When I approached Cami Thomas about discussing her arts production company My Friends And I and her work with 314Oasis — a collective formed to support residents impacted by last year’s tornado — she immediately shifted the focus to community.
“There’s a Bible verse I love,” Thomas says in her Fox Park studio, referencing Proverbs 18:24. “It’s about having many friends in the city and being safe because of that. That idea of friendship, safety, and community has always been strong for me.”
That grounding shaped her creative response to the Ferguson Uprising, which she describes as the moment her artistic lens shifted. Her frustration with national narratives that misrepresented St. Louis led her to create the documentary series Smoke City. “People across the country had misconceptions, and it felt like you couldn’t have enough conversations to make a dent,” Thomas said. “Making a documentary series helped me realize art can be more than just art — it can be a tool.”
Artists — and Black artists in particular — often navigate a complex inheritance. Is there an obligation to serve the community or honor those who came before? Maya Angelou called herself “the dream and the hope of the slave,” while Toni Morrison insisted that work not rooted in the village “is about nothing.” Thomas sees her role within that lineage.
“I don’t think artists are obligated to be anything other than what they naturally are,” Thomas said. “But I feel like I have an obligation to community. I want to center the collective in what I do, and since what I do is art, that means centering community in my art.”
Thomas has no desire for personal recognition — or her work being known beyond her lifetime.
“That’s not what motivates me,” she said. “But if I can help move the needle — even a little — toward collective healing and liberation, that excites me. Someone might not remember my name or the film, but they might remember how it made them feel. That’s what matters.”
Her current work continues that commitment. Thomas is partnering with 314Oasis to document how people have been feeling since the May 16, 2025 tornado, a project she says mirrors the emotional urgency of her post-Ferguson work.
“When the tornado hit, I was gutted, completely heartbroken,” she says. “For six weeks, My Friends And I ran a mutual aid effort collecting supplies, going street by street, helping people. I wasn’t thinking about filming at all.” It wasn’t until 314Oasis asked her to document the aftermath that she began capturing drone footage and disposable camera images. “Even now, camera work has been less than 25% of what I’ve done. I felt more called to help build a different future.”
314Oasis formed in the immediate wake of the tornado as a collective effort in community care. To mark the one-year anniversary, the partnership will culminate in Park To Park, a citywide activation at Fountain Park and O’Fallon Park. Throughout the day, the collaborative work of My Friends And I and 314Oasis will be shared across these green spaces, followed by an evening screening at The Luminary on Cherokee Street. The park activation programming will include food and drinks, a tree memorial, a grief circle, disaster resources and Oasis care. They will take place on Saturday, May 16 at O’Fallon Park (2001 E. Harris) from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. and at Fountain Park (4901 Fountain) from 1 p.m.–4 p.m. There will be a moment of silence at 2:39 to commemorate the moment the tornado touched down. The events are open to all, especially residents directly affected by the storm and anyone seeking to understand the city’s collective grief and recovery.
For Thomas, her work serves as both a communal gift and a personal lifeline.
“When things are heavy, when I feel overwhelmed or consumed by sadness or grief or worry, or I feel stuck and don’t know what’s next, art — and the people I make art with — are really helpful in me not totally collapsing,” Thomas says. “Art is fun and beautiful, but it’s also a method of survival for me. I don’t know how I’d be doing if not for art, so I’m really grateful for it.”
For more information on Park To Park, visit www.314oasis.com.
Emmett Williams is Director of Festivals Curation & Education for Cinema St. Louis.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
