To mark Women’s History Month, Gazelle introduces you to six remarkable women who will be honored at the 2024 Saint Louis Visionary Awards ceremony April 29 at the Sun Theater in Grand Center.
The award – one of the most prestigious in the local arts community – recognizes the many contributions of women who work in and support the arts in St. Louis.
Among this year’s honorees is Outstanding Arts Professional award recipient Meridith McKinley, co-founder of Via Partnership, a St. Louis-based consulting group that develops comprehensive public-art strategies and facilitates public-art projects. McKinley’s involvement in public art grew out of her deep interest in how the arts can build community and how public policy can ensure the sustainability of the arts. With her extensive experience in strategic planning, community engagement and curation, McKinley has worked with communities across the U.S. and Canada to develop and create public-art plans and programs, as well as commission award-winning artwork for public and private clients. She is also a frequent speaker on contemporary public-art practice. In addition, McKinley serves on the board of Laumeier Sculpture Park.
GAZELLE: HOW CAN CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS POSITIVELY IMPACT MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY?
MERIDITH MCKINLEY: There are all kinds of ways that art positively impacts us. I work in public art, which, by definition, is art meant to be seen and experienced by the public and impact communities. For example, art and artists can help communities tell and keep alive important stories about their past and present, and help to envision a future. Public art can shape the identity of a place, making it more memorable and iconic. Works of art can make our public spaces more attractive and pleasant to spend time in. But most important, art has the ability to inspire, to make you think, to take you out of your everyday to experience something beautiful or moving or even unusual. Art makes our lives richer and, as a result, makes our communities stronger.
GAZELLE: WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
MERIDITH MCKINLEY: Two places – one is from the incredible vision and ambitious ideas of the artists I get to work with every day. As an arts administrator, it is my job to say yes, let’s figure out how to make that vision a reality. And when obstacles get in the way, it is the ideas and the passion of the artist that keep me going. The other is from my fellow arts administrators. I have learned so much over the years from the people behind the scenes that bring art to our communities.
GAZELLE: WHAT IS THE PROJECT YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?
MERIDITH MCKINLEY: I’ve been working with St. Louis Lambert International Airport since 2004, when Via helped establish the Lambert Art & Culture Program. Over the years, I’ve gotten to do many projects at the airport that have brought to life the vision of the program, including commissioning both permanent and temporary artworks that have welcomed us home and made a positive first impression of St. Louis for so many visitors arriving to the airport. I am proud that 20 years later, I am still working on an ongoing basis with Lambert to manage their public art program, including an exhibitions program for the airport that has created countless opportunities for local artists and arts organizations to showcase their work. As a consultant who works with clients over the country, this is one of the few projects I’ve been able to grow over time, and the impact the program has made is gratifying to see.
In addition to McKinley, this year’s Visionary Awards recipients are: Heather Beal-Himes (Outstanding Working Artist), Elizabeth Berges (Major Contributor to the Arts), Shawna Flanigan (Outstanding Teaching Artists), Luisa Otero-Prada (Community Impact Artist) and Alexa Seda (Emerging Artist).
An awards ceremony and program, followed by a reception, begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 29, at the Sun Theater in Grand Center. For tickets and additional information, visit the Saint Louis Visionary Awards website.
