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.
Currently celebrating 40 years in operation, RAC is the leading public investor in arts and culture experiences in the St. Louis region, funded primarily through a hotel and motel tax in St. Louis city and county.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis for their generous support, which empowers us to create bold, joyful, and thought-provoking theatre for young audiences,” said Jacqueline Thompson, artistic director of Metro Theater Company, a 2025 grant recipient. “With this funding, we’re not only telling stories – we’re celebrating the brilliance of St. Louis artists, honoring the spirit of our youth, and deepening our commitment to service through the arts.”
The missions and programming of RAC grantees offers both residents and visitors a wide range of world-class entertainment, educational, and community building opportunities for multi-generational audiences interested in all sorts of creative disciplines, including theater, music, dance, and visual arts.
“RAC is a vibrant organization that connects and nurtures the arts in St. Louis, enabling many arts groups and artists to flourish and serve our community through programming and community engagement efforts,” said Zackary Petot, executive and artistic director for the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, another 2025 grant recipient. “We are honored to receive this grant. RAC allows us to continue offering free exhibitions, public programs, youth and senior art classes, and community partnerships that make the arts more inclusive and impactful for all.”
Other grantee organizations and programs include Flyover Comedy Festival, the International Institute of St. Louis’ Festival of Nations, Laumeier Sculpture Park, the National Blues Museum, and Peter & Paul Community Services’ Community CollabARTive. A full list of grantees can be found at www.racstl.org/grants/awarded-grants.
Applications for RAC’s 2025 artist support grants, which benefit individual artists, closed in May. Awardees for those grants will be announced later this summer.
In 1985, the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen and the St. Louis County Council voted to establish the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis – acting on behalf of public desire to prioritize arts and culture as a vital regional resource. Since its beginning, RAC has provided nearly 7,500 grants totaling over $118 million, including the most recent allocation in 2025.
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