NOV - D EC
2015
Evelyn Newman • Southwestern Bell Corporation • Leonard Slatkin • Robert McFerrin • Webster University • Joseph Pulitzer • Union Electric Company • Colin Graham • Steven Woolf • Katherine Dunham • Katherine G. Wells and Ben H. Wells • The May Department Stores Company • Arthur Osver • Henry Townsend • Mona Van Duyn • Jarvis Thurston • Margaret Grigg • Emerson • John Kendall • Robert Orchard • Laumeier Sculpture Park • Dr. Leigh Gerdine • Mark Twain Banks • Heikka Seppa • William Gass • Josephine Throdahl • Margie Wolcott May • E. Desmond Lee • Monsanto Fund • Ethelyn Sparfield • Jane Sauer • Judith Aronson, Ph.D. and Adam Aronson • Edward Jones • Marita Woodruff • Annelise Mertz • Metro Theater Company • Celeste Banta • Norman Goldberg • Commerce Bank • William T. Kemper Foundation • Alexandra Zaharias • Patricia and Fredrick McKissack • The Sheldon Arts Foundation • Kemara Skinner • Joanne Kohn • UMB Bank, N.A. • Charles McKay • Ernest Trova • Center of Creative Arts (COCA) • Suzanne Bushey • Charles Guenther • Ruth Slencynska • Ron Himes • Maritz Inc. • Dance St. Louis • Gary Lang • Emily Rauh Pulitzer • Lucy and Stanley Lopata • Bank of America • David Halen • Patrick Schuchard • The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (MUNY) • Fredrick J. Nelson • Melanie Hadley • Alice Gerdine • Whitaker Foundation • The Boeing Company • Johnnie Johnson • Peter Sargent • Agnes Wilcox • Sr. Gail Buckman • Peter Bunce • Nancy and Ken Kranzberg • Marilyn and Sam Fox • Anheuser-Busch Companies • Willie Akins • Young Audiences of St. Louis • Mary Eichenberger • Priscilla McDonnell • Alison and John Ferring • Centene Corporation • Reggie Thomas • Craft Alliance • Community Music School of Webster University • Jan Davis, PhD • Joneal Joplin • Douglas Turpin • Anabeth and John Weil • Sachs Properties • Christine Brewer • Herb Drury • Jazz St. Louis • Joseph Schulte • Mary Strauss • Sally S. Levy • Brown Shoe • Susan Slaughter • Carolbeth True • Saint Louis Art Museum • Sr. Gabriel Mary Hoare • Gyo Obata • Mary Ann Lee • Thompson Coburn LLP • Ivor David Balding • Gerald Early • STAGES St. Louis • Linda Packard • Jeanne Trevor • Laurance and Virginia Browning • Robert Powell • Cinema St. Louis • Sr. Patricia Giljum • Jessica Hentoff • Stephanie Riven • Wilfred and Ann Lee Konneker • Ameren • David Robertson • Beverly Whittington • Citygarden • Regional Arts Commission • Mae Wheeler • Christian B. Peper • Wells Fargo Advisors • Repertory Theatre of St. Louis • Wayne Salomon • Paul K. Reuter • Karen Duffy • Linda Kennedy • Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation • Novus International • Peter Martin • Contemporary Art Museum • Jason Brown • Joan Lipkin • Chuck Berry • Judy and Jerry Kent • PNC Bank • Opera Theatre of Saint Louis • Michael Uthoff • Duane Martin Foster • St. Louis Public Radio/90.7 KWMU • Carol North and Nicholas Kryah • Thelma and David Steward • Edward Jones Partners and Associates • Lee Nolting • St. Louis Symphony • Heidi Morgan • E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative • Jill McGuire • Ken and Nancy Kranzberg • Warner Baxter • Tom Voss • Shakespeare Festival St. Louis • Denise Thimes • Winifred Crock • Third Degree Glass Factory • Agnes Wilcox • Arthur & Helen Baer Charitable Foundation • The Bosman Twins • Bach Society of St. Louis • Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein • Doug Erwin • Dr. Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris • Evelyn Newman • Southwestern Bell Corporation • Leonard Slatkin • Robert McFerrin • Webster University • Joseph Pulitzer • Union Electric Company • Colin Graham • Steven Woolf • Katherine Dunham • Katherine G. Wells and Ben H. Wells • The May Department Stores Company • Arthur Osver • Henry Townsend • Mona Van Duyn • Jarvis Thurston • Margaret Grigg • Emerson • John Kendall • Robert Orchard • Laumeier Sculpture Park • Dr. Leigh Gerdine • Mark Twain Banks • Heikka Seppa • William Gass • Josephine Throdahl • Margie Wolcott May • E. Desmond Lee • Monsanto Fund • Ethelyn Sparfield • Jane Sauer • Judith Aronson, Ph.D. and Adam Aronson • Edward Jones • Marita Woodruff • Annelise Mertz • Metro Theater Company • Celeste Banta • Norman Goldberg • Commerce Bank • William T. Kemper Foundation • Alexandra Zaharias • Patricia and Fredrick McKissack • The Sheldon Arts Foundation • Kemara Skinner • Joanne Kohn • UMB Bank, N.A. • Charles McKay • Ernest Trova • Center of Creative Arts (COCA) • Suzanne Bushey • Charles Guenther • Ruth Slencynska • Ron Himes • Maritz Inc. • Dance St. Louis • Gary Lang • Emily Rauh Pulitzer • Lucy and Stanley Lopata • Bank of America • David Halen • Patrick Schuchar d • The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (MUNY) • Fredrick J. Nelson • Melanie Hadley • Alice Gerdine • Whitaker Foundation • The Boeing Company • Johnnie Johnson • Peter Sargent • Agnes Wilcox • Sr. Gail Buckman • Peter Bunce • Nancy and Ken Kranzberg • Marilyn and Sam Fox • Anheuser-Busch Companies • Willie Akins • Young Audiences of St. Louis • Mary Eichenberger • Priscilla McDonnell • Alison and John Ferring • Centene Corporation • Reggie Thomas • Craft Alliance • Community Music School of Webster University • Jan Davis, PhD • Joneal Joplin • Douglas Turpin • Anabeth and John Weil • Sachs Properties • Christine Brewer • Herb Drury • Jazz St. Louis • Joseph Schulte • Mary Strauss • Sally S. Levy • Brown Shoe • Susan Slaughter • Carolbeth True • Saint Louis Art Museum • Sr. Gabriel Mary Hoare • Gyo Obata • Mary Ann Lee • Thompson Coburn LLP • Ivor David Balding • Gerald Early • STAGES St. Louis • Linda Packard • Jeanne Trevor • Laurance and Virginia Browning • Robert Powell • Cinema St. Louis • Sr. Patricia Giljum • Jessica Hentoff • Stephanie Riven • Wilfred and Ann Lee Konneker • Ameren • David Robertson • Beverly Whittington • Citygarden • Regional Arts Commission • Mae Wheeler • Christian B. Peper • Wells Fargo Advisors • Repertory Theatre of St. Louis • Wayne Salomon • Paul K. Reuter • Karen Duffy • Linda Kennedy • Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation • Novus International • Peter Martin • Contemporary Art Museum • Jason Brown • Joan Lipkin • Chuck Berry • Judy and Jerry Kent • PNC Bank • Opera Theatre of Saint Louis • Michael Uthoff • Duane Martin Foster • St. Louis Public Radio/90.7 KWMU • Carol North and Nicholas Kryah • Thelma and David Steward • Edward Jones Partners and Associates • Lee Nolting • St. Louis Symphony • Heidi Morgan • E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative • Jill McGuire • Ken and Nancy Kranzberg • Warner Baxter • Tom Voss • Shakespeare Festival St. Louis • Denise Thimes • Winifred Crock • Third Degree Glass Factory • Agnes Wilcox • Arthur & Helen Baer Charitable Foundation • The Bosman Twins • Bach Society of St. Louis • Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein • Doug Erwin • Dr. Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris
years of celebrating the arts in saint louis
The St. Louis Arts Awards’ Silver Anniversary Year!
Letter from the President GreetingsI Centene Center for Arts and Education
Twenty-five years of inspiration! The Arts and Education
3547 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103-1014
Council’s St. Louis Arts Awards turns 25 in 2016. The Arts
p 314.289.4000 f 314.289.4019
Awards began in 1992 to celebrate our community’s best and brightest artists, philanthropists, corporate citizens, educators,
2015 Board of Directors CHAIR Terrance J. Good VICE CHAIR Leonard T. Eschbach SECRETARY Peter Sargent TREASURER Ruth Saphian (Chair, Finance & Facilities) DEVELOPMENT Janet W. Newcomb GOVERNANCE C. Brendan Johnson GRANTS Nicole Hudson MARKETING & EVENTS Caren Vredenburgh STRATEGIC PLANNING Cary D. Hobbs
MEMBERS Nora Akerberg Susan Block Sheila Burkett Chris Cedergreen John Gianoulakis Kristin J. Guehlstorf Eric Koestner Linda Lee Dorte Probstein Shawn Schukar Donald M. Senti Mary Ann Srenco Susan A. Stith Andrew Trivers Carol J. Voss MEMBERS AT LARGE Barbara B. Goodman Kenneth Kranzberg Michael Weisbrod EX-OFFICIO Cynthia A. Prost
VICE PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION & GRANTS Susan Rowe Jennings
ONLINE GIVING COORDINATOR Mandi Hanway GIFT PROCESSING ASSOCIATE Tonya Hahne COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Krista B. Grant
CONTROLLER Joseph Soer
COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT EDITOR Ellen Futterman SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Christine Blonn
the St. Louis Arts Awards, is a chance for celebration and reflection. To honor excellence, remember those who have departed, and revel in the wonder and passion that is our arts community.
A&E feels very fortunate that the Arts Awards have become more popular
with each successive year. We welcome you to join us on this special, anniversary evening (Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Chase Park Plaza). You’ll enjoy great entertainment and the company of fellow arts patrons, like you, who believe in A&E’s mission to make a vibrant community for all through the arts.
We’re thrilled to welcome World Wide Technology, Inc. and the Steward
Family Foundation back for a second year as Presenting Sponsors. And, we’re pleased to announce Stacey and Jim Weddle as this year’s co-chairs. Jim serves as Managing Partner of Edward Jones – a company that exhibits outstanding commitment to the arts through corporate support along with the region’s largest employee workplace giving campaign for A&E. Stacey is a talented musician who still performs when her busy schedule – and adorable grandchildren – allow. In addition to the Arts Awards, this issue of Happenings is packed with tons of
expanded partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors whose generous $100,000 commitment allows A&E to grow its existing Arts Leadership Management Academy. Additionally, Wells Fargo Advisors’ funding empowers A&E to launch an Arts Education Scholarship Fund that provides tuition and transportation assistance to talented students that seek to expand their arts training outside the traditional classroom setting. Finally, from Laumeier Sculpture Park to Gateway Men’s Chorus to the Hettenhausen Center for Performing Arts – this issue of Happenings continues to highlight the breadth and depth of organizations that your generous contributions support. Don’t forget to comb through the Know & Go Arts Card Insider calendar for great holiday events for the entire family.
On behalf of A&E’s board, staff, volunteers and grantees, we wish you the very
best in the remainder of 2015 and encourage you to continue making the arts an integral part of your social and charitable plans. You can buy your Arts Awards tickets or make a year-end gift to A&E by visiting our website at KeepArtHappening.org.
DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Heather Edwards Dorothy Powell DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT Melissa Howe
Why are the St. Louis Arts Awards so important? An awards ceremony, like
other great stories and recent accomplishments. A&E is proud to announce an
VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT Kate Francis
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION Patricia Tichacek
and soul into ensuring our community remains vibrant.
Staff PRESIDENT Cynthia A. Prost
foundations and arts organizations that pour time, talent, self
Thank you for your support. Together, we keep art happening! Sincerely, stlouis.bbb.org
Cynthia A. Prost President
ON THE COVER: The 25th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards will be held Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Chase Park Plaza.
Tickets and sponsorships for the 25th Anniversary Arts Awards are available now. See page 5 for full story.
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years of celebrating the arts in saint louis
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:
Laumeier Sculpture Park Raises the Roof Sam Fentress
T
Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center. Wendi Fitzgerald
here are barn raisings, and then there are barn raisings. As for the latter, it would be hard to beat the one that has taken place at Laumeier Sculpture Park (an A&E Operating Grant recipient). Granted, calling it a barn raising is pushing it more than a little. But according to Marilu Knode, executive director and chief curator of Laumeier, it was extremely important to have the architecture of the new 7,500 square foot Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, which officially opened in October, fit the landscape of the iconic sculpture park. “We’re very proud that the building is reminiscent of a barn,” said Knode, as a nod to the livestock that lived on the property until the 1960s. “Laumeier is a landscape park. It made no sense for us to build some kind of high-tech fancy building. That’s not our history. This is the right-sized building for this institution and for this economy.” The building’s metal roof stands out in contrast to the cedar wood siding, which was chosen to complement nature and the surrounding landscape of the park. Uniquely shaped “fins” on the exterior front shield morning sunlight from hitting the gallery walls, while the glazed windows allow passersby to see inside. The $4 million building, which was part of a nearly 10-year, $10 million capital campaign, was designed by Trivers Associates and named for one of the founders of the sculpture park. “The Aronson,” as it is fondly called, will allow artists to bring large installations inside and mount art from the ceiling. In addition to gallery space, The Aronson will house an information center, gift shop and collections storage, and can be leased for receptions. “The new Aronson has open, transformable space that matches our ambition for exhibitions,” said Knode. “The flexibility of the building will allow us not only to do large-scale indoor programming, but also events that are dramatic like performances,
Kranzberg Education Lab.
poetry readings and sound pieces that were virtually impossible to do in our old building. Almost for the first time, we now have an indoor space that can be used for our own events and earn revenue for the park.” As for Laumeier’s “old” 1917 Estate House, it has been completely renovated and renamed the Kranzberg Education Lab in honor of Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, longtime donors to the park and co-chairs of Laumeier’s capital campaign. The Kranzberg Lab, which faces the Aronson Center, features spacious studios and meeting rooms for classes, workshops and lectures, and allows Laumeier to offer year-round educational programming. Staff offices remain on the second floor. An exhibition by New Delhi–based Raqs Media Collective, which was mounted in mid-October, demon-
strates how the park can now successfully link its indoor and outdoor spaces. Knode explains that the 1904 World’s Fair is the main focus of the project, and underscores how the St. Louis region can be used as a research platform for new artist production. The Raqs team spent two years soliciting public response to their phrase “If the world is a fair place, then…” and received more than 500 answers. Thirty-six of these were etched into stainless steel bands and wrapped around trees in the park. This outdoor installation is the first major public piece by the Raqs artists in North America. The indoor work at the Aronson, called “Art in the Age of Collective Intelligence,” presents a series of books that suggest the breadth and depth of our human knowledge, and how contemporary culture is shaped by conflicting, sometimes dissonant, writings from around the globe. The indoor work expands on the contemporary ideas of the outdoor work by conveying the continuity of human knowledge. Layered texts within books, magazines and photos on display examine the ideas of “fairness” and “unfairness.”
The exhibition runs through Feb 14.
Laumeier Sculpture Park is an A&E Operating Grant recipient. For more information visit laumeiersculpturepark.org.
3
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:
Behind the Scenes of Harmony in 3
A
ccompanying the opening of The Aronson at Laumeier Sculpture Park (an A&E Operating Grant recipient) is a short film, Harmony in 3, showing through Feb 14 as part of the Kranzberg Exhibition Series. The project is a collaboration between choreographer Ashley McQueen and video artist Zlatko C´osic´. C´osic´, a St. Louis resident for almost two decades, is also a professor at Washington University and Webster University, teaching digital media and filmmaking. The project began with an idea to celebrate labor and the 105-acre landscape. Dana Turkovic, Curator of Exhibitions, and Marilu Knode, Executive Director and Chief Curator at Laumeier, met with C´osic´ and McQueen to discuss ideas and approaches almost two years ago. Filming began in March of 2014, with C´osic´ following dance rehearsals, workers and the tiny, hidden aspects of the park, like ladybugs, dragonflies and the sounds of the streams. In all, C´osic´ collected over 700 shots for ´osic´ what is now a 14-minute film. C describes the final piece as “a sym-
phony of the visuals and sounds that the worker, performer and nature create together.” While filming and editing, C´osic´ was focused on creating a triptych of the park, dancers and the workers that ´osic´ was intercare for the ‘stage.’ C ested in exploring the relationship between labor and nature due to his experiences in the Yugoslav Wars and his time in a labor camp. C´osic´ explained, “My father and I were arrested and put in a forced labor unit in the War in Yugoslavia. It was hard labor, but also it was nature. I was cutting trees in a forest, and it was the beautiful nature that I focused on to keep me together. I respect nature. And when I escaped from the war I acted as somebody else to save my life, so I cherish the movement and activity that comes from experimental storytelling. It was the perfect art project for me to do, harmonizing hard labor, performance and nature.” ´osic´ followed the worker, whom he C saw as a performer equal to the dancers, starting at 8 am each day to watch him prepare the stage that is the landscape of Laumeier. He explored the
Stills from "Harmony in 3."
duties that people often don’t think about when visiting the sculpture park: cutting the grass, clearing the forest paths and keeping the sculptures clean. The worker was also included in the choreography, driving the riding mowers while dancers performed on them. “I really want to celebrate labor. My father was a hard worker – he built 50 houses in his life. It’s a tribute to him as a hard worker. Somebody who takes care of nature as a maintenance worker or county park worker – I ´osic´. admire that,” continued C The film, showing through Feb 14 at the new Aronson at Laumeier ´osic´’s most Sculpture Park, is one of C involved projects, considering the hours of filming and editing he put ´osic´’s other short into the piece. C films, videos, sound installations and audio-visual performances have been shown in over 30 countries and are frequently featured in the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and the St. Louis International Film Festival. He currently has another piece, South Slavic Requiem, showing at Bruno David Gallery through Dec 19 and Basso Images, a collaboration between Cosic and bassist Bradley Decker, showing at the Luminary on Nov 21.
Stills from "Harmony in 3." 4
Laumeier Sculpture Park is an A&E Operating Grant recipient. For more information about Harmony in 3, visit laumeiersculpturepark.com. For more information about the artist, visit zlatkocosic.com.
SPECIAL EVENT:
25th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards vides financial support, professional
Excellence in the Arts:
development, incubator space and col-
The Bosman Twins The Bosman
laborative opportunities for nearly 70 arts and arts education organizations
Twins are inter-
throughout the 16-county, bi-state region.
nationallyrenowned multi-
The 2016 honorees are:
years of celebrating the arts in saint louis
woodwind
Lifetime Achievement in the Arts:
instrumentalists
Agnes Wilcox, Prison Performing Arts
and jazz record-
Agnes Wilcox is a longtime activist,
T
ing artists. Dwayne and Dwight Bosman are rou-
he 25th annual St. Louis Arts
professor, actor
tinely recognized by the jazz commu-
Awards will be held Monday,
and director. She
nity for their sophisticated, dynamic
January 25, 2016 at the Chase
founded and
and explosive stage performances.
Park Plaza beginning with a cocktail
directed The New
Their passion for jazz was inspired by
reception at 5:30 pm, followed by din-
Theatre, a traveling
their father Lloyd A. Smith, a sideman
troupe, for 14 years.
in Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s
ner and awards at 7 pm. This special Silver Anniversary event will be chaired
Originally a sub-project of The New
by Jim Weddle, managing partner of
Theatre, Wilcox also founded Prison
performing professionally and have
Edward Jones, and his wife, Stacey
Performing Arts (PPA), whose mission
since shared their talents, love of jazz
Weddle, a mother and talented musi-
is to inspire intellectual curiosity and
and the stage with entertainment legends Freddie Cole, Branford Marsalis,
orchestras. By age 14 the twins were
cian. "We are delighted to continue the
personal development in incarcerated
long and fruitful relationship between
youth and adults through workshops,
Roy Ayers, Fontella Bass, Lester Bowie
Edward Jones and the Arts and
classes, rehearsals and performances
and more.
Education Council, which goes back
of classic and contemporary plays.
two decades," said Jim Weddle. “Arts
Wilcox recently retired from her role as
are vitally important to the quality of
PPA’s Artistic Director after 22 years.
life in the St. Louis community, and
Excellence in Philanthropy:
Saint Louis, celebrating
Excellence in the Arts: The Bach Society of Saint Louis The Bach Society of
Stacey and I are proud to partner in
Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable
the Council’s success and help recog-
its 75th season, is
Foundation
nize this year’s honorees.”
St. Louis’s oldest con-
The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable
tinuously performing
Foundation, established in 1985 by
chorus. Founded by
Arthur and Helen Baer, supports
William B. Heyne in
community betterment and arts
1941, the Bach Society
programs that enhance the lives of
Event Co-chairs Stacey and Jim Weddle.
Presented since 1992, the St. Louis Arts Awards is the area’s preeminent arts award ceremony, celebrating individuals, organizations and businesses that have achieved a legacy of artistic excellence and enriched St. Louis’ arts and cultural community. Proceeds from the event benefit the Arts and Education Council’s annual campaign, which pro-
preserves and per-
children and adults in the St. Louis
forms the choral music of Johann
area. For decades, the Baer Foundation
Sebastian Bach and other composers
has brought education and enjoyment
in a wide range of concerts, education
of music, dance, theater and visual
and outreach programs to enrich the
arts to thousands of children and
lives of the people in the St. Louis region.
adults in St. Louis and surrounding
The Bach Society also engages and
communities. Arthur Baer served as
attracts new and younger audiences
CEO of the former Stix Baer and Fuller
by performing works from up-and-
retail stores for many years. Arts
coming composers, commissioning
organizations that have recently
new pieces of music and collaborating
benefited from the Baer Foundation’s
with local talented arts organizations.
support include the the Arts and
Committed to furthering music educa-
Education Council, Nine Network,
tion, it has operated a Young Artist
Jazz St. Louis and Craft Alliance
Program for career-oriented soloists
Center of Art + Design.
under the age of 30 since 1989 and assisted 56 young singers to-date. (continued on page 6) 5
St. Louis Arts Awards
(continued)
represent the United States at the
Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein
International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh,
Sarah Crowder
Champions of the Arts: Dr. Tim Eberlein
Scotland. Erwin also works to unite the
is a surgeon and
greater community through special
the Director of
projects, including: an “All District
Siteman Cancer
Musical” involving students from 23
Center. Kim
schools; directing four school-district
Eberlein is the
choirs participants in Ferguson’s Children:
Vice Chairman of
Our Voice concert in the wake of the
the St. Louis
Ferguson unrest; co-founding the Fine
Symphony Board of Directors and co-
learning network; and acting as the
Committee. Despite their demanding
District representative and sponsor to
personal and professional schedules, the
the Student Summit on Race.
Eberleins support the arts in St. Louis thinking projects. They founded “Sing for Siteman” in 2010, which has grown
Dr. Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris, University of Missouri-St. Louis Harris is Director of the “Connecting
perform and donate their time for
Human Origin and
Siteman Cancer Center. They have also
Cultural Diversity”
issued and rallied the community around two successful $25,000 challenge
arts in the greater St. Louis region and is on Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' Board of Directors. Arts Educator of the Year:
at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an associate professor in the
Gift Bag Sponsor
Anthropology Department and College of Education. She is also a former curator at the Saint Louis Art Museum. As Director of the CHOCD program,
Art Educator of the Year Sponsor
she has integrated her past roles as educator, writer, artist, anthropologist
Doug Erwin, Ferguson-Florissant
and curator to address issues of cul-
School District
tural diversity and social segregation A fine arts educator
by organizing exhibits and facilitating
for 24 years, Erwin
collaboration between UMSL programs,
is currently Director
community groups and regional artists.
of Theatre at
The CHOCD program’s learning labo-
McCluer High
ratories have worked with students of
School and K-12
all ages, including incarcerated youth,
Fine Arts Content
ESL students, alternative education
Leader for the
students and adult groups and have
Ferguson-Florissant School District.
collaborated with many St. Louis
Erwin has often been awarded the
school districts and arts groups.
Maritz Arts and Education Fund for
Teachers grant to help offset expenses
Awards are available at keeparthap-
related to the school district’s annual
pening.org/what/2016_st._louis_arts_
high school musical. While at McCluer,
awards. Sponsorship opportunities for
Tickets for the 2016 St. Louis Arts
Erwin built the largest high school the-
the 25th Anniversary event are avail-
ater program in Missouri. McCluer the-
able. Please contact Kate Francis,
ater students have performed interna-
Vice President of Development, at
tionally and were recently selected to
Kate-F@KeepArtHappening.org or 314-289-4003 for more information.
6
Gift Sponsor
program (CHOCD)
grants for the St. Louis Symphony.
women who work in or support the
Principal Sponsor
Jacquelyn Lewis-
singers from around the country to
Saint Louis Visionary Awards honoring
Silver Anniversary Sponsor
Arts Collaborator:
every year, drawing an array of opera
Additionally, Kim worked to revive the
Presenting Sponsors
Arts Regional Consortium professional
chair of the Symphony’s Leadership Circle
through a broad range of forward-
years of celebrating the arts in saint louis
Major Benefactors
Production Sponsor
Honoree Luncheon Sponsor
As of 10/21/15. To purchase tickets or to sponsor a table at the 25th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards, contact Kate Francis, Vice President of Development, at 314-289-4003 or Kate-F@KeepArtHappening.org.
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:
Meet Gateway Men's Chorus New Artistic Director
O
n August 1, Robert Stumpf became Artistic Director of the 80-member Gateway Men’s Chorus (an A&E PNC Project Grant recipient), whose mission is to affirm and promote gay culture and acceptance through excellence in musical performance and education. Stumpf, a Midwest native, served as the assistant conductor for the Minneapolis-based Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Prior to that, he taught at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, where he was Director of Bands, conducted the Singing Saints and taught courses in music theory, music education and applied music. Happenings caught up with Stumpf to talk to him about his new position, the future of the Gateway Men’s Chorus (GMC) and how he is adjusting to his new home. His first concert with GMC will be Make the Yuletide Gay, on Dec 11 and 12 at St. Stanislaus Church, 1413 N 20th Street. Why were you interested in the job of artistic director of the Gateway Men’s Chorus? Part of it was the opportunity to take the helm of a substantial, well-known artistic organization. It has some national name recognition within the GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) community, being probably the 12th or 13th largest in the country. Only the real big boys are bigger than us – San Francisco, LA, Twin Cities, Washington DC, Heartland (Kansas City), Atlanta. The other thing was the mission- oriented nature of the organization of which I wanted to be a part.
three performances a year and really blowing our audiences out of the water. There is no question the Gateway Men’s Chorus has a strong audience. Do you feel the need to expand that audience and if so, how will you do that?
Robert Stumpf, artistic director at Gateway Men's Chorus.
singers who don’t have a lot of training or experience but have a lot of desire and passion – we want to help them grow and develop their skills. What about educational outreach? We’re starting new educational community engagement activities. Through the KERR Foundation, we have a grant to develop a program in which we take a production of the very well known children’s book, Oliver Button is a Sissy, (composer Alan Shorter's musical work of Tomie de Paola's children's fable), to perform for youth. It’s essentially an anti-bullying and diversity awareness campaign about a little boy's struggles to express himself and become a star. We will be presenting a musical theater production and following it up with a workshop. What are your longterm goals for the GMC?
Let’s talk about mission. A big part of the mission of Gateway Men’s Chorus is to affirm and promote gay culture and acceptance through excellence in musical performance and education. How do you plan to embrace and expand that mission?
There’s a three-year strategic plan that we’re in the midst of right now. My personal goal is that within seven years, I’d like the chorus to be up over 100 members. Within 10 years, I want us to be in top echelon of GALA choruses in the country.
We are looking to increase the musical quality of the organization. We need to figure out what our singers know and don’t know. We also want to embrace
Any plans to expand the season from three concerts to more? No, we plan to solidify the three we have. We’re committed to polishing our
We want to expand our audiences. One thing I’m implementing is a series of preview concerts. A week before our main-stage shows, we will go into the community and perform a benefit concert. In December, we will be singing a benefit concert at the Ferguson Public Library with 100 percent of funds donated going to the library. How has performing in a gay men’s choir changed since the inception of the Gateway Men’s Chorus in 1988? Of course I wasn’t here then, but I will tell you that you can walk into a chorus rehearsal on a Monday night and see men of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Some even drive an hour or more to get to rehearsal. People have stereotypes about what gay men look like but the range of gentlemen in this group is diverse and varied. That said, we are working on increasing ethnic diversity within the chorus – and we’ve made some inroads – so that our chorus more accurately resembles our community-at-large. Any other innovations you can tell us about? I’ve implemented a three-minute share. During each rehearsal, a member of the chorus comes to the podium and for three minutes, shares what the chorus means to him – or his fondest chorus memory – or what drew him to the chorus, something along those lines. The voices here are heard as a group, but I want to give as many members as possible a chance to open up and allow everyone to get to know one another better.
Gateway Men’s Chorus is an A&E PNC Project Grant recipient and a tenant in A&E’s arts incubator, the Centene Center for Arts and Education. For more information, visit GMCstl.org. 7
A&E Announces 2015-16 Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers Grantees
M
aritz, in collaboration with
Normandy Schools Collaborative –
the Arts and Education
Cinderella, the Musical: Impossible
Council, has awarded
Things are Happening Everyday
$30,000 in grants to nine arts educa-
at Normandy
tion projects in the St. Louis bi-state
High School students will produce and
area through the award-winning Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers. Maritz and the Arts and Education Council partner to offer this unique funding opportunity to individual schools and nonprofit organizations supporting projects and oppor-
Since its inception in 2010 the Maritz Fund for Teachers has awarded $190,000 to support arts education across our region.
the classroom. The Arts and Education Council administers the grants to sup-
Bayless Elementary School –
port classroom-based projects and
Elementary Art Architecture Studio
artistic opportunities that engage stu-
The Architecture Studio, supplied with
dents in the process of being creative.
KEVA Planks, a digital camera and a
This year’s applications were evalu-
printer, will teach students to design
ated by a community review panel
3-D pieces using proportion, problem
at the Centene Center for Arts and
solving and cooperation. Documenta-
Education. The 2015-16 grant recipi-
tion of creations will be photographed,
ents are:
printed and placed in the artists’ note-
Sonic Safari for Schools Program
books, as well as in the Architecture Studio binder for inspiration.
at Ferguson Middle School
Brown Elementary School –
Over the course of a 3-month residency
Totem Sculpture Garden
program, a professional composer and
Students will design and create indi-
musicians will teach students, intro-
vidual parts of a totem with members
duce new music pieces by African-
of local faith based communities rep-
descent composers and coach young
resenting diversity, love, peace and
instrumentalists in performance tech-
acceptance. The individual parts of
niques. The program culminates in a
the totem will be made into large
new work premiering during Black
standing totems and displayed in the
History Month and performed by the
front of the school and local churches.
Ferguson Middle School Band.
Jana Elementary School –
Arrowpoint Elementary School –
Drumming through Poetry
Couplets and Clay
Students in third through fifth grade
While reading Dave the Potter by
will present a concert in April 2016
Laban Carrick Hill, fifth graders will
comprised of drum pieces written and
engage in a multi-media, integrated
arranged by the students, inspired by
learning event through expressions of
poetry written during their English
prose, poetry and pottery. Students
Language Arts classes. They will use
will create clay vessels engraved with
13 tubanos to recite, play and dance to
expressions of their thoughts and words.
their original drum compositions.
8
community forum will be held relating to the topics in Cinderella including self-esteem, bullying, blended families and achieving the impossible. Students will have the opportunity to answer questions from the community and to talk about their own experiences.
tunities that encourage creativity in
African Musical Arts –
perform Cinderella, the Musical. A
Soldan International Studies High School – Student Production of Dreamgirls A production of the Broadway show Dreamgirls will be performed in April 2016. In addition to performing students will build the sets, work as stage crew, operate the lights and be the sound technicians. Students will also serve as ushers, ticket takers and house staff. Walnut Grove School – Orff to the Rescue In the Winter Fine Arts Program, students in the General Music Class will perform on Orff instruments, purchased with this grant. The performance number is entitled “Hiya” from the Music for Children, Vol III, written by Carl Orff featuring various Orff and percussion instruments. Willow Brook Elementary School – Sewing Studio Center Over 450 students will have the opportunity to sew in the Willow Brook Art Studio Sewing Center for creative expression and community service projects. The Sewing Studio will teach students hand and machine sewing skills that build critical thinking skills, creativity and self-esteem.
WORKPLACE GIVING CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
HOK Employees Support A&E
An aerialist from Circus Flora performs over lunch for HOK employees.
I
n August HOK employees conducted their 23rd annual workplace giving
campaign for the Arts and Education
Council of Greater St. Louis. This year,
HOK's campaign raised more than $11,000 for A&E’s One Gift. A Million Returns! annual campaign.
The week-long fundraising effort
The Makers, A&E’s Campaign Video Wins Telly Award
T
he Makers, A&E’s fundraising campaign video, was named a bronze winner of the 36th Annual Telly Awards. Selected out of nearly 12,000 international entries, The Makers is recognized among the finest television commercials, film productions and web videos of the year. The Makers was conceived by A&E to capture the beauty of St. Louis’s artistic community; artists, patrons, contributors and volunteers who make a vibrant community for all utilizing diverse tools and talents. Each person who participates in and patronizes the arts makes – creates – opportunity for minds to expand, horizons to broaden, and our region to flourish. The Telly Award is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators and corporate video depart-ments in the world. A prestigious panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member
of The Silver Telly Council, judged the competition. The Silver Council evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work. The Makers was directed by Benjamin Kaplan, produced by Nicole Hudson and Benjamin Kaplan and written by Benjamin Kaplan and Marc Chechik. The video features a variety of artists: a glassblower, visual artist, writer, musician, fire performer, digital artist and dancers, reflecting the breadth and depth of the creative community that A&E supports. To view the video visit keeparthappening.org.
Benjamin Kaplan, director, with A&E President Cynthia Prost holding the Telly Award.
kicked off with a cocktail party and a live band, The Tail Lights, belonging to HOK’s own Lee LeBoeuf. Events also included a collaborative employee art project, a ‘gallery walk’ displaying employee artwork and a silent auction. Circus Flora artists performed for HOK employees, featuring an aerialist suspended from the ceiling of HOK’s WorkLab. Employees adventurous enough to take to the sky were guided through aerial silk poses by Circus Flora performers.
Since 1992, HOK and its employees
have contributed over $180,000 to the Arts and Education Council. Through this lasting and enthusiastic support of the arts, HOK employees help shape a vibrant arts community for all residents of the St. Louis region.
Photo still by Patrick Lanham from The Makers video featuring Modern American Dance Company (MADCO) dancer, Rafael Tillery. 9
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Musical Flight
WHEN: Nov 20; Fri, 8 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis
NOV-DEC ON - GOIN G DISCOUNTS W I TH T HE A RTS CA RD JAZZ AT THE BISTRO
DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card, excludes boxes
Singers, Bach Society of Saint Louis and the St. Louis Children’s Choirs. 120 singers, 60 musicians, full orchestra and 40 dancers take to the stage together, evolving German composer Carl Orff’s thunderous, dramatic cantata to magnificent proportions. 314.534.6622 or dancestlouis.org
Offers 2-for-1 admission to most of its 9:30 pm shows Wed-Thur. For details, call 314.571.6000 or go to jazzstl.org
N OV EM B ER E VE NTS
COST: $31.50-$111
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Beethoven 6
WHEN: Nov 13-15; Fri and Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis
CINEMA ST. LOUIS St. Louis International Film Festival
COST: $31.50-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card, for Fri, Oct 13 and Sun, Oct 15 performances, excludes boxes
WHEN: Nov 5-15 WHERE: Multiple venues including the Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Washington University’s Brown Hall, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium and Hi-Pointe Backlot COST: Free-$15 for individual tickets DISCOUNT: $2 off general admission at most venues with ARTS Card Now celebrating 24 years, SLIFF showcases the best cutting-edge features and short films from around the world. The majority of the more than 400-plus films screened will receive their only St. Louis exposure at the festival. 314.289.4150 or cinemastlouis.org
Inspired by his love for the countryside around Vienna, Beethoven reflects upon man’s role in quiet spaces of nature in his Sixth Symphony. Named as Musical America’s Vocalist of 2015, Christine Goerke performs Strauss’ stirring Four Last Songs, the composer’s final complete work. 314.534.1700 or stlsymphony.org
COCA Superman 2050 WHEN: Nov 14-15; Sat, 2 and 5 pm; Sun, 1 and 4 pm WHERE: 524 Trinity Avenue, University City
DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for 2 pm show only (up to 4 tickets per order based on availability)
WHEN: Nov 6-8, Fri and Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 pm WHERE: Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., St. Louis
SHELDON CONCERT HALL Alarm Will Sound WHEN: Nov 20; Fri, 8 pm WHERE: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis COST: $20 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card on full price tickets only (Present the card in advance at the Fox Theatre Box office at 531 N. Grand, or on night of show at the Sheldon Box Office 7-8 pm) The ensemble performs the newest music being composed today with energetic virtuosity and a sense of adventure, creating programs that span a wide range of styles. 314.533.9900 or thesheldon.org
COST: $14-$18
DANCE ST. LOUIS Carmina Burana starring Nashville Ballet
Taking a musical tour highlighting all sections of the orchestra, Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra will delight young and old alongside favorites including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee and Rossini’s animated The Barber of Seville Overture. Let your spirit take flight through music. 314.534.1700 or stlsymphony.org
Epic story, pocket-sized proportions—seven actors share one tiny platform (just 3-by-7 feet of space!) and upon it an original Superman tale unfolds. 314.725.6555 or cocastl.org
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Brahms 1
WHEN: Nov 21 and 22; Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis COST: $31.50-$111 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Sun, Nov 22 performance, excludes boxes Composed over the span of 25 years, Brahms’ triumphant Symphony No. 1 was acclaimed from its premiere and remains celebrated to this day for its dramatic writing and noble finale. 314.534.1700 or stlsymphony.org
COST:$30-$50 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 with ARTS Card (orchestra sides, parterre sides or grand-tier seating only. Expiration date for the discount is Thursday at 4 pm before the show). Limit 2 complimentary tickets. Offer not valid with any other offer. Back by popular demand, the spectacular production — a tapestry of live music and riveting dance — returns to the Touhill, featuring Nashville Ballet, University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and
Events Key 10
Cinema
Classical
Alarm Will Sound, photo courtesy of the Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries.
Dance
Jazz
Music
Speaker
Theater
Visual Arts
Scott Ferguson
MUSTARD SEED THEATRE All is Calm WHEN: Nov 27-Dec 20; Thurs-Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 pm WHERE: Fontbonne University Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd., Clayton COST: $25-$30
DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for 2 pm show only (up to 4 tickets per order based on availability) Graciously supported by Mary Strauss, Ballet Eclectica presents the tale of Degas' famous statuette that comes to life and finds herself dancing through various works of art. 314.725.6555 or cocastl.org
DISCOUNT: $10 off admission with ARTS Card Back by popular demand, this a capella musical is a poignant look at man’s humanity during a time of war. Based on a true story. 314.719.8060 or mustardseedtheatre.com
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Peter and the Wolf
WHEN: Nov 27-29; Fri and Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 3 pm WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis
FREE EVENTS St. Louis Symphony. issues of faith and identity as Jewish cousins Daphna and Liam fight over their grandfather’s “chai” necklace. “The best comedy of the Season!” – NY Times. 314.442.3283 or newjewishtheatre.org
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY Handel’s Messiah
COST: $31.50-$111
WHEN: Dec 3-6; Thurs-Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 3 pm
DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Fri, Nov 27 and Sun, Nov 29 perfor- mances, excluding boxes
WHERE: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis
Thanksgiving weekend, celebrate with family and friends at a program evoking a unique combination of wilderness and youth. Drawing on memories of his childhood, Sergey Prokofiev wrote his beloved Peter and the Wolf conveying the message that you can only be a hero if you take a risk. 314.534.1700 or stlsymphony.org
DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card for Thurs, Dec 3, Fri Dec 4 and Sun, Dec 6 performances, excludes boxes
DECE M B ER E VE N TS REPERTORY THEATRE OF ST. LOUIS Peter and the Starcatcher WHEN: Dec 2-27; Tues, 7 pm; Wed-Fri, 8 pm; selected Wed, 1:30 pm; Sat 4 pm; selected Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 pm; selected Sun, 7 pm WHERE: Loretto-Hilton Center for Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves COST: $17.50-$79.50 DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card Dec 2-13 This swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan is rich in stage magic, off-the-wall humor and touching sincerity as it takes us on a voyage to an island where dreams are born and time is never planned. 314.968.4925 or repstl.org
NEW JEWISH THEATRE Bad Jews WHEN: Dec 3-20, Wed-Thur, 7:30 pm; Sat, 8 pm; Sun, 2 pm; Dec 6, 7:30 WHERE: Wool Studio Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., Creve Coeur COST: $39.50-$43.50; $15 students DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card (discount not available online) A hilarious and vicious family brawl that unearths
COST: $31.50-$111
With bright trumpets and the timeless “Hallelujah” Chorus, Messiah remains Handel’s most popular work and one of the most performed classical works of all time. Celebrate the start of the holiday season with the powerful and captivating choral classic under the baton of Bernard Labadie. 314.534.1700 or stlsymphony.org
SHELDON CONCERT HALL David Halen, Peter Martin and Friends Celebrate the Holidays WHEN: Dec 9; Wed, 8 pm WHERE: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis COST: $30 orchestra, $25 balcony DISCOUNT: 2-for-1 admission with ARTS Card on full price tickets only (present the card in advance at the Fox Theatre Box office at 531 N. Grand, or on the night of show at the Sheldon Box Office 7-8 pm) Celebrate the season with St. Louis Symphony concertmaster David Halen and jazz pianist Peter Martin as they perform holiday favorites such as The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire) and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, as well as classics by Gershwin and more. 314.533.9900 or thesheldon.org
COCA The Little Dancer: Moved by the Masters WHEN: Dec 11-13; Fri, 7 pm; Sat, 2 and 5 pm; Sun, 1 pm WHERE: 524 Trinity Avenue, University City
LAUMEIER SCULPTURE PARK Zlatko C´osic´ + Ashley McQueen: Harmony in 3
WHEN: through Feb 14 WHERE: 12580 Rott Rd., Saint Louis COST: Free For the 2015 Kranzberg Exhibition Series, video artist Zlatko C´osic´ and choreographer Ashley McQueen honor the labor that goes into the manicured landscape at Laumeier. Through a series of dance performances held in 2014 culminating in a short film, C´osic´ and McQueen explore Laumeier’s unique partnership with St. Louis County Parks, highlighting the passion and hard work that goes into the care and maintenance of the Park. The exhibition represents Laumeier’s interest in representing a range of art forms in the Park, challenging traditional definitions of “sculpture.” 314.615.5278 or laumeiersculpturepark.org
SHELDON ART GALLERIES Frank Lloyd Wright's Samara: A Mid-Century Dream Home
WHEN: Dec 3 - Feb 6 WHERE: 3648 Washington Blvd, Saint Louis COST: Free The exhibition explores the creation of a Wright house through the eyes a client who spent more than fifty years fulfilling the architect's Usonian vision. The story of the home is told through the juxtaposition of original objects and furniture, architectural fragments, rare archival materials, historic photographs and video footage. 314.533.9900 or thesheldon.org
GRAND CENTER
First Fridays
WHEN: Nov 6, Dec 4 WHERE: Grand Center COST: Free Museums and galleries in Grand Center are free and open until 9:00 pm. Discover the remarkable array of visual arts in St. Louis's premier neighborhood for culture and entertainment. Participants include the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum and the Sheldon Art Galleries. firstfridaysgrandcenter.com
COST: $14-$18 11
A&E Launches Arts Education Fund with Gift from Wells Fargo Advisors
T
he Arts and Education Council is pleased to announce
an expanded partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors in 2015. The innovative Arts Education Fund will provide
tuition scholarships and transportation subsidies intended to remove financial barriers that may prevent talented high school students in underserved or low-income areas from expanding their creative training outside the traditional classroom setting. “Wells Fargo Advisors holds ‘Arts and Culture’ as one of its four key focus areas,” said Vanessa Cooksey, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs. “Our company also values
Vanessa Cooksey, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, presenting A&E President Cynthia A. Prost with the Wells Fargo Arts Education Fund support.
maximizing human potential, and studies increasingly show that youth participation in the arts improves overall academic
The Arts Education Fund will partner with new and exist-
achievement, school attendance and acceptance of diverse
ing A&E grantee organizations that offer classes and work-
cultures. This investment with the Arts and Education Council
shops in visual arts, craft, music and dance disciplines. Keep
helps Wells Fargo Advisors meet several of its charitable pri-
an eye out for future Happenings articles featuring students
orities and will make a significant impact in our community.”
participating in the new program.
WORKPLACE GIVING CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
2014 Law Firm Challenge Winner Bryan Cave, LLP
B
ryan Cave, a premier St. Louis
uted over $16,000 to A&E annual
of Art + Design, as well as talented
law firm, once again partici-
campaign, One Gift. A Million Returns!
members of Jazz St. Louis who per-
pated in its annual workplace
formed during the lunch hour.
Each year, the firm welcomes an
giving campaign for the Arts and
A&E grantee speaker and entertain-
Education Council of Greater St. Louis.
ment during their campaign. This year,
A&E’s “Law Firm Challenge,” in which
2014 was the inaugural year of
Led by firm partners Brendan Johnson,
the partners of the firm listened to
area law firms compete for the great-
an A&E board member, and Todd
presenter Boo McLoughlin, Executive
est percentage increase in total dollars
Kaye, Bryan Cave employees contrib-
Director of Craft Alliance Center
raised in their annual A&E workplace giving campaigns. Current law firms participating include Lashly & Baer, Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum and Thompson Coburn. As winners of the 2014 competition, Bryan Cave received a traveling hand-blown trophy, created by Jess Kopitske of Third Degree Glass Factory.
Bryan Cave has been generously
supporting A&E since 1989 through their workplace giving and the St. Louis Arts Awards. The firm has impressively contributed more than $486,000 to the Arts and Education Council.
Thanks to Bryan Cave and its asso-
ciates for their continued support for Brenden Johnson and Todd Kaye with the Law Firm Challenge Trophy.
12
the arts in our community!
MONSANTO RURAL COMMUNITY ARTS FUND GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:
The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts
T
he Hettenhausen Center for the Arts or “The Hett,” (an A&E Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program Grant recipient) located on the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, Illinois, is the premier performing arts venue in Southern Illinois. Located 25 miles from St. Louis, The Hett offers music, theater and dance performances, lectures by critically acclaimed guest artists, speakers, film series, student performances and more. With its location on McKendree University, The Hett offers students both the opportunity to view performances and to work on stage and behind-the-scenes. “Our students who have an interest in the arts as a profession have the opportunity to work in a fully functioning, professionally run performing arts venue. Student performers have a chance to work in a wonderful hall and our technical students get the chance to work on professional level productions. Both performing and technical students have ample opportunity to work side-by-side with pros from all over the country,” remarks Director of The Hett, Peter Palermo. “The Hett gives our campus community a chance to experience great art in its own backyard. Through-out our programming, we keep in mind that we are part of an institution of higher learning and we have a role to play in the intellectual environment of both our campus and the community we live in. I take that mission very seriously. We don’t bring contemporary dance to the Hett because we think it will sell-out, we bring it because it is a beautiful and meaningful art form and we want our community to experience it,” continues Palermo. This year marks the beginning of The Hett’s 10th season, and The Hett is celebrating by offering a fabulous variety of performances, events, speakers and more. The McKendree Presents series offers a wide range of music, dance and theater – from a holiday tradition of The Little Dancer
ballet to classic chamber music with the Chamber Project Saint Louis. The University Series features performances by McKendree students and faculty and highlights the best of the University’s talent. The Film Art Series gives movie buffs the chance to view movies like The Third Man and The Devil’s Backbone and discuss the movie afterward. Further adding to the mix of offerings is the McCammon Peter Palermo, director of The Hett. Distinguished Speaker Series with speakers ranging from physhear this incredible creation,” comments ics professor Dr. James Kakalios Palermo about the upcoming season. to The Daily Show correspondent An Arts and Education Council grant Aasif Mandvi. recipient a its sixth year, The Hett is one “This is our tenth season of events! of just nine rural arts organizations to There are a number of programs that receive an annual grant from the have me excited this year. Cameron Monsanto Fund Rural Community Arts Carpenter is an incredible virtuoso on Education Program which brings artists the pipe organ and amazing showman. and entertainers into classrooms and With the help of audio, electronic and performance venues so people and software engineers he has built what he families living in the counties surroundcalls the International Touring Organ. ing the St. Louis metropolitan area have He has sampled pipe organs from all greater access to the arts. over the world and created his own “The response from the community instrument. It comes in a semi-truck and has been overwhelming. By any meatakes an entire day to assemble. The sure, the Hett has been fully embraced music nerd inside me cannot wait to by our community. Over the past 10 years we’ve doubled the amount of offerings in our McKendree Presents season. That growth has been made possible by the generosity of our donors who share our vision that the arts are critical to the health of the community. Their giving has grown along with programming. It has also been my experience that once people get a taste for live performance, they come back for it again and again,” says Palermo.
Artist on stage at The Hett.
The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is an A&E Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program Grant recipient. For more information about the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, visit mckendree.edu/the_hett.
13
PNC PROJECT GRANT SPOTLIGHT:
Greater East St Louis Community Fund
E
dna Patterson-Petty is an awardwinning artist and a life-long resident of East St. Louis. She is best known for her art quilts, which have been exhibited across the country and throughout the world, including Pakistan and West Africa. Despite her international recognition, this summer Petty’s attention was focused on the children in the SIUE East St. Louis Project Success Program. Petty worked with over 50 children to create a quilt through an A&E PNC Project Grant secured by the Greater East St. Louis Community Fund. The quilt, titled Celebrating the U.S.A., was made by the children cutting the outlines of their hands. Petty and volunteers worked with the children to help pick the fabric, cut the designs and assemble the quilt. Petty, who has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in art therapy, is passionate about helping children recognize their own creativity. Regarding her own childhood, she explains, “I was very quiet, I was a wallflower. I found solace in seeing designs in the trees, in a crack in the sidewalk or in a broken piece of glass; I would see it as something else other than what it really was. But I went all the way from first grade through 12th grade without anyone knowing I had a creative side, which
Jesse Dixon, Director of the SIUE East St. Louis Center; Edna Patterson-Petty, artist; Janina Turley, Project Success Program Director; and Pam Coaxum, Executive Director of the Greater East St. Louis Community Fund reveal the quilt to the students in the Project Success Program.
was really sad. That’s why I like working with kids, to recognize what they can do and help bring it out.” At the quilt's unveiling, the children’s excitement in seeing the finished piece was obvious. They found their hand outlines and shouted suggestions for the next quilt. The SIUE East St. Louis Project Success Program is an after-school enrichment program designed to serve children in protective custody who have been referred by the Illinois
Department of Children and Family Services. The Greater East St. Louis Community Fund works to advance projects that enhance community improvement, education and vocational training, infrastructure, health care and housing in East St. Louis and neighboring Brooklyn, Illinois. The Greater East St. Louis Community fund is an A&E PNC Project Grant recipient. For more information visit estlfund.org. To learn more about SIUE Project Success Program visit siue.edu/eslc.
Bringing the Business and Art of Fashion Back to St. Louis
T
he Saint Louis Fashion Fund, recently founded in 2014, has already begun to make waves. In addition to their support of Saint Louis Fashion Week, which runs through Nov 7, the Saint Louis Fashion Fund is dedicated to bringing the business of fashion back to St. Louis. In the late 19th Century, St. Louis’s
14
Washington Avenue was second only to New York when it came to fashion manufacturers and brands. The Saint Louis Fashion Fund is dedicated to reclaiming that history. The Fund hosts industry panels, offers professional support for designers and is now working to launch its Fashion Incubator in 2016. The Incubator will be a place for fashion designers from all over the country to live, work, create and manufacture their lines. A handful of designers will be provided with workshops, studio space and mentorship to aid in establishing
businesses. The Incubator will be in the former Garment District on Washington Avenue, picking up the lost narrative of the city’s fashion industry. The Arts and Education Council is excited to follow such an exciting and rewarding project. A&E board members Susan Block, Dorte Probstein, and Mary Ann Srenco also sit on the board of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, lending valued expertise to the innovative project. For more information,about the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, contact Susan Sherman, Board Chair, at sdssk@aol.com or visit saintlouisfashionfund.org.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT:
Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger
D
r. Aurelia Hartenberger has dedicated her career to sharing her love of music and art with young people. She started as a high school band director but spent most of her career in administration as Curriculum Director of the Mehlville School District and then as Music Coordinator for the Lindbergh School District. Now in her “retirement,” she currently teaches world music as an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville University. Along the way she has collected over 3,000 historical instruments from around the world to comprise the The Hartenberger World Music Collection of Historical Instruments. The collection started when Dr. Hartenberger found a turn of the century flugelhorn at garage sale for $50 (now worth $1,000) around 40 years ago. Instruments from her collection are now on display in three different exhibits at The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, an A&E Sustaining Grant recipient. A World of Music: Africa, Asia and Latin America is on display until January 2, 2016 at the Sheldon Art Galleries, and The Sheldon's Wonderful Winds is on display through December 13 at the Lambert Airport Galleries.
WH
I
Y
GIV
E
Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger with her collection of instruments on display at The Sheldon.
A volunteer curator for The Sheldon, Dr. Hartenberger has traveled the world collecting instruments and studying music in different cultures – she has been to Europe, Africa, Canada, Hawaii and Latin America and is currently planning trips to Guam and Hong Kong. “The music tells you about the people’s way of life and has unique characteristics that are indicative of that society and what they value,” says Dr. Hartenberger about her travels and studies of world music. Having spent her life as an arts educator, Dr. Hartenberger volunteered as
a Workplace Giving Coordinator during her time with both Mehlville and Lindbergh School Districts. She believes we need to preserve the arts for future generations. “If we don’t teach our younger generations the beauty of the arts and humanity, it will be lost to them. Through the arts, students are using everything that they are being taught – communication arts, science, math, social studies, geography – and you show them how it is all connected. We’re the only creature on earth that takes everything we learn, puts it together and with our emotions gives back in the form of art,” states Dr. Hartenberger. "Because it is through the arts that you learn about the beauty of your humanity and the dignity of mankind. My husband, Jeffrey Hartenberger, and I give because we believe it is our responsibility as a society to preserve and teach the beauty of our humanity to future generations so that they may experience not only the past and learn of the beauty of other cultures in our global society, but will learn from it as a catalysts for awakening their own greater self-discovery.” The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries is an A&E Sustaining Grant
A marimba and other instruments from Dr. Hartenberger’s collection on display at The Sheldon through Jan 2.
recipient. For more information about the exhibition please visit thesheldon.org.
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A&E STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
Meet A&E’s Dorothy Powell
D
orothy Powell, Development Manager at the Arts and Education Council, has been with A&E for 40 years. She started as a computer operator but soon became one of the first black fundraisers in St. Louis. “When I started fundraising, people said this city wasn’t ready for a black fundraiser,” Powell says, “but I have truly had good experiences. I recently looked through my memory book, and I’ve kept some of the cards from campaigns. These people took the time to say thank you, and I was asking them for money. I wasn’t asking for friendship but they took me in as a friend, and each year I go back they say ‘Hey Dorothy! How are you?’ I undertook a position that some people felt I couldn’t do, and I was determined to be the best at it.”
Dorothy Powell (left) with Gloria Luitjens on typewriters in the 80s.
Powell is now well-known as a fundraiser and speaker who gets people excited about the arts and A&E. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and she keeps audiences laughing. “I don’t strive to be a great speaker,” she explains, “I strive to be a people’s person. I first try to appeal to their feelings and then to their minds. When you’re too serious you lose both. All of us have stories, but what stands out is when I go back to places, year after year, or even when I see people at the shopping mall, and they recognize and remember me. That’s more of a 40-year treasure than all the stories together.” Dorothy does have stories she treasures. In her years with the Arts and Education Council she has been on countless visits to grantees, performances for fundraising campaigns and other arts events. One of her most moving experiences happened during a visit to a school. She was watching a performance at a school for children with severe disabilities and saw the power that music holds. “The children were all sitting down, anxiously awaiting the music to start. The music began – it was very moving, they played upbeat numbers. When it was over, a little girl to my left started saying ‘Bravo’ and kept repeating it. I was smiling at her, but the teachers were crying. I asked why, and they said she had never spoken a day in her life. We never know the power and the
Dorothy Powell (back left) with performers in 1997 at a campaign kickoff.
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Dorothy Powell with Brian Owens at the 2014 St. Louis Public Housing Campaign Kickoff.
strength and the might of music,” she reflects, “it was something in the sound or the vibrations of the floor that made that child say ‘Bravo.’ And how many eight-year-olds do you know that even say ‘Bravo’? She knew to say it. And the best part about it was that later, I received a telephone call and they told me that when the mother and father came to pick up their daughter she said ‘Hi mother, hi daddy,’ and that was the best day of their lives. That was from music.” Dorothy Powell has been a public face of the Arts and Education Council for 40 years, working with local government, schools and businesses to raise money for the arts in our community. A&E and the St. Louis arts community are fortunate that Powell has dedicated her life and her talents to raising awareness and support for the arts and arts education.
Patricia Tichacek and Dorothy Powell (left) at the Centene Center for Arts and Education building dedication ceremony in 2006.
A&E STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
Meet A&E’s Pat Tichacek
P
atricia “Pat” Tichacek, Arts and Education Director of Development Administration, has certainly seen A&E grow and change over her 43 years with the organization. She began in November 1972 as an assistant bookkeeper and has since worked on A&E TV auctions, special events, volunteer coordination, organizing what is now the Know & Go calendar and managing a variety of campaigns before arriving in her current role, overseeing the administration side of A&E’s development and fundraising activities. Before she was an A&E employee, Tichacek volunteered for the Arts and Education Council’s CAMELOT Auction (Cultural Auction of Many Extraordinary Lots of Treasure) on KETC, which changed the face of charity benefits in St. Louis. Her favorite event is still the CAMELOT Gala, where she had the chance to meet celebrities ranging from local to Hollywood actors. Looking back on her time with A&E, Tichacek has seen the organization grow to be more visible and active in the community. She reflects, “It’s great to see that so many of the arts organizations that A&E has funded over the years are still going strong.
That’s a testament to their quality, impact and need here. People see them as a necessity, not a luxury.” She has truly watched the St. Louis arts community flourish from within the A&E offices. Tichacek has seen A&E provide funding for the start of such well-known arts organizations as Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Metro Theater Company and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, which have grown to be cornerstones of the St. Louis cultural landscape. Beyond this, the Arts and Education Council has been a supporter of over 350 arts organizations during Tichacek’s tenure. Out of the office Tichacek enjoys gardening, music, movies, theatre and travel. She is also famous in the office
Pat Tichacek (left) at her 40th A&E Anniversary Party in 2012.
for her baked goods and homegrown vegetables that she generously brings for her coworkers. The Arts and Education Council thanks Pat for her dedication and commitment to A&E and the larger arts community in St. Louis. Her vast knowledge of organizational history and close relationships with many of A&E's donors go beyond her daily responsibilities at A&E that strengthen the capabilities of the institution.
Pat Tichacek at her desk with her IBM typewriter in the 80s.
Pat Tichacek (second from right) with Rams Cheerleaders during a Workplace Giving Kickoff Event in 2004.
Arts and Education Council CAMELOT Auction phone bank operators in 1974.
Pat Tichacek (right) at a volunteer appreciation event in the 80s.
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A&E Welcomes Chairman's Circle Members and Guests for a Night at the Opera
T
he Arts and Education Council hosted "A Night at the Opera" on June 10 at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for members of the Arts and Education Council’s Chairman’s Circle and special guests. The evening included a wine reception and dinner in the East Lawn Pavilion at the Loretto-Hilton Center before guests experienced Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, one of the world’s most popular operas. Night at the Opera was generously underwritten by Barbara B. Goodman, A&E board member.
Charles and Vanessa Okwuraiwe.
Ida Woolfolk and Glenn Sheffield.
Bryan Schraier with Ladue News
Blacktie Missouri
Diane and Dave Mayo with Paul and Janet Reuter
Bryan Schraier with Ladue News
Blacktie Missouri
Bryan Schraier with Ladue News
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is an Arts and Education Council Sustaining Grant Recipient.
Barbara B. Goodman, host, with Cynthia Prost, A&E president.
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Rick and Lotsie Holton with Kate Francis, A&E VP of Development, and Pat Stark
Arts and Education Council Hosts Thank You Event at STAGES St. Louis
M
embers of A&E’s Council Circle, Workplace Giving Campaign coordinators and special guests were invited by the Arts and Education Council for a dinner and a show at STAGES St. Louis on June 24. The evening included a reception and dinner before a viewing of Smokey Joe’s Café – the Grammy® Award-winning 60s rock song celebration.
STAGES St. Louis is an Arts and Education Council Operating Grant Recipient.
Circle of Giving August 1 – September 30, 2015 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! $50,000 and above Emerson $10,000 - $49,999 PNC Foundation $5,000 - $9,999 Mrs. Adele B. Dilschneider Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Galvin The Graybar Foundation $1,000 - $2,499 Nora and Jan Akerberg Bunge North America Fox Family Foundation Mr. William Odell Ms. Cynthia A. Prost Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Taylor
A&E donors enjoy dinner before seeing STAGES St. Louis Smokey Joe's Cafe.
$500 - $999 Anonymous (1) Mr. Tom Claasen Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Goldstein Mr. and Mrs. David M. Hohman Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Hunter Susan Rowe Jennings and Michael Jennings Mrs. Nancy Knowles Ms. Elizabeth Mannen Ms. Eileen K. McLoughlin Mrs. Rebecca M. Nolan Dr. Donald M. Senti
Merry Mosbacher, STAGES St. Louis Board President, addresses A&E's guests.
Peter H. Bunce • Ann M. Corrigan Joseph E. Corrigan • Karen J. Isbell James A. Krekeler • Glenn Sheffield Judith Cozad Smith • Michael W. Weisbrod
Jack Lane, executive director of STAGES ST. LOUIS and 2015 Tony Award ® winner speaks to A&E members and guests.
To make your gift to the A&E, visit KeepArtHappening.org or contact Kate Francis, Vice President of Development, at (314) 289-4003.
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Centene Center for Arts and Education 3547 Olive Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103-1014
Save the Date: January 25, 2016 at the Chase Park Plaza
2016 St. Louis Arts Awards Join Co-Chairs Jim & Stacey Weddle in Honoring Agnes Wilcox, Prison Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Arthur & Helen Baer Charitable Foundation Excellence in Philanthropy The Bosman Twins Excellence in the Arts
years of celebrating the arts in saint louis Proceeds benefit the Arts and Education Council’s annual campaign, which funds nearly 70 arts and arts education organizations throughout the 16-county, bi-state region.
Bach Society of Saint Louis Excellence in the Arts Dr. Tim and Kim Eberlein Champions of the Arts Doug Erwin, Ferguson-Florissant School District Art Educator of the Year
Arts Awards tickets are available at keeparthappening.org/what/2016_st._louis_arts_awards
/ArtsAndEducation
@ArtEdStl
Arts_Education_Council
Dr. Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris, University of Missouri-St. Louis Arts Collaborator
ArtsAndEducSTL 2013 Missouri Arts Award-Philanthropy
2012 Spirit of Philanthropy Award
stlouis.bbb.org