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Local Artist and RAC Grantee Uses Plastic Waste to Create Earth Day-Inspired Art Exhibit

by | Apr 19, 2024 | Artist Feature, Impact Stories, In the News

She collected her family’s plastic waste for two years. She cut and shaped it for another three years. Now, artist Adrienne Outlaw is bringing her creations to life at Consumed, an art exhibit addressing plastic pollution. Coinciding with Earth Day, Outlaw will kick off the exhibition with a family-friendly event at her studio from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 at 3115 Locust Street in St. Louis.  

Five years in the making, Consumed represents a very personal journey for Outlaw. “I’m literally showing my family’s garbage to the world to encourage a conversation about it,” she said. “It stuns me how much plastic we use every day.”  

Outlaw has long addressed issues of global consumerism and its impact on health, but it was a summer spent in southeast Asia in 2019 that turned her attention to plastic pollution. “During this trip, I saw the global impact of our plastic waste,” Outlaw said. “When I got back home, I got right to work. St. Louis is critically important to solving these issues due to its proximity to the Mississippi.” The Mississippi River is the drainage system for 40 percent of the United States. It carries plastic pollution to the Gulf and beyond, where it degrades into unrecoverable microplastics.  

“What I really want to accomplish with [the work] is to be joyful about it. I think people can get really ‘doom and gloom’ with it and try to blame a person or corporation. What I want to show is wacky, creative and aesthetically beautiful works that you can make with absolutely, positivity free material,” said Outlaw.  

In 2015, Outlaw moved from Nashville to St. Louis. She purchased and renovated the building on Locust Street to contribute to the revitalization efforts in Midtown and have a space large enough to accommodate groups for her social practice work. Consumed is supported by a grant from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL).  

Outlaw has exhibited in galleries and museums across the United States and abroad in Europe, Asia, and Africa. More than two dozen museums have exhibited her work at such institutions as MASS MOCA, Islip Art Museum, and MOCA Fort Collins. Galleries across the United States have awarded her solo shows. Her work has been featured across all media and fine art publications such as Art in America, Art Papers, and World Sculpture News. Along with RACSTL’s grant, Outlaw’s work has received additional grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation, The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and Critical Mass.  

A portion of print sales at the Earth Day opening will be donated to Missouri River Relief.  

Photo credit: Dave Moore

Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis Distributes More Than $3 Million in American Rescue Plan Act Funding to St. Louis Artists and Arts Organizations

by | Apr 15, 2024 | In the News, Newsroom, Press Releases, RAC News

The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL), in partnership with the City of St. Louis and Community Development Administration (CDA), is proud to announce the first round of grant awards from a new program, ARPA for the Arts. Designed to address revenue and income lost during the height of the pandemic, 166 local artists and 54 arts organizations received more than $3 million in grants. The funding is part of the $10.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to RACSTL from the City of St. Louis after the unanimous passage of Board Bill #66. 

“Our team worked diligently to make the process as easy as possible for applicants,” said Tracey Morgan, ARPA for the Arts lead. “In less than 4-months, we distributed this money to artists and arts organizations who are still recovering in St. Louis.” 

A total of $1,489,487 was awarded to 54 local arts organizations like Perennial, National Blues Museum, Upstream Theater, Cinema St Louis and HEAL Center for the Arts.

See the full list: 

Further, a total of $2,009,047 was granted to 166 local artists, with an average award of $12,000. The applicants varied in discipline and practice, from music and visual arts to dance and theater. Artists in all 14 wards of St. Louis were awarded grants.  

“As an artist, the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on my practice. The ARPA funding from RACSTL provided the support I needed to continue my artistic practice and serve my community,” said Sy Oliver, Ward 11, interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary artist. “It has been a lifeline, enabling me to adapt, grow and continue to create in the face of adversity. It provided a space for me to share my work, connect with my audience and continue to grow as an artist.” 

CDA approval for the grants was based on proof of financial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and an address within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT). As defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a QCT is a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Census Tract that must have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. 

Nearly 78 percent of the artists approved lived in a QCT, while 22 percent were in a non-QCT. QCT artists were awarded 84 percent of the funding requested, while non-QCT artists received 16 percent. This helped ensure the artists with the greatest financial need received the most money. 

RACSTL will distribute the remaining ARPA for the Arts funding to St. Louis City artists and arts organizations that have projects that support tourism growth.  

Photo credits: Stray Dog Theatre

RACSTL Grantees Honored by 2024 Saint Louis Visionary Awards

by | Apr 12, 2024 | Impact Stories, In the News

The Saint Louis Visionary Awards announced the 2024 honorees and two Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL) grantees are being honored. Luisa Otero-Prada is being recognized as a Community Impact Artist, while Heather Beal-Himes is being recognized as an Outstanding Working Artist. 

Beal-Himes is a dancer, choreographer, actress and director. She is certified in the Dunham Technique and has toured worldwide teaching and performing. Otero-Prada weaves different aspects of her identity into her artistic practice, making a genuine, strong connection with her community.  

Additional artists recognized were Elizabeth Mannen Berges (Major Contributor to the Arts), Shawna Flanigan (Outstanding Teaching Artist), Meridith McKinley (Outstanding Arts Professional) and Alexa Seda (Emerging Artist). 

The Saint Louis Visionary Awards is one of the most prestigious recognitions in the regional arts community and celebrates the outstanding contributions, achievements and excellence of women who work in or support the arts in St. Louis.  

“The depth of talent and the power of the artists and arts supporters in our community is an integral part of our strength as a region. As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this chapter of the Saint Louis Visionary Awards, we strive to make this powerful force visible, valued and recognized. The 2024 honorees are accomplishing transformational work in the arts,” said Roseann Weiss, Chair of the Saint Louis Visionary Awards. “They are truly visionary, and we are excited to honor them and highlight their work.” 

The 2024 Saint Louis Visionary Awards Ceremony takes place Monday, April 29. The program starts at 6:00 p.m. followed by a reception at 7:00 p.m. at the Sun Theater in Grand Center. Min Jung Kim, Barbara B. Taylor, Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Margaret McDonald, Senior Principal of HOK, are the co-hosts for the evening. 

Get Tickets 

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Partnering with Morningstar Music Publishers in new IN UNISON Chorus Music Series, Championing Music by Black Composers and Arrangers

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Impact Stories, Newsroom

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) announced a new visionary partnership with MorningStar Music Publishers that will make sheet music of pieces performed and commissioned by the SLSO’s IN UNISON Chorus available worldwide. The collaboration will significantly broaden the impact of the IN UNISON Chorus of SLSO, a resident chorus in its 30th year that performs and preserves music from the African diaspora. The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, the largest public funder of the arts in St. Louis, proudly supported the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). 

The IN UNISON Choral Series—as the collection of published scores is called—highlights and elevates Black composers and arrangers, deepening the portfolio for and improving access to music for combined choral and orchestral forces by these composers. Publication begins this spring. 

Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said, “We are delighted that this new partnership will make music by Black composers and arrangers available for performance by ensembles internationally, advancing the mission of the IN UNISON Chorus. For 30 years, the IN UNISON Chorus has been a pioneering ensemble, meaningfully expanding the choral-orchestral repertoire of music by Black voices. This vital SLSO ensemble is a nexus of the institution’s community engagement initiatives, and the talents of its members demonstrate the vitality of the music they perform. MorningStar Music Publishers, with its strong network globally, is an essential partner in sharing this important body of music.” 

The series’ initial offerings include: 

“Lord, I Am Grateful,” by Emorja G. Roberson, Assistant Professor of Music and African American Studies at Oxford College of Emory University, first performed by the IN UNISON Chorus and the SLSO at the 2023 Lift Every Voice concert; and

“It’s Working” by Isaac Cates—a Missouri-based composer, pianist, vocalist, and teacher—an SLSO-commissioned piece for the IN UNISON Chorus that received its world premiere in February 2019 by the SLSO, IN UNISON Chorus, and soprano soloist Jennifer Kelley.  

Since its founding in 1994, the IN UNISON Chorus has performed several times each season with the SLSO, including the annual IN UNISON Christmas and Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concerts, as well as a free community concert. Led by McBeth since 2011, the chorus continues to expand its range and impact while remaining focused on Black composers.

 

Photo credit: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra website

River Styx Relaunch: Literary Journal Continues to Make Waves

by | Mar 19, 2024 | Impact Stories

River Styx, St. Louis’ oldest literary and visual arts journal, has officially relaunched its publication. For over 48 years, they have inspired local and national audiences with moving poetry and striking visual pieces. Though extreme financial and staffing struggles threatened the future of the publication, local organizations such as the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL) helped keep it afloat.  

“The pandemic caused financial stress,” said Deborah Taffa, River Styx Editor-In-Chief. “I was on the board for years and money was always tight, but it was only after the pandemic started, and the original team was dismantled, that things became difficult.”  

Managing editors came and went, and at one point, Taffa’s husband even volunteered his truck to relocate their offices in an effort to save money. Regardless of the setbacks or amount of time it took, Taffa notes she was determined to find a new team that shared the vision of the magazine’s future.   

“When it comes to creating art, or building an art community, there are always obstacles, and that is why you must dive in and get it done as soon as possible,” Taffa said. “River Styx is too venerable a magazine to allow it to die.”  

Taffa credits various unpaid volunteers, specifically their accountant Clea Annarecho and grant writer Michele Ryan, for keeping the publication alive. She also credits Bryan Castile, Managing Editor, and his ‘aesthetic vision’, including noteworthy upgrades like the sleek, new website aimed at enhancing the written works and artwork. 

Some of the financial stability can also be credited to the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, the Missouri Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Over the years, RACSTL has given River Styx four program support grants, adding up to $44,500. “These organizations contributed to the relaunch by believing in the historic value of the magazine,” said Taffa. “They saw the care with which the grants were written, and they were willing to give our new editorial team a chance.”    

As for the future of the journal, River Styx is focusing on stability, consciously scaling the magazine and looking forward to its 50th anniversary next year. “Not many literary journals reach that milestone,” Taffa said. “I think everyone will be excited to see what we’re putting together for that. I don’t want to give anything away, but you’re going to see us bring River Styx’s past into its present in some interesting and unexpected ways.”   

Taffa offers sage advice for other literary magazines navigating the current landscape of the post-pandemic world. “Expect challenges and never give up. Don’t let fear of failure or feelings of competition discourage you,” Taffa said. “Don’t be discouraged by how long things take. Just stay in your lane and keep your focus on your own goals rather than letting yourself fall to comparisons. Being a supporter of the arts is always worth it.” 

The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, the largest public funder of the arts in St. Louis, proudly supported River Styx with four Program Support Grants in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023.  

To keep up with River Styx, follow their Instagram and Facebook or check for new issues on their website.