Six honorees who have made a significant impact on the local arts community will be honored next year at the 2022 St. Louis Arts Awards.
The 31st annual gathering is slated for Monday, Jan. 24, at The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis. The event, presented by the Arts and Education Council, will celebrate the achievements of six individuals and organizations, including Lifetime Achievement in the Arts recipient Mark Bernstein, managing director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, who will retire in January after 35 years at The Rep.
Other honorees are: The Black Rep (Excellence in the Arts), jazz vocalist Anita Jackson (Excellence in the Arts), Classic 107.3 (Arts Collaborator), PaintedBlack STL (Arts Innovator) and Rosalind Rogers of Lincoln Middle School in East St. Louis (Art Educator of the Year),
Since 1992, the St. Louis Arts Awards has recognized more than 190 artists, educators, philanthropists, corporate citizens and arts organizations that contribute to making the St. Louis region a vibrant community.
Speaking of The Black Rep, the acclaimed St. Louis theatre mainstay is marking a milestone of its own.
The Black Rep is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Since its founding by producing director Ron Himes in 1976, it has grown to become one of the largest nonprofit professional African American theatre companies in the country and the largest African American performing arts organization in Missouri.
The Black Rep’s 45th Anniversary Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 13, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the 560 Music Center (560 Trinity Ave. in University City). A live performance by the Grammy Award-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers and an award presentation are among the highlights.
The evening’s award ceremony includes the presentation of the Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Award to Washington University law professor Kim Norwood and posthumously to Johnathan Smith, who served as The Black Rep’s vice president for diversity and community engagement. The Woodie King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to actress Starletta DuPois, The Muny’s Denny Reagan, and theatre director and educator Ed Smith. Centene Charitable Foundation president Keith Williamson will receive The Black Rep’s President’s Award.
Proceeds from the gala, co-chaired by Hank Webber and Keith Williamson, support The Black Rep’s community and education initiatives such as the Summer Performing Arts, Teen Tech and Professional Fellows programs.
For tickets and additional information, visit The Black Rep’s official event page.
Gazelle Magazine is a proud sponsor of The Black Rep’s 45th Anniversary Gala.
The International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF) will honor its 2021 slate of inductees during a live virtual induction and awards ceremony later this month.
The Oct. 29 event, which begins at 6 p.m., will recognize the lifetime of work by seven honorees, including: fine art photographer Dawoud Bey, war photojournalist Larry Burrows, fine art photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, photojournalist David Douglas Duncan, fine art photographer Sally Mann, photojournalist and former chief official White House photographer Pete Souza, and fine art photographer Joyce Tenneson. In addition, National Geographic photographer and fellow Joel Sartore, who also founded National Geographic Photo Ark, will be presented with the first-ever IPHF Visionary Award; Professional Photographers of America, the world’s largest nonprofit trade association for professional photographers, will receive the Leadership Award.
A corresponding exhibit featuring the works of the honorees will open Saturday, Oct. 30, and will be on display through Feb. 12, 2022 at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in Grand Center.
Tickets for the awards program are available through the IPHF event page.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Midwest Children’s Burn Camp, a place of healing for young burn survivors.
Thanks to support from the community, the camp – a service of nonprofit support group Burns Recovered – is provided free of charge to children who have experienced severe burns or injuries from smoke inhalation.
The camp’s biggest annual fundraiser takes place Thursday, Oct. 21, in person at Neiman Marcus (there is also an option to attend virtually). Themed “Camp Art Fills the Heart,” the event will feature artwork by the campers to be auctioned off by guest auctioneer Rene Knott. Other highlights include a fashion presentation and a “Day of Luxury” raffle valued at $1,200.
Cocktails and a welcome reception begin at 5:30 p.m.; the program starts at 6 p.m. Tickets and additional information are available via the Burns Recovered website.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has unveiled its latest destination in the Grand Center Arts District: the two-story, 36,000-square-foot multi-purpose venue, 3333.
The building, at 3333 Washington Ave., features a new, revamped Sophie’s Artist Lounge at the street level. Sophie’s was originally located inside the .ZACK. Its new space at 3333 is open from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, with a bar menu consisting of creative cocktails, local beers, seltzers and nonalcoholic beverages, as well as complimentary gourmet bar snacks.
The building will also serve as the new home of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund and the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, among other tenants. The state-of-the-art venue also houses and art studio and scene shop for set building to be shared by Kranzberg Arts’ resident organizations and artists.
An award-winning journalist recognized for her media leadership and for promoting diversity in her profession, Trish Muyco-Tobin has more than 25 years of experience in print and broadcast media. She is also a proud community volunteer.
