St. Louis Arts Shape Local Culture — And Economy, Busines Community Encourages Support Of Boeing Expansion Project, And More
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Photo by Chadd Scott
ST. LOUIS ARTS SHAPE LOCAL CULTURE — AND ECONOMY
From Grand Center Arts District to the National Blues Museum, the arts are vital to shaping St. Louis as a vibrant place to live and work. In fact, the STL 2030 Jobs Plan calls out arts and culture as critical to driving inclusive economic growth in the metro.
“Arts and culture have been vital assets throughout the city’s history. They are foundational to the city’s identity and key components of its reputation nationally and internationally,” the Plan reminds us, specifically noting "the value that arts and culture bring to the community and, by extension, the metro economy.”
St. Louis culture has made national headlines this year, from Forbes’ examination of our art scene’s extensive breadth and depth, to the New York Times’ exploration of the sites found along the Brickline Greenway. This fall, STLMade arts are on full display, as people pack parks and festivals, art shows and music venues, reminding us how critical these elements are to our daily lives. Below, we highlight some recent and upcoming events making big headlines.
EVOLUTION FESTIVAL BRINGS 25K FANS TO FOREST PARK
In its inaugural year, Evolution Festival brought 25,000 music fans to Forest Park last weekend, quickly becoming St. Louis’ largest music festival and setting it up for a return in 2024. Festival organizers will also donate more than $25,000 to Forest Park Forever — a GSL Investor Council member — to help maintain the St. Louis treasure.
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS CELEBRATES IMMIGRANTS STRENGTHENING ST. LOUIS
Doubled in size this year, this “massive celebration of multiculturalism” brought thousands to Tower Grove Park — a GSL Investor Council member — last weekend, showcasing food, music, and art from nearly 100 countries, as well as performances from award-winning performers from around the world. This year, international immigration to St. Louis increased 150% year-over-year, growing the immigrant community and boosting the St. Louis economy.
Music at the Intersection, a civic-led music festival that tells the story of St. Louis’ musical, cultural, and artistic heritage, will return for its third year Sept. 9 – 10. Held in the heart of the metro, the festival is presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation, a Greater St. Louis, Inc. Chair’s Council member, in partnership with GSL Investor Member the Steward Family Foundation and Investor Council Member the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
JAPANESE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE
A four-decade tradition, the annual Japanese Festival hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden — a GSL Investor Council member — in conjunction with the Japanese Activities Committee, returns this coming weekend, Sept. 2 – 4. Visitors will enjoy authentic Japanese music, art, dance, food, and entertainment at one of the oldest and largest festivals of its kind in the United States.
BUSINESS COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES SUPPORT OF BOEING EXPANSION PROJECT
Over 160 business and civic leaders from across the St. Louis metro – all investors of Greater St. Louis, Inc. – came together to encourage the St. Louis County Council to support The Boeing Company’s competitive expansion project at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Boeing is an executive-level member of the GSL Chair's Council, while Lambert is a Chair's Council member.
“In addition to bringing 500 new jobs and $1.8 billion in investment to a distressed area of our metro, the proposal being put before the Council would create $155 million in new revenue that could be used for additional priorities across St. Louis County and would not impact existing County revenue,” the leaders wrote.
St. Louis Magazine details the major projects, from Downtown’s Brickline Greenway to St. Charles’ Riverpointe to 39 North in Creve Coeur, that are shaping the landscape of the metro.
AMEREN AND SCHNUCKS PARTNER ON NEW COOLING TECHNOLOGY
To combat the high costs of commercial refrigeration, Ameren Illinois and Schnucks Markets, Inc., both executive-level members of the GSL Chair’s Council, have partnered to install a cutting-edgeradiative rooftop panel system at Schnucks' Fairview Heights, Illinois, store — one of only 20 such systems around the world.
During her annual State of the University Address, Kristen Sobolik, Chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, a member of the GSL Chair’s Council, recommitted the university to the St. Louis metro and Missouri to “transform lives through higher education.”
The record-breaking Ascension Charity Classic returns to St. Louis in two weeks, Sept. 5 - 10. The official PGA TOUR Champions event brings thousands of fans to North St. Louis County and raises thousands of dollars to support local charities. Ascension is an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council.
Read our collections of stories about the people who are proudly making art, food, music, fashion, and more, defying expectations about what culture in the heartland looks like.
