The national art exhibition, “Americans Who Tell The Truth,” opens in St. Louis this Friday, Aug. 4, featuring portraits of citizens dedicated to promoting democratic ideals and focused on improving their communities.
What started as a personal portrait project by artist Robert Shetterly in 2002 has become a nonprofit arts- and education-based organization committed to fostering and inspiring “a profound sense of citizenship” built around portraits of Americans the artist calls “models of courageous citizenship.”
To date, more than 260 portraits make up the entire “American Who Tell The Truth” collection, featuring luminaries such as Mark Twain, Ida B. Wells, Dorothy Day, Rosa Parks, Robert F. Kennedy and Mohammad Ali to present-day change-makers like Sr. Helen Prejean, Stacey Abrams and Michael Pollan.
This weekend’s opening will mark the unveiling of a new portrait by Shetterly of St. Louisan Debbie Njai, founder of Black People Who Hike. Commissioned by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE), Njai’s portrait honors “a dedicated advocate for environmental preservation who embodies the values and commitment of ‘Americans Who Tell The Truth,’ working tirelessly to protect the environment and promote inclusivity in outdoor spaces.”
The exhibition at The Gallery in Chesterfield (17081 N. Outer 40 Road) will showcase the new portrait, along with at least 10 other pieces from the “Americans Who Tell The Truth” collection, as well as works contributed by local artists inspired by the exhibition’s theme.
MCE will host the exhibit’s grand opening and portrait unveiling at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4 and will include remarks from Njai and Shetterly. Other exhibit-related events, including a screening of “Truth Tellers,” a documentary featuring the artist and the making of the exhibit, are planned. For more information, visit the Missouri Coalition for the Environment website. The “Americans Who Tell The Truth” exhibit runs through Aug. 24.
The Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation recently recognized four women for the impact they’ve made locally, statewide and beyond.
The 2023 Women of the Year honorees are Harris-Stowe’s LaTonia Collins Smith (Inspirational Leader of the Year); Advantage Capital’s Sandra Moore (Community Leader of the Year); author, former U.S. senator and former Missouri First Lady Jean Carnahan (Civic Leader of the Year); and retired Commerce Bank executive Sara Foster (Alumna Leader of the Year).
The recipients were honored during a July 19th luncheon at The Chase Park Plaza hosted by the foundation, a statewide nonprofit leadership organization founded in 1990.
Theatre visionary Ron Himes, founding and producing director of The Black Rep, is the recipient of the Black Theatre Network Lifetime Award for his dedication and support of Black theatre.
Himes was presented with the honor during the Black Theatre Network’s 37th annual conference, a gathering of artists, scholars, educators, students and practitioners from across the country to celebrate and support Black theatre companies. This year’s conference was held last week in St. Louis.
A special performance of The Black Rep’s production of “Fly” was among the highlights of the conference, which also featured panels, conversations and other performances.
St. Louis is among the beneficiaries of Food City, a groundbreaking new initiative to promote a more inclusive food ecosystem in the St. Louis Metro Area.
With a goal of “food for all,” Food City will support a diverse range of stakeholders, including food entrepreneurs and farmers, policy and direct service organizers, youth and workers hoping to build a career in food, and consumers who want consistent, affordable access to fresh, healthy options.
The project will launch Aug. 1 with a community engagement campaign to gather input directly from residents, industry professionals, organizers and entrepreneurs to inform the project’s future efforts. The inaugural campaign will also include a grant competition, awarding a total of $150,000 in grants to packaged food brands owned by underrepresented founders. Grant winners will participate in a hands-on accelerator program that offers mentorship, training, access to state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and equipment, and more.
Food City is presented by Serving our Communities, a foundation and social enterprise launched by the Marson Family, former owners of Nature’s Bakery. After selling their company to KIND (a Mars company) in 2020, the family committed to investing heavily in Nevada and the St. Louis region, injecting almost $5 million in social-impact investments, including the Marson Foods facility in North St. Louis County.
For more information on the project, including eligibility and grant applications, visit the Food City website.
An award-winning journalist recognized for her media leadership and for promoting diversity in her profession, Gazelle editor-in-chief Trish Muyco-Tobin has more than 25 years of experience in print and broadcast media. She is also a journalism professor at Webster University. The Trish Set is her monthly St. Louis column featuring good news and goodwill.
