ arts and culture community while enjoying complimentary food, interactive arts activities and live music. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs to The Big Reveal are not required but are encouraged. Attendees may RSVP at: https://stlbigreveal.eventbrite.com For more information about the event, please contact: Sherry Sissac, sherry@racstl.org, 314-863-5811 To schedule an interview, please contact: Sarah Thompson, sarahtproductions@gmail.com, 314-884-8306 or Sherry Sissac, sherry@racstl.org, 314-863-5811
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