st. louis’ home of arts, education, & culture
spring | 2020
STRONGER TOGETHER STL
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HEC Magazine
Spring 2020
HEC-TV PROGRAMMING COLLABORATORS
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ARTS/CULURAL St. Louis Arts Experience Bach Society of St. Louis Center of Creative Arts (COCA) Commission for Access and Local Original Programming (CALOP) Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Focus St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center International Institute of St. Louis Jazz St. Louis Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri History Museum Missouri Humanities Council Museum of Transportation National Endowment for the Arts National Blues Museum Opera Theatre Saint Louis Regional Arts Commission Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) Saint Louis County Parks and Recreation Saint Louis Science Center Saint Louis Symphony Saint Louis Zoo The Sheldon Art Galleries and Concert Hall CIVIC Cortex Innovation Community Missouri Bar Association St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission St. Louis Economic Development Partnership St. Louis Regional Chamber
EDUCATION Archdiocese of St. Louis 22 Area Universities and Colleges Education Plus 62 Elementary/Secondary School Districts in Metropolitan St. Louis
HEC-TV leadership Alan Winkleman, Acting President Ann Terry Johnson, Secretary James L. McHugh Sr., J.D., Treasurer Wayne Goode, Member Craig Larson, Member
HEC-TV team Dennis Riggs, President Boyd Pickup, Director of Operations Jayne Ballew, Director of Programming Christina Chastain, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships Manager Amanda Honigfort, Special Projects & Programs Producer Kristy Houle, Educational Opportunities Coordinator Tim Gore, Director of Educational Initiatives
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how to support local business during covid 19
The COVID-19 outbreak has our whole community scrambling and hurting, but our small businesses and those who work in the service industry perhaps more so. Thankfully, we’re seeing much of the community looking for ways to stand up and help.
Magazine Design by Christina Chastain
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14/15 art corner the regional arts commission has released its five-year strategic plan
9 EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT As a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools may be closed, and you and your children may now be learning from home. In addition to resources and assistance you’ll receive from your children’s teachers, Educate.Today is also committed to being a resource for families to keep kids learning at home.
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who to watch science news Lan Yang, PhD, is a leader among women at Washington University in St. Louis.
MU Health Care is offering a new approach to anyone concerned they may have symptoms of COVID-19.
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local brewery lends a hand
community news
4Learn Hands Brewing Company is knownrise for to their about Sandra Day O’Connor’s the Supreme cheritable efforts, go above and beyond. Court, as well as the non-alcholic movement in St. Louis.
Take a look at this year’s St. Louis Theater Circle Awards nominations.
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what to watch spotlight sundays at 9:30 a.m. on channel 11 HEC Media has proudly launched the most important, transformative broadcast program series in St. Louis television history: Spotlight. Each week, HEC brings you the best of the best in arts, culture, and education. Tune in every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Channel 11. Tune in, set your DVRs, or stream all of our content free any time on hecmedia.org.
the Live stream of the st. louis theater circle awards
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In lieu of a physical Theater Circle Awards Ceremony this year, which celebrates local productions and the amazing achievements our theater community has brought to our community, HEC Media and the St. Louis Theater Circle are teaming up to bring the ceremony to you virtually. Tune in on Facebook Live, April 7 at 7 p.m. to honor those who are making our community better, brighter, and more entertained every day.
true gaelic: Unearthing Medieval Ireland on amazon prime A mysterious medieval lordship existed on the shores of Lough Će in northwest Ireland, but very little physical evidence has been unearthed until now. HEC Media’s cameras document the search for clues about life in a Gaelic medieval market town as St. Louis University professor Tom Finan and a team of students conduct a first-ever excavation. Watch anytime on Amazon Prime.
how to watch who to watch HEC Media is the leading producer of local arts, cultural, and educational programming in St. Louis reflecting our mission statement, “to strengthen and promote the education, arts, and cultural communities of the St. Louis Metropolitcan area.” HEC is affiliated with the St. Louis County for Educational Media. As a four-time winner of the prestigious Station of Excellence Award from the Mid-America Emmy Association, HEC is committed to producing television designed to engage and challenge viewers, and to illuminate topics that will “Make You Think!” In addition to providing local programming, all HEC productions are available free of charge to teachers, along with corresponding curriculum and classroom materials through www.Educate.Today.
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L a n Ya n g , P h D Lan Yang, PhD, is a leader among women at Washington University in St. Louis. The Edwin H. and Florence G. Skinner Professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering holds the most patents and disclosures of any female faculty member.
Yang’s innovative spirit first took root in China, long before her inventions. Growing up in the Hunan province of China in the 1990’s, Yang said most girls didn’t go to high school. Instead, they attended professional schools that may guarantee them a nice job. At age 14, Yang was scheduled to attend a professional school, as it was her mom’s sincere wish. But Yang said she wanted more. “I wanted something that can change the world and do things that can really make the world a different one because of me,” said Yang. Yang now wants to create an ultrasensitive virus detector for early diagnosis of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. “(The sensors) would physically detect those existing virus particles around the person,” said Yang.
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Yang said portable sensors derived from her optical method would diagnose those infected with coronavirus well before they show symptoms. She said the sensors would detect the virus particles in the air from the individual’s breath, when they exhale. “(Rather than) just checking their temperature, because that’s not enough anymore,” she said.
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Coronavirus and STL Small Businesses: How To Support The Community During the Pandemic
6 Credit: Paul Sableman, Flickr By Amanda Honigfort
The COVID-19 outbreak has our whole community scrambling and hurting, but our small businesses and those who work in the service industry perhaps more so. Thankfully, we’re seeing much of the community looking for ways to stand up and help. First and foremost, just staying home and avoiding any contact outside of your household unless absolutely necessary is helpful for keeping the spread of Coronavirus down and getting our region back to normal sooner. However, if you’re looking to help out a bit more, there’s a number of ways to do so - both that involve funds and those that don’t.
Hospitality. Hamilton Hospitality is giving up to 32 oz away for free, and is producing the sanitizer instead of continuing to operate their restaurants for the time being, while 4 Hands is giving it away in exchange for a donation to their fund for local laid-off service workers. You can find the GoFundMe page for the fund online, it’s one of a number of fundraisers that have cropped up in recent weeks. There is also a GoFundMe for service workers in the Grove who are impacted, as well as a fund for musicians who can’t earn effectively without the ability to play gigs. The fund was created by Ben Majchrzak (of Native Sound Recording) “to help any and all music and artsrelated industry members that need financial assistance.”
The St. Louis Community Foundation and United Way have developed two response funds to benefit all those impacted most by the pandemic - both individuals and small businesses.
That being said, most of the charities in town are seeing a greater than normal financial need, especially those who work with the homeless, domestic violence, hygiene needs, and food shortages need donations.
Other groups are making mass quantities of hand sanitizer such as 4 Hands Brewery and Hamilton
In addition to money, the Saint Louis Area Diaper Bank is in need of volunteers to pack supply kits, or you can
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sign up to receive email alerts from the United Way for either urgent or at-home volunteer opportunities. Similarly, the American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage and is asking the community to call 1-800-733-2767 to sign up to safely donate blood. Some of the needed assistance could come from the government. Small businesses and restaurants are calling on the community to petition the local, state and national government to help our service workers. If you’d prefer to get something useful in exchange for Credit: STL Syle your funds, many small businesses are setting up online sales and offering special shipping or curbside pick-up. Additionally, there are a number of online apparel sales that benefit the community, and a more broad local buy online effort has cropped up.
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small businesses that are hurting. They are looking for creative ways to support those businesses that are still safe for the community and are selling clothing to support the #314together effort at shop2lu.com. By Jack is selling official merchandise of many local artists, organizations and businesses, STLstyle also has “flatten the curve” apparel that benefits the St. Louis Community Foundation Gateway Resilience Fund, and there is also a STL Strong tee for sale that is donating proceeds to service workers. Lastly, you can still eat out - as long as you take it home or have your food delivered, and a number of restaurants are offering take-out options that normally wouldn’t. CurbsideSTL is curating take-it-home options by neighborhood. These restaurants operate on a very thin margin and have already had to lay off some or all of their workers. Most cannot weather many months with no sales. Some of those restaurants are setting up ways for takeout to do a double good. Grace Meat + Three is offering a to-go Grace Gives Meat + Three plate for $13.50 and giving 15% of each Grace Gives Plate to a furloughed bartender, server, or cook in the St. Louis area. Other restaurants including Salt + Smoke are doing something similar.
#314Together is an effort started by The Women’s Creative, Experience Booklet, and @stlgram to support
No matter the way you choose, there are many ways to help, and together we can all make our community a bit stronger every day.
Grace Meat + Three is offering a to-go Grace Gives Meat + Three plate for $13.50 and giving 15% of each Grace Gives Plate to a furloughed worker.
The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage and is asking the community to call 1-800-733-2767 to sign up to safely donate blood.
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local brewery brewing up hand sanitizer during covid 19 pandemic By Rylie Frohock
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Credit: 4 Hands Brewing Co.
St. Louis is a hot spot for craft beer. Located in the LaSalle neighborhood near Soulard, 4 Hands is easily one of the most popular microbrews in the city. 4 Hands is synonymous with creative craft beers, vodka, and gin. They have also received recognition from the community for their charitable efforts. 4 Hands has partnered with many local not for profits dedicated to improving the St. Louis community. Their donations have helped rebuild parks, fund vision tests for school children, and provide employment opportunities and internships for budding entrepreneurs. Additionally, $1 of every sale of City Wide Pale Ale and Pilsner goes back to their non-profit partners. Owner Kevin Lemp and his employees spend many hours volunteering with their not for profits, getting to know the people and projects behind the mission. “We always wanted to be more than a brewery. We wanted to be a pillar of the community, and the fabric of the city,” Lemp said. With the widespread panic over the COVID-19 outbreak and lack of supplies, 4 Hands has found a way to alleviate the hand sanitizer shortage by creating their own. Many local bars and restaurants have been impacted as a result of the outbreak. In addition to creating hand sanitizer, 4 Hands set up an online fundraiser to provide financial relief for those in St. Louis’ service industry. “We used our resources and followed the guidelines in order to create a hand sanitizer. We will be giving one 2 oz. container to everyone. In lieu of payment we will ask for donations to fuel a fund for the STL hospitality industry,” stated 4 Hands in a recent Twitter post. 4 Hands will be giving out 2 oz. bottles of hand sanitizer while supplies last. Donations to their fundraiser can be made on GoFundMe.
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Helpful Hints for Homebound Students and Parents By Kristy Houle
As a former principal and now homeschool mom, I know how hard it can be to experience the unexpected and keep your sanity at the same time. As a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools may be closed, and you and your children may now be learning from home. In addition to resources and assistance you’ll receive from your children’s teachers, Educate.Today is also committed to being a resource for families to keep kids learning at home. Educate.Today can also be a welcome distraction for parents, allowing you to enjoy time with your kids as you watch and discuss online resources together.
Exploration. You can watch at www.educate.today, or tune in to Spectrum channel 989.
Connect with Other Parents We are all going through these uncertain times together, so reach out to other parents in your neighborhood and community. Organizing student work groups and activities can help keep your children active and not feeling isolated. Educate.Today also offers Student Study Topic Resource Packages that are useful for multiple activities and student groups
To help, Educate.Today provides hundreds of videos, lesson plans, and reading lists to supplement your child’s curriculum while working at home. Below, we have provided a list of helpful hints that can make these unexpected changes a little easier.
Don’t Stress When parents seem anxious or uneasy the kids pick up on those feelings as well. Try to remember that we are all experiencing this unexpected change together and your priority is to keep your mental and physical health in check. So, don’t stress, we are here to help!
Educate.Today Can Easily Align Curriculum with Content Areas While using the Educate.Today resources, you can choose from our seven content areas to supplement and align with your child’s current school curriculum. We offer hundreds of standards-based videos in the areas of Arts, Arts Integration, Humanities, Social Studies, STEM/STEAM and Career Exploration. Along with the videos you will find in each content area, we have also created lesson plans, vocabulary lists, student writing activities, hands-on activities and recommended reading lists. This wide variety of resources will make it easier when planning your child’s educational activities while at home. Begin your search on our home page. You can also join our daily live stream featuring some of our favorite archived videos. Now, your at-home learners can get free scheduled programming all day, every day through our daily schedule: Monday, Language Arts/Literacy; Tuesday, STEM; Wednesday, The Arts; Thursday, Social Studies; Friday, General/Career
9 Keep a Simple Record of Work Have students use the Journal Entry Teacher Tool available on the Educate.Today website to keep a daily record of work completed and thoughts for the day. Keeping this daily information will make it easier to communicate with teachers and to reflect on lessons and activities completed.
Working with Multi-Age Children Many of you will be faced with the situation of working at home with children of multiple ages. Most resources provided on the Educate.Today website can be used for elementary to high school age students. The lesson plans and activities can also be easily adapted to any age student. As always, we at Educate.Today are here to help. If you have any questions regarding homeschooling or would like more information regarding our online curriculum, please reach out through our website, at www.educate. today.
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how about a good book to pass the time? By Rylie Frohock
Need something to read while practicing social distancing? HEC’s author interviews provide several recommendations of literature to keep you occupied at home.
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Dr. Daniel J. Levitin addresses five keys to aging well in his new book Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives. Dr. Levitin offers society a new perspective about aging by highlighting how rewarding our later years can be. Gathered from 25 years of research, Levitin shares his findings on how some age better than others. Levitin’s book puts the emphasis on quality of life while getting older as opposed to searching for eternal youth. The Mississippi River has had a great influence over St. Louis since the beginning of the city. Andrew Wanko’s book, Great River City, shows just how impactful the river is on our history and culture. Great River City shows hundreds of powerful and rare photographs depicting how essential the river is to our daily lives then and now.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn explore the issues impacting the working class in their book Tightrope. Kristof and WuDunn recount stories from their childhood and memories of people they knew to address issues such as alcoholism, drug use, and unemployment. Tightrope may be a cautionary tale of how Americans have lost hope, but Kristof and WuDunn draw from their experiences to offer solutions to these problems. Tightrope invites the reader to study these issues and explore new opportunities for the working class. Though the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently concluded many character arcs, the studio feels there are more stories to explore in different mediums. Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee continues the anti-hero’s story and touches on what makes the character so fascinating for so many. Though Lee drew heavily from the Marvel universe, she uses her background as a historical fiction writer to tie’s Loki’s story back to his origins as a Norse god. Lee’s book makes historical fiction accessible to young readers through the use of a wellknown character. Iconic actor Robin Williams passed away at age 63, but left behind a larger than life legacy. New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff book Robin pays tribute to Williams by reflecting on his interviews with the actor, as well as stories from more than 100 of his friends and family members. Robin paints a vivid picture of Williams’ life and career through the use of these stories, script notes, and letters. Robin is both a revealing biography and a
loving memorial of a great American performer.
9/11 may have taken place 18 years ago, but for many, the effects of the attack have left a lasting impact. Many first responders rushed to the scene to help while others fled Ground Zero, unknowingly breathing in toxic chemicals after being assured the air was safe. 9/12 by lawyer William Groner and journalist Tom Teicholz tells the story of the unprecedented legal battle of the first responders and their difficult path to victory. More book recommendations and author interviews can be found at www.hecmedia.org. You can also listen to all of our interviews by downloading and subscribing to our Talking with Authors podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.
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COVID-19 Video Consultations Available At No Cost to You Through MU Health By Kathleen Berger, Executive Producer for Science & Technology in collaboration with MU Health Care
MU Health Care is offering a new approach to anyone concerned they may have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Patients from anywhere in the country can have a free consultation with a health care provider through MU Health Care’s virtual urgent care platform. They’re called “video visits.” MU Health Care is pushing the new COVID-19 online option to anyone with a computer, tablet or smartphone that has a camera and audio. MU Health Care’s chief medical officer, Stevan Whitt, MD, believes virtual doctor’s visits will be important in limiting the spread of COVID-19. “Us and many other parts of the country think this is an excellent solution to both normal influenza season, as well as instances like COVID-19,” said Whitt. “Patients can get quickly evaluated, get their questions answered, and we can get the sick patients that need to be in a hospital to a hospital, and we can keep the patients who don’t need to be in a hospital safe.” MU Health Care is testing patients for coronavirus with a drive-through service located in the Mizzou softball stadium parking lot. “We are opening this as a fast, safe and convenient way to screen people with mild symptoms who do not need to go to the Emergency Department but meet guidelines for testing,” said Jonathan Heidt, MD, MU Health Care emergency physician. “This increases our capacity to care for those with more severe symptoms, such as
difficulty breathing, in our Emergency Department.” However, the drive-through testing site is intended for patients who have a doctor’s order to be screened for coronavirus. MU Health Care is asking a patient to first be assessed by a provider at a clinic or through a video visit. Per guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are eligible for testing include those with a fever, cough and sore throat plus: Those with exposure to a known person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Those who’ve recently traveled to area where community transmission is occurring. People who meet the criteria above and wish to be tested for COVID-19, should first contact their primary care physician or complete a free video visit using MU Health Care’s virtual urgent care platform. Patients should visit MUHealthVideoVisits.org and select the “COVID19” video visit option. Virtual care is available every day 24/7, and the drivethrough is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For people experiencing severe symptoms, they are encouraged to go to an emergency room. “If people are severely ill and are having difficulty breathing, they should go to the emergency room and should call ahead before arriving,” Heidt said. “This will ensure health care staff are prepared for the individual’s arrival and can minimize their contact with others.”
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HEC MEDIA live streaming the st. louis theater circle awards april 7 at 7 p.m. In lieu of a physical Theater Circle Awards Ceremony this year, which celebrates local productions and the amazing achievements our theater community has brought to our community, HEC Media and the St. Louis Theater Circle are teaming up to bring the ceremony to you virtually. Tune in on Facebook Live, April 7 at 7 p.m. to honor those who are making our community better, brighter, and more entertained every day.
2020 Theater Circle Award Nominees
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Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Ka-Ling Cheung, The Play That Goes Wrong, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Michelle Hand, Pride and Prejudice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Julie Layton, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Laurie McConnell, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre Kelley Weber, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Michael Cassidy Flynn, Classic Mystery Game, SATE Steve Isom, Wittenberg, Upstream Theater
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Patrick Blindauer, Love’s Labors Lost, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Chuck Brinkley, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre Aaron Dodd, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, R-S Theatrics Michael James Reed, Pride and Prejudice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Shane Signorino, Popcorn Falls, The Midnight Company
Outstanding Sound Design Broken Chord, Angels in America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Kareem Deanes, Fully Committed, New Jewish Theatre Kareem Deanes, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Phillip Evans, Indecent, Max & Louie Productions David Kelepha Samba, Feeding Beatrice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Katie Kleiger, Pride and Prejudice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Sofia Lidia, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, R-S Theatrics Jane Paradise, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre Rachel Tibbetts, Never Let Go, Equally Represented Arts Maggie Wininger, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Will Bonfiglio, Fully Committed, New Jewish Theatre Jacob Flekier, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre Adam Flores, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, R-S Theatrics
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play Patrick Huber, Indecent, Max & Louie Productions Jason Lynch, Feeding Beatrice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Bess Moynihan, The Women of Lockerbie, SATE Xavier Pierce, Angels in America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Sean M. Savoie, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design in a Play Felia Davenport, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre Dorothy Marshall Englis, Pride and Prejudice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Laura Hanson, Wittenberg, Upstream Theater Michele Friedman Siler, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre Melissa Trn, Love’s Labors Lost, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Outstanding Set Design in a Play David Blake, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre Dunsi Dai, Indecent, Max & Louie Productions Timothy Mackabee, Angels in America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Margery and Peter Spack, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre
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Margery and Peter Spack, The Play That Goes Wrong, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Sophia Brown, Fefu and Her Friends, Theatre Nuevo Michelle Dillard, Milk Like Sugar, The Black Rep Alicen Moser, Equivocation, West End Players Guild Carly Uding, Translations, Black Mirror Theatre Donna Weinsting, Nonsense and Beauty, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Eric Conners, Canfield Drive, The Black Rep J. Samuel Davis, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre Ryan Lawson-Maeske, Photograph 51, West End Players Guild Reginald Pierre, Equivocation, West End Players Guild David Ryan Smith, Angels in America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Actress in a Drama Nicole Angeli, Photograph 51, West End Players Guild Zoe Farmingdale, Indecent, Max & Louie Productions Rachel Hanks, A Model for Matisse, The Midnight Company Jeanne Paulsen, Alabama Story, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Donna Weinsting, Salt, Root, and Roe, Upstream Theater Outstanding Actor in a Drama Gary Wayne Barker, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre James Andrew Butz, The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Roger Erb, Equivocation, West End Players Guild Barrett Foa, Angels in America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Spencer Sickmann, Farragut North, St. Louis Actors’ Studio Outstanding New Play Canfield Drive, by Kristen Adele Calhoun & Michael Thomas Walker, The Black Rep Feeding Beatrice, by Kristen Greenidge, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis It’s a Wonderful Life, by John Wolbers, Metro Theater Company
A Model for Matisse, by Barbara F. Freed & Joe Hanrahan, The Midnight Company Nonsense and Beauty, by Scott C. Sickles, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Achievement in Opera Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Mark Freiman, La Boheme, Union Avenue Opera Christine Lyons, Norma, Winter Opera Saint Louis Brooklyn Snow, Candide, Union Avenue Opera Roland Wood, Rigoletto, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Outstanding Production of an Opera La Boheme, Union Avenue Opera Candide, Union Avenue Opera The Coronation of Poppea, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis The Marriage of Figaro, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Special Award Ken and Nancy Kranzberg Outstanding Musical Director Jennifer Buchheit, The Who’s Tommy, Stray Dog Theatre Charles Creath, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, The Black Rep Ryan Fielding Garrett, Kinky Boots, The Muny Brad Haak, Guys and Dolls, The Muny Nicolas Valdez, Be More Chill, New Line Theatre To see the full list of nominations, go to hecmedia.org.
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RAC unveils five-year strategic plan to bolster St. Louis arts, culture communities By Christina Chastain
The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC), the area’s largest public funder of the arts, announced its five-year-plan to further strengthen St. Louis’ reputation as a thriving cultural hub.
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The plan, titled Advocate, Partner, Catalyst: A Strategic Plan to Strengthen RAC’s Leadership Role in the St. Louis Region, outlines its priorities to build capacity; increase exposure to arts education; and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the arts and cultural sectors of St. Louis. “We are focused on bold new initiatives that are designed to address issues long-affecting the arts and culture community,” said Mont Levy, chairman of the board of commissioners at RAC. “The plan is the culmination of years of research and community engagement that led us to clearly defined priorities and an implementation strategy to drive progress in the region.” In 2017, RAC launched EVOKE, the first-ever comprehensive cultural planning process for the region. Through EVOKE, RAC conducted individual interviews with community leaders and facilitated dozens of community discussions, gathering input from artists of all
disciplines, leaders of arts and cultural organizations, arts funders, community organizations, and the people of St. Louis. Six community priorities were identified through the EVOKE process, known as ARTS &: A Creative Vision for St. Louis, published in 2018: Arts Education for All Advance Equity Through the Arts Amplify Arts as an Economic Engine Invite All St. Louisians Into Creativity Increase Support to Local Artists Forge New Partnerships and Collaborations RAC commissioned research studies and convened working groups, RAC grantees, individual artists, and other community stakeholders to engage around these priorities and provide feedback to inform the development of the strategic plan. The working groups concluded that the St. Louis region has a strong arts and culture sector that can be made even stronger with the implementation of strategies that address: Building a stronger foundation
for arts education through support for teaching artists; equitable school and communitybased programs; centralized resources for the public; and advocacy for funding to help ensure equity. Engaging the arts with other sectors of the community, including government, to collectively develop a more creative economy by providing leadership and marketing, including data dissemination on the benefits of the arts, as well as support for organizations. Developing a more robust environment for working artists by connecting, promoting, and supporting them in a variety of ways, we well as promoting St. Louis as the thriving arts environment that it is. After receiving this input stemming from the EVOKE and ARTS & phases, RAC synthesized these ideas into their strategic plan. The strategic plan outlines four main priorities to respond to some of the most critical needs in the arts and cultural communities, identified by EVOKE and ARTS &: Grow and Develop Capacity of
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Artists and Arts Organizations This strategy will focus on arts management training for smallbudget and mid-sized nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, as well as individual artists. Goals of this strategy include creating healthy, growing organizations that achieve a diversity of revenue source and supporting individual artists to build strong and sustainable creative practices. Advance the Education of Young People Through the Arts The goal of this strategy is to meaningfully increase exposure and access to arts education for every child, in every school, through collaborative programming. Increase Equity in the Arts Through Leadership and Collaboration This priority focuses on supporting arts and cultural organizations in a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and providing targeted management and infrastructure support for organizations of color. Strengthen Key Organizational Infrastructure The goal of this priority is to focus on strengthening RAC’s internal organizational infrastructure to support the five-year plan, including grantmaking, technology, and data, and management and governance. “We believe we can make St. Louis an even stronger cultural hub, bridge communities, advance economic development, and creative an inclusive common ground, where arts and cultural advance equity and make St. Louis a better place,” said Levy. RAC will remain a key grant maker in the arts. Revisions will be made to the annual grantmaking program to
ensure that it aligns with its strategic priorities. Efforts will also be made to forge joint ventures and collaborations among arts institutions. “We can’t do this alone. Over the next five years, we will need you to work together with us, to create a more vibrant, diverse, equitable arts and culture sector for St. Louis,” said Andrea Purnell, secretary of the board of commissioners at RAC. “Community partners will be instrumental in helping the strategic plan achieve its success.” To find out how to get involved and to download RAC’s full strategic plan, go to racstl.org. A statement from RAC regarding COVID-19: As we all work to process this ever-evolving global crisis, we are doing our best to keep pace with the decisions you are making to keep your staff, audiences, and the community safe and healthy. We know that many of you are postponing or canceling programs and performances, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health officials. In this time of crisis, RAC is here to support you. Funding won’t be withheld if programs or events are postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. To gain a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on our arts and culture sector, we ask that you submit in writing any variances from the scheduled dates of the programs or needs set forth in the current grant cycle’s application. This request is in accordance with your contract with the Regional Arts Commission
and will help us assess the impact of COVID-19 on our local arts and culture sector. For Program Support and General Operating Support, please send a program change notice to Program Manager of Grants Emily Parker at emily@racstl.org. For Artist Support Grants and Artist Fellowships, please send a program change notice to Associate Director of Artist Programs Olivia Lahs-Gonzales at olivia@racstl.org. RAC has been notified that as a result of significant hotel/motel room cancellations, there will be a cut in our tax revenue in this fiscal year. We have been given current estimates and will be updated quarterly on future tax revenue expectations. Even in the face of these cuts, our first priority will be to support you. We will maintain funding for awarded grants for this current grant cycle. Program Support Grants, Artist Support Grants, Artist Fellowships and General Operating Support Grants will be paid, even if programs are canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. We know this is quite a bit of information to take in and you may have a few additional questions. For your convenience, we have prepared an FAQ page to address any followup questions you may have regarding your grant. We also know that many of you are looking for other funding resources and smart practices during this global crisis. You may access our resources page. This is a challenging time for our world and for our community. RAC is moving through this period with great intention and compassion to support the St. Louis arts and culture community.
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ST. LOUIS, MO PERMIT #1911
Higher Education Channel 3221 McKelvey Road Suite 106 Bridgeton, Missouri 63044