March-April 2016 Happenings

MAR-APR 2016

the stARTup issue

ON THE COVER: Young Liars, an arts startup and new tenant at the Centene Center for Arts and Education. Read the full story on page 3.

Letter from the President Greetings Friends!

There’s been a lot of buzz (and rightfully so) about St. Louis’s startup community; particularly in the tech arenas. But St. Louis’ arts scene is equally busy launching new and exciting arts organizations and initiatives that further raise our city’s profile – albeit in a different industry – and increase our community’s cultural capital. So, welcome to A&E’s first-ever “stARTup” issue!

The Arts and Education Council has proudly served as one of the most innovative arts startup investors in its six-decade history. Several of our city’s most iconic performing arts groups began with financial support provided

by A&E; a shining example of which is Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (an A&E grantee since its inception in 1976) which just celebrated its 40th Anniversary.

Even after 50-plus years, A&E continues to be at the forefront of supporting and promoting new creative outlets: two of which - the Tennessee Williams Festival, which launches this spring, and Young Liars theatre company, which is currently in its first production run as I write to you - are tenants in A&E’s arts incubator and collaboration space, the Centene Center for Arts and Education.

You can read more about these two startups as well as Chalk Riot, Show Me Arts Academy, the National Blues Museum and the Saint Louis Fashion Incubator on pages 3-6.

Finally, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) chairman, Jane Chu, at a lunch with my peers from the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission. I am excited by and echo Chu’s commitment to “start a new dialogue on the ways in which the arts are an essential component of our everyday lives.” As we have since 1963, A&E will continue to be a strong voice in our community heralding the myriad benefits of the arts and arts education – socially, economically, academically and culturally. We thank you for your generous support that makes A&E’s impact upon our beautiful community possible!

Sincerely,

Cynthia A. Prost President and CEO

From left to right: Michael Donovan, executive director of the Missouri Arts Council; Felicia Shaw, executive director of the Regional Arts Commission; Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endow-ment for the Arts; and Cynthia Prost, president and CEO of the Arts and Education Council.

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Arts

Arts Startups: Startups: The Next National Generation Blues Museum 2

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Business Leader in the Arts:

Vanessa Cooksey

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Access to Grantee

the Arts: Spotlight:

Know & Go CAM Teen Calendar Museum Studies

ARTS STARTUPS:

I

t is not uncommon to see a headline about another small business startup in St. Louis. The recent entrepreneurial activity includes Launch Code, the hundreds of startups housed in T-Rex and the many innovative projects funded by Arch Grants.

While most of the stories in the news focus on technology and business, the arts have been busy as well.

St. Louis is currently ranked number 17 out of 900 cities across the country in the National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) Arts Vibrancy Index.

Young Liars performing The Dispute at the Centene Center for Arts and Education.

This ranking is based on each city’s number of arts organiA Spectacle for Lovers zations, audience Tennessee Williams St. Louis is currently and Fighters is an demand and governFestival • St. Louis ranked number 17 out adaptation of a 1744 ment support. The of 900 cities across comedy by Pierre de widespread enthusiasm the country in the Marivaux. Young Liars and patronage of the National Center for presented the work in a arts in St. Louis is Arts Research (NCAR) performance space at reflected in our high Arts Vibrancy Index the Centene Center. rank, as evidenced by Young Liars is already some of the newest working with established local and arts organizations emerging out of the Another new tenant in A&E’s Centene regional artists to develop original breadth and depth of St. Louis's culCenter for Arts and Education is the works. The positive response to their tural landscape.

Tennessee Williams Festival, which mission has been tremendous. Harper will present its inaugural festival May says, “We are finding the performance 11-15, 2016. After producing a Williams community to be welcoming and play in October 2014 at The Boo Cat enthusiastic with regard to the idea of Club, Carrie Houk, executive artistic collaborative and inter-disciplinary director, says, “I realized the thirst that performance.” the St. Louis audience has for Mr. Harper’s vast experience working Williams’ work … His most formative Young Liars is a theatre company that and producing shows in cities across years were spent in our city and I think officially began in the fall of 2015, when the U.S. gives him a well-rounded perit's time to honor him.” co-producing directors Maggie Conroy spective of the national opportunities The festival will introduce Tennessee and Chuck Harper “realized that the for new theatre companies. “St. Louis Williams to those who might not be city of St. Louis was ripe for innovative, is an ideal location for a startup thefamiliar with one of America’s greatest non-traditional theatre,” explains atre organization. The enthusiastic playwrights, poets and essayists. The Harper. support that we have already received festival will include performances, Currently a tenant in A&E’s Centene reinforced this immediately. And the poetry readings, educational events Center for Arts and Education, Young office, rehearsal and performance and visual arts components.

Liars focuses on challenging the stanopportunities provided by the Centene Houk is excited by the opportunities dard perception of theatre through Center are unparalleled. The facilities available here to new organizations. interdisciplinary performances and that we are working in would be finan“The beautiful thing about being an unusual adaptations of classical works. cially prohibitive in any other market.” artist in St. Louis is that you can take Less than six months old, Young Liars Young Liars is a tenant in A&E's Centene an idea and achieve goals much more Center for Arts and Education. To learn presented its first show in February rapidly that one can in larger cities,” more, find them at on.fb.me/1PPqtLC. 2016, which was a sell-out. The Dispute: 3

Valerie Goldston

Five New Members of the Next Generation of St. Louis's Creative Industry

Arts Startups (cont.) she explains.

“I have lived in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago and I cannot believe that we would have come this far this fast in any other city.” The community enthusiasm for the arts is notable as well. “I feel the buzz of excitement about our first festival,” she says. “It is palpable.”

The Arts and Education Council is the

current fiscal sponsor for the Tennessee Williams Festival, which is also a tenant in the Centene Center for Arts and Education.

To learn more visit twstl.org.

The excitement for one of the city’s newest arts education organizations is also inspiring. Show Me Arts Academy (SMAA) was established in August of 2014, and its first program launched in early 2015. Marty Casey Mosley, founder and artistic director, formed the organization to make the arts more accessible to underserved youth.

Created in the wake of the unrest in Ferguson, Mosley wanted to build

Show Me Arts Academy participants.

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something positive for the children of that community.

What makes SMAA stand out is its free and mobile programming, which Mosley adapts to each location based on the needs and available space.

Professional artists work with children ages 5-18, teaching theatre, dance, music, visual art, creative writing and healthy habits. Mosley has had a flood of positive feedback.

“The parents absolutely love our model. It is often stated they have never seen anything like us,” she explains.

“The greatest story is to see the transition of the children emotionally from the beginning of the program verses the end,” she continues. “At the beginning they don’t know who or what we are about so they are always slow to move, but by the end they are beating the instructors to the room, ready to get started!”

Show Me Arts Academy has already received an award from Delwood Recreational Center for its recent time there and is quickly growing. By summer of 2016 SMAA plans to hire additional professional artists and operate multiple program locations in St. Louis.

To learn more about Show Me Arts

Academy and its upcoming events, visit showmeartsacademy.com.

Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, Chalk Riot.

Chalk Riot is an arts startup that began as a “Saturday hobby” in 2013 when co-founders Chelsea RitterSoronen and Rusty Conklin met at a gathering of people interested in murals. Soon they began creating chalk art all over the city. Art St. Louis contacted the pair in 2014 to participate in its ‘Art in the Plaza’ series, which led to a steady flow of inquiries for commissioned work for businesses and events. In 2015 Chalk Riot was officially established.

Over the past two years Chalk Riot has built on the initial relationship with Art St. Louis. Now, the nonprofit helps negotiate Chalk Riot’s commission contracts with businesses and sends out the invoices.

“The notion that there would be an artist out there working individually, doing it for very little money just to get exposure is a scenario that we’re trying to avoid,” explains Chandler Branch, executive director of Art St. Louis. “We’re thrilled that artists have their independence, but what we try to assure is that the artists get paid for their work.”

“Our missions are so similar. We linked up in the first place because we believe in getting artists paid, we believe in public art as a tool for community growth,” Ritter-Soronen adds.

The affiliation with Art St. Louis is ben-

Arts Startups (cont.) eficial for Chalk Riot in other ways as well. “Having that support system, mentally and in the public eye, has helped us gain credibility,” explains Ritter-Soronen. “I hope it’s a model more nonprofits can find with new arts businesses. It’s huge.”

The Central West End coworking space, TechArtista, is also a contributor to Chalk Riot’s success. “We did a mural for them in early 2015. Because a lot of the people in that environment are also self-starters and excited about new businesses, it was very motivating to be there,” says Ritter-Soronen.

She signed up for a membership to have access to the workspace, but more importantly, the community.

“There are people with all different types of businesses - lawyers, finance people, coders, inventors, artists. Any question you have, somebody can answer it there.”

“The cross-genre collaboration is so important,” she continues. “Its hard to do that in the arts industry, because usually artists collaborate with other artists, but there are so many creative brains out there that aren’t so-called ‘fine artists,’ but are still creative powerhouses. The more that we can collaborate that way then we can grow in the same way that any other small business can.”

Chalk Riot has certainly grown. This summer they will expand to the Bay Area, maintaining the management relationship with Art St. Louis for their local projects.

“It was scary, and it’s still scary,”

Rendering of the new Saint Louis Fashion Incubator.

explains Riter-Soronen. “Being a business owner and a freelance artist, both of those things are scary. But that’s also the thing that drives me to always make it better and improve and keep working to accomplish our mission.”

To learn more about Chalk Riot visit

getchalked.org. For more information about Art St. Louis, visit artstlouis.org.

The SLFI will house six nationally selected emerging fashion designers, giving them access to a design library, photography studio and workspace during a one to two year program taught by local university faculty and industry professionals. The program will focus on teaching the business acumen required for designers to launch their own lines in addition to developing industry and manufacturing expertise. The SLFI will also offer collaborative workstations for local designers and community outreach events to build local interest in the fashion industry.

Soon joining the long list of arts startups is a new project by the two-yearold Saint Louis Fashion Fund: the Saint Louis Fashion Incubator (SLFI), scheduled to open fall of 2016 on Washington Avenue in the historic Garment District.

Eric Johnson, the newly appointed executive director, is impressed by the momentum behind St. Louis startups.

"At a macro level, I'm excited about what's happening in St. Louis from an entrepreneurship and innovation standpoint," he explains. "From entrepreneurship programs like Arch Grants to incubators like T-Rex (where we're housed for the next few months until our space is built out) or Cortex, there's an influx of young business talent and excitement around startups in St. Louis like never before."

For more information about the SLFI

and the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, visit saintlouisfashionfund.org.

The startups highlighted here represent just the tip of the iceberg of what is an ever-expanding creative community in the St. Louis region. As noted in the NCAR Arts Vibrancy report, creative density leads to innovation and economic growth – clearly demonstrating that when the arts thrive, our city thrives.

The Arts and Education Council was a funder at the beginning of many of our city’s cultural landmarks, helping arts startups like Opera Theatre, COCA and Jazz St. Louis to grow into healthy and vibrant community treasures.

To read the NCAR Art Vibrancy report,

visit bit.ly/NCARArtsVibrancyIndex.

Eric Johnson, executive director of SLFI. 5

ARTS STARTUPS:

The National Blues Museum

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f you haven’t heard the buzz about the new National Blues Museum, you’ve been missing out. It’s already at the top of to-do lists published by the New York Times, CNN and the Smithsonian, and it doesn’t even open until April 2. Dion Brown, executive director, says that the attention in the press sets a high bar. “But we’re up to the challenge,” he smiles.

Happenings recently spent an afternoon with Brown, walking through the under-construction exhibit halls to give readers a sneak peak at the newest addition to St. Louis’s lineup of cultural gems.

Prior to joining the National Blues Museum, Brown was executive director at the B.B. King Museum in the Mississippi Delta, where the blues were born. His move to St. Louis follows the same progression of the blues moving up the Mississippi, and he believes St. Louis is the ideal place for the national museum for that very reason.

“As people started the great migration up the Mississippi the blues stopped in Memphis, then St. Louis … up to Chicago, Detroit, and on in to Canada,” he explains. “It’s a logical place for it to be here. You’re four hours from Memphis, four hours from Chicago, six hours from the Delta, so it’s centrally located.”

The music followed the migration,

and with each new branch it took on a new flavor. The storyline of the museum shows this progression, then follows the influence of the blues on different genres of music.

"When you first start [in the museum] it’s talking about the history and the African American part of the blues. But once you come through this door, it shows how it influenced all genres of music,” Brown explains as we walk through the rooms.

“When I first got here I said, ‘This is the Blues Museum, but it’s awfully white.’ I don’t mind having those conversations after spending the past five years in Mississippi,” he comments. “But the more I walk these halls it makes total sense. Once you come through here you’re going into the transition and how blues started to evolve and affect all music: the British Invasion, Keith Richards, the Allman Brothers.”

While picking a favorite exhibit is as impossible as picking a favorite child, Brown says he is most proud of the Chuck Berry section. One of his first projects at the museum, Brown worked with Joe Edwards, Delmar Loop developer and businessman, to find items that perfectly fit the story to represent Chuck Berry’s career. He also holds the B.B. King pieces close to his heart, as a personal friend of the late musician and a reminder of his time in the Delta.

In addition to the historic items, the museum is filled with interactive exhibits. From the magnetic-poetry-style songwriting screens to a jug band recording station to the final Jack White mixing room, visitors will be able to create their own blues songs to take home as they make their way through the exhibits.

The museum’s performance space will also be used for educational programming. Brown plans to have frequent live music on stage but will make sure that the shows align with the mission: “One of my requirements is that you have to tie in your performance to an educational component for the blues or rock and roll,” he says.

The stage will also be home to an oral history program and Brown’s future plans for a National Blues Museum Band. The band will be made up of young musicians, who will be led by a mentor as they manage all aspects of what it takes to put on a show. “It introduces them to how the music business runs and also teaches them about the work that goes into live music before they get to perform on the stage,” Brown says. “The young musicians will run the sound, the lights, and book their own shows.”

And even though this is the National Blues Museum, Brown hasn’t forgotten about St. Louis. The final room of the visitor experience will feature the local music and blues scene. “Done by St. Louisans and about St. Louis,” he says.

It will pay tribute to the fact that, while many cities have talked about building the National Blues Museum, Brown smiles as he says, “St. Louis followed through with it, and actually did it.”

Dion Brown, executive director of the National Blues Museum, in front of the 'suitcase wall.'

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The National Blues Museum opens April

2. Visit nationalbluesmuseum.org.

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:

COCAbiz

S

ometimes the best ideas just bubble up.

That was more or less the genesis of how COCAbiz got its start roughly five years ago when visionary board members and professional staff at COCA (an A&E Sustaining Grant recipient) began discussing ways to support a more innovative environment in St. Louis from a business perspective.

“We wondered what COCA could do to contribute to the business environment through the arts,” says Steve Knight, director of COCAbiz. “After all, the arts are about creativity, innovation and the courage to take risks to do new things.”

After receiving a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for EmArts Innovation Labs, which supports building strategic plans for new ideas in the non-profit world, COCA envisioned a program for the arts to serve the local business community.

“What came out of the planning process was the concept of pairing high level teaching artists with business facilitators,” Knight explains. “So rather than talk about creativity or how to innovate or to think like an artist to solve business problems, the idea is to use the artists to offer hands-on exercises and activities from their arts discipline. So participants are actually doing things and experiencing, at least in a small way, what it feels like to engage in activities from those arts forms.”

The role of the business facilitator is to ask participants to reflect on what’s happening to them when they are engaged in that activity. “In other words, what discoveries are being made that they could take back and apply in their business learning,” adds Knight. “The idea is that by being immersed in an arts experience, participants are shaken out of intellectual habits and put in a place to discover new ways of doing things.”

Such were the beginnings of COCAbiz, which over the years has

Workshop participants at the COCAbiz SPARK Conference.

worked with more than 30 St. Louisarea businesses, including Monsanto, BJC Healthcare, Edwards Jones, Nestle Purina and Wells Fargo Advisors.

Several types of programs, lectures and workshops are offered. One, called “The Artful Speaker,” focuses on storytelling and presentation skills, using three teaching artists – a fiction writer/ poet, a visual/design artist and an actor – to take business groups through exercises using writing, visual imagery and physical presence.

Participants learn to adapt artistic practices for communicating complex information and telling powerful stories.

“We do a lot of work with teams,” says Knight. “We offer a workshop we call the 'Rube Goldberg Team Collaboration Challenge,' run by a mixed-media visual artist. After learning about Rube Goldberg machines, each team is given a box of crazy, miscellaneous toys and materials. The teams compete to see which can build the wackiest machine to do something simple like pop a balloon or blow out a candle.

“Throughout the process the facilitator stops them to reflect on how they are working as a team, how they are processing decision making and how they are dealing with the fact that no one has the correct answer. They are completely in a gray area where they have to figure out how to succeed, and that leads to a rich conversation on what it means to collaborate

on projects that demand creativity.”

So impressed with COCAbiz, St. Louis University began embedding COCAbiz workshops into its evening MBA curriculum in 2014.

“We’ve taken the workshops and expanded them into what we call professional effectiveness modules,” explains Suzy Hartmann, Assistant Dean and Director of Master's Programs at St. Louis University’s John Cook School of Business.

“Students tell me ‘The Artful Speaker’ module is one of the most fun and worthwhile classes they have ever taken. Typically, I only hear from students when they think a class stinks, but this one has gotten rave reviews.

It’s been really beneficial to our MBA program.”

Knight feels COCAbiz is so effective because arts activities are at the core.

It’s interactive, team-driven and works to energize those involved.

“Participants always come away excited with new ways to think about things,” he says. “Our approach is really different, it’s not the same old corporate learning model. That’s the secret sauce. The combination of arts activity and business reflection creates an experience that is memorable and engages participants in a unique way.”

COCA is an Arts and Education Council

Sustaining Grant recipient. For more information about COCA, visit cocastl.org. For more information about COCAbiz, visit cocastl.org/cocabiz or call Steve Knight at 314-561-4862.

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BUSINESS LEADER IN THE ARTS:

Vanessa Cooksey, Wells Fargo Advisors

W

ells Fargo Advisors recently donated $100,000 to the Arts & Education Council, half of which is being used to launch the new Art Education Fund. The Fund provides tuition scholarships and transportation subsidies to talented high school students to further their artistic training (Learn more about the newly established program on pg. 14).

The gift also helps grow A&E’s “Arts Leadership and Management Academy” (ALMA), an initiative Wells Fargo Advisors has been supporting for the past three years. ALMA provides workshops and professional development opportunities to build non-profits' organizational capacity and program impact. The remainder of the gift supports A&E’s annual campaign.

Happenings recently spoke to Vanessa Cooksey, senior vice president and head of community affairs at Wells Fargo Advisors, to discuss the role of businesses and business leaders in the local arts community.

Why is it important for businesses such as Wells Fargo Advisors to support the arts in the St. Louis region?

It is important for Wells Fargo Advisors to support the arts in St. Louis because investing in communities is part of our company’s values.

One of our founders, Henry Wells, believed it is not the number of years a person lives but how a person uses those years to help others that is measure of a life well lived.

St. Louis is Wells Fargo Advisors’ home office location. We make significant investments in arts and culture, in healthy aging, in financial education and in workforce development, because we know strong communities are part of what makes for successful business.

You are a financial investment company but also support the arts. What is the connection between the two?

We want to hire people who have a

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Cooksey at her office window overlooking the city.

strong foundation in finance, business and mathematics, but we also know people who have had exposure to and participate in the arts have developed other key skills that are critical in our business. Arts training helps with character building and creative thinking.

Innovation drives our business and helps our clients succeed financially, so having people with both quantitative and qualitative skills is really important.

What led Wells Fargo Advisors to support the new Art Education Fund?

We have significant investments in K-12 public education, particularly in the St. Louis Public Schools. The inspiration to invest in this program – with several school districts in the North County community – was so we could be more inclusive of the those communities, especially since the unrest in Ferguson.

We wanted to do something impactful and ultimately sustainable. These are kids who need opportunity, and if they get that opportunity, they will continue to grow. It was a very thoughtful and strategic investment in a community that needed it.

What measures or incentives has Wells Fargo implemented to encourage employees to embrace the arts?

We have a wonderful offering and strategy in what we call our team member philanthropy. We offer eligible

team members volunteer service leave, and we post opportunities for team members to volunteer for several arts organizations. We also give out tickets to the performing arts in the community and partner with our Team Member Engagement and HR colleagues to offer tickets as special incentives or rewards.

We also host special events at arts organizations. We recently held our Community Support Campaign thankyou event at the St. Louis Art Museum.

Instead of having it in our building, we used it as an opportunity to expose team members to an organization where we make investments.

How are the arts transformative?

I love that they provide a safe space for diverse people to come and enjoy together. If I’m at the Symphony enjoying the music and someone else not from my same ethnic or racial background is there as well, we have the music in common. So the question then becomes: How can we take that and start having some of the more challenging conversations that would help St. Louis better grow and heal?

For information about A&E's new Art

Education Fund read see page 5 or visit KeepArtHappening.org. For information about Wells Fargo Advisors visit wellsfargoadvisors.com.

BUSINESS LEADER IN THE ARTS (CONT.):

The Wells Fargo Advisors Innovation Lab

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anessa Cooksey's windows (page 8) are covered in sketches and flow charts drawn in dry-erase marker during brainstorming sessions. Her windows have been a part of many creative projects born in her office.

A few floors below Cooksey's office sits the Wells Fargo Advisors Innovation Lab, a new space intended to spark that same inventive mindset on a larger scale.

Equipped with iPads, large television screens, open workspace, whiteboards, Herman Miller Spun chairs and - yes - windows, Wells Fargo Advisors Innovation Lab is a place for employees and business partners alike to think outside the box. The Lab embodies the company's commitment to creativity and innovation that access to and participation in the arts the company supports through the A&E Art Education Fund (See pg. 14 to learn more).

Wells Fargo Advisors Innovation Lab.

MONSANTO RURAL COMMUNITY ARTS EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT:

Jacoby Arts Center

T

he Jacoby Arts Center (an A&E Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education grant recipient) provides Alton, Illinois with a performing arts venue, gallery space, educational programs and community outreach initiatives.

“We try to offer a variety of creative opportunities and services that inspire the imaginations of our community members," explains Mary Vandevord, a board member of the Jacoby Arts Center.

"We think it is critical to give local artists a space to showcase their work and creative endeavors and to inspire others in the community to feed their creative desires,” Vandevord continues.

One of the Jacoby’s recent community initiatives was 'The Next Big Thing,' a youth entrepreneur workshop held Jan 25-28. Produced in collaboration with the University of Illinois Extension, the workshop gave students fifth through eighth grades the opportunity to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and inventor.

“The students showed a true passion for entrepreneurship and thrived on creating their own ideas," comments Jennifer Russel, Community and Economic Development Educator at the University of Illinois Extension.

"Students actively participated in brainstorming sessions and then con-

tinued to work on their business ideas outside of class time.”

The students learned about entrepreneurship from local business leaders, then developed their own inventions and business plans. They worked with graphic artists to create marketing plans, logos and business cards. At the end of the workshop each student presented their chosen business concept to a panel.

“There was such excitement as the students came back each day,” she continues. “At the end of the program, students made a class presentation in

front of local business owners, bankers and family members.”

The Jacoby Arts Center also provides remarkable performances to Alton residents. A host to local, regional and national performers, the Jacoby has featured artists including River Bend Bluegrass Band, Bankside Repertory Theater, Chris Nathan and Erin Bode.

The Jacoby Arts Center is a grant recipi-

ent of A&E's Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program. For more information visit jacobyartscenter.org.

Young entrepreneur Maya Grassle presents a business concept for a vegetarian restaurant to the judge panel during 'The Next Big Thing' workshop.

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In 1947, Jackie Robinson had broken baseball’s color barrier, while Satchel Paige and his Negro League All-Stars were barnstorming against their white counterparts in the Majors. It was baseball by day and jazz by night as the players tried to find their place in a country on the verge of change. 314.968.4925 or repstl.org

MAR-APR 2016 O N G O I N G D I S CO U N T S W IT H T HE AR TS C A R D JAZZ AT THE BISTRO

AMERICAN CHAMBER CHORALE Stabat Mater WHEN: Mar 12; Sat, 7:30 pm

Offers 2-for-1 admission to most 9:30 pm shows Wed-Thur. For details call 314.571.6000 or go to jazzstl.org

M AR C H E V E NTS

WHERE: Messiah Lutheran Church, 2846 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $20 adults, $18 seniors, $15 students, $5 children

WHEN: Mar 20; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sun, Mar 20 performance only (excludes box seats) Concertmaster David Halen will display his “singing tone and superior technique” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) with the sweeping melodies and virtuosic finale of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet

Music by two vastly different modern composers, Arvo Part and Ola Gjello, performed by the Chorale and Orchestra that is sure to engage the listener.

314.638.0793 or americanchamberchorale.com

WHEN: Mar 6; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111

NEW JEWISH THEATRE Old Wicked Songs

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sun, Mar 6 performance only (excludes box seats)

WHEN: Mar 17- Apr 3; Wed-Thur, 7:30 pm; Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 & 7:30 pm

Explore the great drama and tragedies of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.”

Prokofiev’s most recognized and haunting score from one of the greatest love stories, “Romeo and Juliet” is full of radiant textures and heart-breaking tenderness. 314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

COST: $39.50-$43.50, $15 students

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Halen Plays Beethoven

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Berlioz Romeo and Juliet

WHEN: Mar 11; Fri, 8 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Fri, Mar 11 performance only (excludes box seats) Berlioz pays homage to the most famous love story in his elegant “Roméo et Juliette.” The St. Louis Symphony and Chorus convey the magic and brevity of love in this work performed under the baton of Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin.

314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

WHERE: Wool Studio Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., Creve Coeur

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card (discount not available online) A young American piano prodigy travels to Vienna hoping to reconnect with his music and shatter the artistic block that's plagued his career. Through the sessions a link is created between two generations of men, one a seeming anti-Semite, the other a Jew, who find they have much more in common than they think.

314.442.3283 or newjewishtheatre.org

REPERTORY THEATRE OF ST. LOUIS Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing

WHEN: Mar 18-Apr 10; Tues, 7 pm; Wed-Fri, 8 pm; selected Wed, 1:30 pm; Sat, 4 pm; Sun, 2 pm, selected Sun, 7 pm WHERE: Browning Mainstage at the Loretto Hilton Theatre, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves

SHELDON CONCERT HALL Julia Bullock, soprano with Renate Rohlfing, piano WHEN: Mar 30; Wed, 8 pm WHERE: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25 orchestra, $20 balcony, $10 student DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card on full price tickets only (Tickets are available by presenting the card in advance at the Fox Theatre Box office at 531 N. Grand, or night of show at The Sheldon Box Office between 7-8 pm. Offer good on full price tickets only.)

A St. Louis native and graduate of Opera Theatre’s Artist-in-Training program, soprano Julia Bullock is a rising star in opera, with performances in New York, San Francisco and Paris to her credit. 314.533.9900 or thesheldon.org

APRI L EVENTS

SAINT LOUIS CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY

Łukasz Kuropaczewski

WHEN: Apr 2, Sat, 8 pm WHERE: Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., Ladue COST: $24-$28 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card (Use promo code "AandE" on website) Internationally renowned Polish guitarist Łukasz Kuropaczewski performs works from Spain, Italy, and Poland. 314 229-8686 or guitarstlouis.net

COST: $17.50-$79.50 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card March 16-27

Events Key 10

Cinema

Classical

Dance

Jazz

Music

Speaker

Theater

Visual Arts

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Mahler 4 WHEN: Apr 3; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sun, Apr 3 performance only (excludes box seats) Soprano Susanna Phillips returns after her captivating 2013 performance in Peter Grimes with the STL Symphony performing the finale of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, a youthful work of innocence and beguiling beauty. 314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

box seats) Mussorgsky produced his Pictures at an Exhibition to honor the memory of a friend. In the process, he created a monument far more massive and lasting than his friend’s paintings. Ravel’s vibrant orchestration brings these musical treasures to life culminating with the majestic Great Gate of Kiev.

314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

THE BLACK REP Twisted Melodies WHEN: April 20-May 1; Wed-Thur, 7 pm; Fri-Sat, 8 pm; Sat-Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Edison Theatre at Washington University COST: $30

DANCE ST. LOUIS Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater WHEN: Apr 15-16; Fri, 8 pm; Sat, 2 & 8 pm WHERE: Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., St. Louis

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card to limited performances (call box office for details) “Twisted Melodies” is a journey through the mind of musical genius Donny Hathaway. We see a man lost in space and time, battling schizophrenia and trying to come to terms with everything. 314.534.3810 or theblackrep.org

COST: $30-$55, matinees are $30

SHELDON CONCERT HALL Sheldon Classics: David Halen and members of the St. Louis Symphony WHEN: April 6; Wed, 8 pm WHERE: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis COST: $30 orchestra, $25 balcony, $15 student DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card on full price tickets only (Tickets are available by presenting the card in advance at the Fox Theatre Box office at 531 N. Grand, or night of show at The Sheldon Box Office between 7-8 pm. Offer good on full price tickets only.)

St. Louis Symphony concert master David Halen is joined by pianist Peter Martin, who will set aside his usual jazz repertoire to perform a range of classical favorites by Bach, Beethoven and Bartok! 314.533.9900 or thesheldon.org

HETTENHAUSEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS Cameron Carpenter featuring the International Touring Organ

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for any performance. Parterre sides or grand tier seating only. Offer only valid through the Dance St. Louis Box office, not valid through the Touhill Box office. Must be purchased by 4 pm Thursday before show.

With passion, power and spectacle, the 40 dancers, singers, musicians and guest artists highlight a mosaic of Hispanic cultures from around the world. 314.534.6622 or dancestlouis.org

COCA FAMILY THEATER TRIumphant Spring Repertory Coneert WHEN: Apr 15-17; Fri, 7 pm; Sat-Sun, 2 pm WHERE: 524 Trinity Ave., University City COST: $12-$16

MUSTARD SEED THEATRE Bosnian/American WHEN: April 22- May 1; Thur–Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 pm WHERE: Fontbonne University Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd., Clayton COST: $30, $25 for students and seniors DISCOUNT: $10 off admission with ARTS Card Born in Bosnia and raised in St. Louis; painful history meets present reality in a play that celebrates the true stories of our neighbors. 314.719.8060 or mustardseedtheatre.com

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Dvořák 7

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sat 2 pm show only

WHEN: Apr 24; Sun, 3 pm

COCA’s student dance companies (COCAdance, Ballet Eclectica and the Hip-Hop Crew) conclude their seasons with a Spring Repertory Concert featuring pieces from local and national choreographers. 314.561.4877 or cocastl.org

COST: $25-$111

WHEN: April 7; Thur, 7:30 pm WHERE: McKendree University, Alton Street, Lebanon, Illinois COST: $22 adult, $18 senior, $10 student & child

WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sun, Apr 24 performance only (excludes box seats) Dvořák sought to create a work “capable of stirring the world” with the Seventh Symphony.

Czech conductor Jakob Hrůša makes his STL Symphony debut leading this work by his beloved compatriot. 314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Storytelling

Virtuoso composer-performer Cameron Carpenter smashes the stereotypes of organ music, with a diverse repertoire that includes Bach, film scores, original works and jazz-pop collaborations. 618.537.6863 or thehett.com

WHEN: Apr 29; Fri, 8 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Pictures at an Exhibition

DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Fri, Apr 29 performance only (excludes box seats)

WHEN: Apr 15; Fri, 8 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $25-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Fri, Apr 15 performance only (excludes

Łukasz Kuropaczewski, Saint Louis Classical Guitar Society

Symphonic music has tremendous power to tell the story! From Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours to Dukas’s mischievous The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, let the orchestra be your guide on this musical adventure exploring tales from around the globe.

314.533.2500 or stlsymphony.org

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MARITZ ARTS AND EDUCATION FUND FOR TEACHERS:

Willow Brook Elementary School

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hanks to the Arts and Education Council’s Maritz Art Education Fund for Teachers, many of the 450 students at Willow Brook Elementary School in the Pattonville School District will have the opportunity to learn how to sew as part of an innovative, choice-based art curriculum that encourages creative expression. The new sewing center thrills no one more than the school’s art teacher and unofficial sewing coach Dawn Lynn.

“Personally, I love to sew,” says Lynn. “It’s also become one of the more popular studios I teach. The kids actually line up to get on one of the machines.”

Lynn explains that she has adopted a national model of teaching art called TAB – Teaching for Artistic Behavior – which allows students to make choices as to the art projects they want to pursue, including sewing. The hope is that by giving them choices over their work, students will be better engaged and motivated, and more responsible for outcomes.

“With TAB, my job is to provoke questions and help with problem solving,” says Lynn. “There really is a lot of natural collaboration.”

Lynn’s art room no longer looks like a typical classroom. Hutches, kitchen tables and dining room chairs fill the space, giving it a homey feel. It’s also

Dawn Lynne helping students with projects.

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Fourth-grade students working on a project in the new Willow Brook sewing studio.

divided into various art “centers” such as painting, drawing, fiber arts, ceramics, collage, sculpture, architecture and now, sewing, all available to the students.

“I started teaching TAB last year because I felt like I was missing groups of kids, especially some of the boys who weren’t as engaged in art class,” Lynn explains. As a fan of sewing, she brought in the sewing machine that her mother gave her she was 16.

“Within no time, there was such interest in sewing, including from the boys, that the PTO helped me purchase another machine,” Lynn adds.

The enthusiasm led her to search for additional funds. Now, with the support from A&E’s Maritz Art Education Fund for Teachers, the sewing center will include four new sewing machines and additional sewing materials for the students.

Lynn says before students can sew on the machines, they must demonstrate some proficiency at hand sewing. As is the case with all TAB projects, students come in with an idea and fill out a “plan sheet” that details how they intend to pursue it.

“They continue to work in class until they fulfill their WOW project – Wonderful Original Work,” says Lynn.

“Sometimes they have deadlines, other times they work on the project until its

natural completion.”

Lynn says student engagement in her art classes is higher than ever before. She adds that the interest in sewing continues to grow, with ideas for community projects coming from the students themselves.

“One boy said his mother sews pillowcase dresses for girls in Africa, so we started doing that,” says Lynn.

Another group project has students sewing decorative pillowcases for local children with cancer, and a future one will have them involved in sewing projects for the adult day care center located near the school.

Lynn believes that in addition to producing work that builds their selfesteem and expands their creativity, students also develop critical thinking skills through sewing.

“They have to make many decisions that will affect the outcome,” she says.

“When they finish a project, they have to fill out a reflection piece about why they made it and how they did it. As student-artists, they have a good deal of creative control, which gives them a true sense of pride in their work.”

The Willow Brook Elementary School

Sewing Studio Center is an Arts and Education Council Maritz Fund for Teachers Grant recipient. For more information about Willow Brook Elementary School and the Sewing Studio Center visit willowbrook.psdr3.org.

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:

CAM's Teen Museum Studies Program

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hat do I want to do when I grow up? It’s a question we all have to ask ourselves

and, eventually, answer. The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) (an A&E Operating Grant recipient) is helping students learn what it's like to grow up to become an artist

through hands-on experience.

CAM’s “Teen Museum Studies” offers local teenagers opportunities to learn about museum careers and gain practical work experience in everything from public relations and accounting to curating art exhibitions.

Created in 2010, the program offers 12 students the opportunity to participate in the six-week summer intensive and receive a stipend for their work.

Tuan Nguyen, CAM’s education director, explains, “The program started as a way to engage students who were interested in the arts but who weren’t necessarily interested in a studio path to the arts.”

Participating students come from schools all over the St. Louis Metropolitan Area and from a range of backgrounds. During the selection process, Nguyen identifies students with a variety of different experiences, skills and strengths.

The mix of interests can be seen in the careers they pursue once they complete the program. Many students go on to college, focusing on careers

Students visit the studio of exhibiting artist Cole Lu.

in everything from graphic design to computer animation to biology.

Nguyen feels the creativity and skills participants develop through the program benefit them in any career.

“I’ve seen students go from very shy and timid to being very active in putting their voice and opinion out there,” says Nguyen.

“One of the things that students always remark upon is the growth they have experienced in learning how to work with people – people they don’t know and with different backgrounds,” he continues. “I think one of the hidden benefits of the program is that ability

to work together and collaborate to make things happen.”

As part of the program, students curate and organize an art exhibition in CAM’s Education Gallery. In 2015, the students worked with artist Cole Lu to plan an exhibit that examines the barriers created when we communicate using technology. Students went through a detailed selection process before choosing Lu for a solo show.

The students then worked closely with Lu to present the exhibit. The process – including working within a budget and meeting deadlines – was driven entirely by the students.

“The students always rise to the challenge,” reflects Nguyen. “At the beginning, they are shocked and overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility, agency and power that they have.

But by the end of the program, they’ve grown into it, and you can see them gain confidence from being empowered.”

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

is an A&E Operating Grant recipient. For more information visit camstl.org. For more information about artist Cole Lu, visit colelu.com.

Students learning correct art handling with CAM Registrar Jessi Cerutti.

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A&E PROGRAM:

MAKERS OF ST. LOUIS:

Art Education Fund Call for Applications

Priscilla Block, ArtWorks

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pplications are now available for the Arts and Education Council's Art Education Fund, underwritten in part by Wells Fargo Advisors. Selected students will receive tuition scholarships or transportation subsidies to further their artistic training at art and art education organizations.

“Return on investment through the Art Education Fund is measured by the number of students who we have actually impacted,” explains Vanessa Cooksey, senior vice president and head of community affairs at Wells Fargo Advisors.

“That’s what makes this program so special. We’re giving young people access to opportunity and exposure through arts and culture, which has the ability to positively impact their life."

Cooksey knows the benefits of a more expansive art education reach beyond artistic skill. “Music, for instance, tends to help students in math, and this program gives students exposure to music. So, if that helps a student struggling with math do better, that’s the return on investment I want.”

Five school districts have been selected for the initial Art Education Fund program: St. Louis Public Schools, Normandy Collaborative, Ferguson-Florissant School District, Riverview Gardens School District and the Jennings School District.

As part of the application, a teacher, ensemble director, music administrator or arts organization instructor must submit a nomination for the student.

The student is also required to submit a personal essay, recommendations and samples of his or her work.

For more information or to nominate a

student for the Art Education Fund, visit KeepArtHappening.org/you/apply.

Sponsored by:

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P

riscilla Block has served as executive director of St. Louis ArtWorks (an A&E PNC Project Grant recipient)since 2001. The organization was founded in 1995 as a jobtraining program for underserved high school students.

Professional artists work with students to complete commissions from local companies. Students are paid for their work, and through the projects they learn essential life and work skills including fiscal literacy and public speaking. When they leave the program they have polished resumes and full work portfolios.

Block is receiving a 2016 St. Louis Visionary Award for Outstanding Arts Professional for her work with the organization. In her time with ArtWorks, it has grown to offer yearround programming and support three

"There aren’t many teenagers that can introduce themselves with a firm handshake, keep eye contact and explain in a succinct way what they’re working on ... to be able to learn these skills and use them in a universal group of people and be able to continue articulating what they’re working on is huge. ... And last but not least, they walk out of here with a paycheck and a resume.

On that resume it has contact information for their clients, and if they’re interested in going on in art they’ll have a portfolio as well.”

social enterprises: Boomerang Press/ Media, which creates graphics, greeting cards, video documentaries and PSAs; BoomerRacks, which creates bike racks made from up-cycled bicycle parts; and BloomWorks, which makes art for gardens, pubic parks and urban streetscapes.

In 2016, ArtWorks will provide 180 jobs for teens and 22 jobs for local artists. ArtWorks incubated for almost ten years in A&E’s Centene Center for Arts and Education and recently moved into a brand new 18,000 square-foot building on Delmar that includes a state-of-the-art media room and a Makers Space.

St. Louis ArtWorks is an Arts and

Education Council PNC Project Grant recipient and former tenant at A&E's Centene Center for Arts and Education. Learn more about ArtWorks at stlartworks.org.

Block in the new St. Louis ArtWorks building.

IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL:

Melvin D. Bozeman, Jr. Monsanto Artist-in-Training, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

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elvin D. Bozeman, Jr. grew up wanting to be a professional basketball player, but by the time he got to McCluer North High School, he realized that wasn’t likely to happen.

In his sophomore year his mother “forced” him to join the school’s choir.

She had a wonderful experience singing in the choir when she was in high school, and she wanted the same for Melvin.

“I said, ‘Mom, singing in the choir is lame. I’m not doing that,’” Bozeman, now 19, recalls. “But with my mom you don’t argue. You just do.”

The surprise was that Bozeman, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, has a remarkable voice. So when his choir teacher told him about another McCluer student who had received a full scholarship to University of Kentucky’s prestigious voice program, Bozeman decided maybe singing was something he should pursue more seriously.

“I began to search for summer vocal programs and ran across one at Opera Theatre [of Saint Louis],” Bozeman says. The Spring Training Vocal Camp, organized by Opera Theatre (an A&E Sustaining Grant recipient), offers high school singers private voice lessons and individual attention in master classes. Bozeman was able to secure a scholarship to attend.

“I was taken aback a little by the whole thing,” he explains. The summer program was his first experience with opera, and he had a hard time getting used to the different vocal style.

Nevertheless, at the beginning of his junior year, he was encouraged to audition for Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artist-in-Training (AIT) Program, which offers nine months of college-level voice lessons, including individual weekly coaching classes from faculty at Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville, Washington University of St. Louis, Webster University and University of Missouri–St. Louis. The

highly selective program also offers master classes with visiting artists, awards more than $25,000 annually in scholarships and provides opportunities for students to attend local performing arts events free of charge.

Melvin was one of 23 high school students to be accepted to the program. He was also awarded a full scholarship, which covered tuition, transportation expenses and anything else connected to the program. Still, he wasn’t convinced that opera was his “thing.”

Bozeman admits that seeing opera performed live took some getting used to. “I even fell asleep the first couple of times,” he says laughing. “But then I started getting into them, especially the comedic operas.”

He returned to OTSL’s AIT program his senior year and received its top scholarship honor, the Monsanto Prize of $4,000. Bozeman also earned a full scholarship to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he currently is a freshman studying voice.

“Opera Theatre’s AIT program opened up an incredible world that I otherwise most likely would never have explored,” Bozeman says. “The teaching is incomparable. I've never heard of any other program like this. I go to school now with talented kids from all over the country, and when I tell them about AIT, they cannot believe the opportunity I had.”

That’s probably because there really is no other program like OTSL’s Monsanto Artist-in-Training. “It’s really the only one of its kind in the United States,” said Allison Felter, director of education and community engagement at OTSL. “There are some programs that are a variation on this theme but none as comprehensive as ours, where students are given exposure to the best of what opera has to offer.”

Felter explains that to date, more than 210 students have completed the program and more than $438,000 in

Melvin D. Bozeman, Jr.

scholarships have been awarded. The list of program graduates who have gone on to enjoy professional careers in opera is astounding.

Both Felter and Bozeman agree that another benefit of the AIT program is the students’ experience of what it means to pursue opera as a career.

This doesn’t just include artist residencies by visiting opera stars, but also road trips to visit universities and colleges that offer stellar voice programs.

Bozeman credits AIT for changing his life in ways he never could have imagined.

“Believe me, I took a lot of razzing from friends about studying opera, especially in my community and in my culture because it’s different from what is known,” he said. “But that’s exactly why I enjoy it and have so much passion about it. It is something different.

“AIT has given me so much, and now I want to be a voice for another young person who might not have considered this. I can’t even begin to tell you what an impact this program has made on my life.”

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is an A&E

Sustaining Grant recipient. To learn more visit opera-stl.org.

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MY ARTS STORY:

Roxanne Adams, Ameren

F

or 30 years, Ameren

Ameren employees have contributed a

A&E’s annual St. Louis Arts Awards. In total, Ameren’s support for the Arts and Education Council topped $200,000 last year. Ameren’s 2016 workplace giving campaign is scheduled to launch in April.

total of more than $2.9 million to the

arts and arts education programs A&E

workplace giving campaign for A&E, visit

Corporation has held an annual employee workplace giving

campaign to raise money for the Arts and Education Council. Since 1986,

KeepArtHappening.org or call Heather

supports throughout the 16-county

Edwards, development manager, at 314-

metropolitan area. In 2015 alone, more

289-4000.

than 1,120 associates participated in the workplace campaign, contributing over $115,000.

Ameren is well-known for outstanding corporate philanthropy – particularly for the arts, arts education and cultural diversity in our community.

A&E recently recognized Ameren’s exemplary corporate citizenship by awarding retired Chairman, President and CEO Tom Voss and his successor, Warner Baxter, with the 2015 St. Louis Arts Award for “Corporate Leadership in the Arts.”

Alongside this strong support for the arts from the company’s top executives, Ameren’s success as A&E’s second largest workplace giving campaign is largely due to an active and involved campaign team: Roxanne Adams, Elaine Frisk and Mary Swan (retired in 2015).

Roxanne Adams, executive secretary for Shawn Schukar, senior vice president for Ameren Business Transmission Development, serves as the primary campaign coordinator and manages 25 other coordinators in different divisions within the company.

Ameren’s A&E campaign typically lasts about two weeks.

“It’s a new experience every year for me and we try to keep expanding,” explains Adams. “We get together and share our ideas. I try to get as many people as possible involved, and word spreads.

Hosting special events and bringing artists in to perform for employees at the Ameren headquarters campus as well as other facilities are her favorite parts of running the campaign.

“We try to offer a variety and to try

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For more information on launching a

SPECIAL EVENT:

Roxanne Adams.

something new every year. Last year, we had [Circus Flora’s] Claire the Clown. I had her right in front of the main entrance so everyone who walked in ran into her,” says Adams. “It was great. Usually when people walk into the building thinking of their work schedule for the day, they aren't smiling; but with her there it just put a big smile on everybody's faces, and she even got a couple of people to dance with her.”

As for why it’s important for companies like Ameren to support the arts, Adams believes it’s about creating a community where people want to live.

“Everyone has families here and everyone loves the variety of cultures and entertainment the arts provide,” she explains. “They offer so much allaround: entertainment, education and exposure to new things.”

For Adams, personally, it’s the impact the arts have on education that drives her support for the arts. “There are so many statistics proving that [the arts] help our children develop and be well-rounded individuals,” she says.

“Different organizations and children would never be exposed to the arts if it weren’t for the Arts and Education Council.”

In addition to hosting an annual workplace giving campaign, Ameren makes an annual corporate gift, as well as provides sponsorship support for

The 2016 Saint Louis Visionary Awards

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he Saint Louis Visionary Awards celebrate the numerous contributions and achievements of women who work in or support the arts in our city. To date, 75 women have been honored for their commitment and innovation. The Arts and Education Council is proud to serve as fiscal sponsor for the 2016 Awards.

Relaunched in 2015, the event honors the extraordinary women of St. Louis who personally and professionally contribute to the preservation, growth and strengthening of our region's rich cultural tapestry.

The Saint Louis Visionary Awards will take place April 25, from 6-8 pm at the Sun Theater, co-hosted by Arts and Education Council President Cynthia Prost and Monsanto Fund President Deborah Patterson.

The 2016 Visionaries are: Phoebe Dent Weil, Major Contributor to the Arts; Denise Thimes, Outstanding Working Artist; Priscilla Block, Executive Director of St. Louis ArtWorks, Outstanding Arts Professional; Sabina England, Emerging Artist; Stacy West, Executive and Artistic Director of MADCO, Outstanding Teaching Artist; and De Andrea Nichols, Community Impact Artist.

For tickets and information about the

2016 Saint Louis Visionary Awards, visit vizawards.org.

SPECIAL EVENT:

The 2016 St. Louis Arts Awards

T

he 2016 St. Louis Arts Awards was held Monday January 25 at the Chase Park Plaza.

Family Foundation as Presenting Sponsors and Edward Jones as the Silver Anniversary Sponsor.

Jim and Stacey Weddle served as chairs of the event, with World Wide Technology, Inc. and the Steward

Proceeds from the event benefit the Arts and Education Council’s annual giving campaign which provides financial support, professional development, incubator space and collaborative opportunities for nearly 70 arts and arts education organizations throughout the 16-county, bi-state region each year.

Jim and Stacey Weddle, co-chairs.

2016 St. Louis Arts Awards Honorees.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the St. Louis Arts Awards honored individuals, organizations and businesses that enrich and contribute to the excellence of St. Louis’s ever-growing artistic community.

COCA's Hip-Hop Crew performing Redd Riddin' Thru the Hood.

The 2016 St. Louis Art Award, by Sam Stang.

2016 St. Louis Arts Awards Honorees Agnes Wilcox, Prison Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Arthur & Helen Baer Charitable Foundation Excellence in Philanthropy Doug Erwin, Ferguson-Florissant School District Art Educator of the Year Bach Society of Saint Louis Excellence in the Arts Dr. Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris, University of Missoui-St. Louis Arts Collaborator Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein Champions of the Arts The Bosman Twins Excellence in the Arts

The Bosman Twins closed the evening with a performence featuring Dwight Bosman's daughter, Morgan Bosman. Left to right: Ptah Williams, Montez Coleman, Dwayne Bosman, Morgan Bosman, Dwight Bosman, Jeffrey Anderson.

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Arts Awards (cont.)

Thank you to our sponsors: Presenting Sponsors

Silver Anniversary Sponsor

Principal Sponsor

Left to right: (back) Robert Steward, Ida Goodwin Woolfolk, Eric Banks, Maria Bradford, Gene Dobbs Bradford, Lenore Pepper, (front) Lisa Steward, Darlene Davis, Pamela Webb, Edwin Pepper.

Wine Sponsor

Kick Off Reception Hosts Stage & Entertainment Sponsor

Jim and Stacey Weddle Honoree Luncheon Sponsor

Gift Sponsor Major Benefactors Gift Bag Sponsor

Art Educator of the Year Award Sponsor

Left to right: (back) DeAnn Fross, Irasa Downing, Kurtis Downing, Krystal Price, Dave Price, Scott Lenz, (front) Mike Fross, Jim Weddle, Stacey Weddle, Melissa Lenz.

Excellence in the Arts Award Sponsor - The Bosman Twins

Nancy and Ken Kranzberg Principal Benefactor Sponsor

Lynne and Jim Turley Premier Table Sponsor

Production Sponsor

Media Sponsors Left to right: (back) Patrick Sly, Kelly Pollock, Redd Williams, Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Patty Wente, (front) Pam Mandelker, Lisa Caplan, Jenifer Stoffel, Ben Scanio.

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Alison and John Ferring Fox Family Foundation

Circle of Giving December 1, 2015 – January 30, 2016 Centene Center for Arts and Education 3547 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103-1014 p 314.289.4000 f 314.289.4019

2016 Board of Directors CHAIR Leonard T. Eschbach SECRETARY Peter Sargent TREASURER Ruth Saphian MEMBERS Nora Akerberg Susan Block Sheila Burkett Chris Cedergreen Diane Drollinger John Gianoulakis Barbara B. Goodman Kristin J. Guehlstorf Jason Hall Cary D. Hobbs

Nicole Hudson C. Brendan Johnson Eric Koestner Kenneth Kranzberg Linda Lee Janet Newcomb Dorte Probstein Rachelle Rowe Shawn Schukar Donald M. Senti Mary Ann Srenco Susan A. Stith Andrew Trivers Carol J. Voss Caren Vredenburgh IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Terrance J. Good EX-OFFICIO Cynthia A. Prost

Staff PRESIDENT & CEO Cynthia A. Prost VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION & GRANTS Susan Rowe Jennings

DEVELOPMENT & EVENTS COORDINATOR Melissa Howe ONLINE GIVING & GRANTS COORDINATOR Mandi Hanway

VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT Kate Francis

MARKETING COORDINATOR Krista B. Grant

CONTROLLER Joseph Soer

MARKETING CONSULTANTS Ellen Futterman Christine Blonn

DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Heather Edwards Dorothy Powell DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION Tonya Hahne Patricia Tichacek

stlouisbbb.org

The following donors have made gifts that enable the Arts and Education Council to help preserve St. Louis’ legacy of artistic excellence and enrich its cultural community.

A&E appreciates the continued support from these individuals, businesses and organizations. Thank you! $5,000 and above The Gertrude & William A. Bernoudy Foundation Mrs. Mary Langenberg Nestle Purina PetCare Company Evelyn B. Olin Charitable Trust St. Louis Community Foundation $2,500 -$4,999.99 AT&T Continental Research Corp.

Mrs. Kay K. Drey Mr. Gary L. Hall and Ms. Sandy Blasingame Mrs. Sally C. Johnston Dr. Robert Packman St. Louis College of Pharmacy Stifel $1,000 - $2,499.99 Mr. and Mrs. Peter F. Benoist Terrence and Susan Block Mr. and Mrs. Andres A. Bonifacio Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Brauer John & Yvette Dubinsky Mrs. Ernest A. Eddy, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Julian I. Edison Mr. and Mrs. David C. Farrell Mrs. Judith P. Gall Mrs. Bettie Gershman John & Dora R. Gianoulakis Joan Goodson Ms. Sheila Greenbaum and Mr. Gary M. Wasserman Mr. Claude Gunn Ms. Dorian Hansen and Mr. Michael E. Smith Mary Brenton Howe and

James H. Howe IV Robert and Andrea Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Ward M. Klein Mr. and Mrs. James A. Krekeler J. David & Lucy S. Levy Charles and Janet Meyer Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Neidorff Mr. and Mrs. Raymond W. Peters II Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Schutte Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Srenco St. Louis Public Radio Dr. Mark S. Weil Mr. David P. Weiss $500 - $999.99 Anonymous (1) Mr. and Mrs. James G. Berges Mr. and Mrs. Gene Dobbs Bradford Mr. and Mrs. Russell E. Browning Mr. and Mrs. Jack L. Cahill COCA Center of Creative Arts Competitive Range Solutions, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Tom B. Domian Mrs. Katherine W. Drescher Edwin Pepper Interiors John E. & Phyllis L. Evans Ms. Karin M. Hagaman Ms. Dorothy J. Heagney Jazz St. Louis Robert E. and Carol G. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Eric B. Koestner Warren and Susan Lammert Mrs. Mary LaPak

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Lehrer McPheeters & Rickard Family Fund Mr. Harry Moore Laura Rand Orthwein, Jr. Prison Performing Arts Mr. and Mrs. James Probstein Pulaski Financial Corporation Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Skouby Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. Skrainka Mr. Harley M. Smith and Dr. Veronica M. Hilyard St. Louis Children's Choirs Ms. Nancy Staudt TDC St. Louis Ms. Irene L. Thalden Dr. David C. Wilson

In Tribute December 1, 2015 – January 30, 2016 In honor of Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein Mr. and Mrs. James G. Berges Mrs. Sandra Cannon Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Howard Gray Elliott Mr. and Mrs. David C. Farrell Ms. Anne Kessen Lowell Ms. Barbara Langsam Shuman In honor of the Bosman Twins Ms. Cheryl D. S. Walker

Centene Center for Arts and Education Tenants Arts and Education Council African Heritage Association of St. Louis, Inc. African Musical Arts AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Leverage Dance Theater Bach Society of St. Louis Cinema St. Louis

Circus Flora Gateway Center for Performing Arts Gateway Men's Chorus Peter Martin Music Prison Performing Arts St. Louis Symphony Volunteer Association Tennessee Williams Festival Upstream Theatre Young Liars

Peter H. Bunce • Ann M. Corrigan Joseph E. Corrigan • Karen J. Isbell James A. Krekeler • Glenn Sheffield Judith Cozad Smith • Michael W. Weisbrod

To make your gift to the A&E, visit KeepArtHappening.org or contact Kate Francis, Vice President of Development, at (314) 289-4003 or Kate-F@KeepArtHappening.org.

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Centene Center for Arts and Education 3547 Olive Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103-1014

OUTSTANDING WORKING ARTIST Join us for a night of celebration and inspiration, followed by a reception to honor our 2016 Visionaries

APRIL 25, 2016 | 6-8 PM Sun Theater in Grand Center

EVENT CO-HOSTS: Deborah Patterson & Cynthia Prost

OUTSTANDING ARTS PROFESSIONAL

Denise Thimes

Priscilla Block

COMMUNITY IMPACT ARTIST

EMERGING ARTIST

De Andrea Nichols MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ARTS

Phoebe Dent Weil

Sabina England OUTSTANDING TEACHING ARTIST

Stacy West

Saint Louis Visionary Awards are fiscally sponsored by Arts and Education Council.

/ArtsAndEducation

@ArtEdStl

Arts_Education_Council

ArtsAndEducSTL 2013 Missouri Arts Award-Philanthropy

2012 Spirit of Philanthropy Award