As part of its tradition, there was a single word theme that spoke to the six women being honored for their service to the St. Louis arts community by the Saint Louis Visionary Awards Monday night at the Sun Theatre: Homage.
“Every time you hear that word this evening, I invite you to envision roses and confetti,” said Gwen Mizell, co-host of the 2025 Saint Louis Visionary Awards. “Each of you deserve the bouquet of words you will hear as we describe your accomplishments.”
The flowers of praise were a vibrant reflection of how they have enriched the region and strengthened our reputation as a top-tier arts and culture metropolitan area.
“As we gather to recognize these six arts advocates, we do so knowing that they are part of a larger kaleidoscope that we call St. Louis,” Mizell said.
“Historian Walter Johnson called St. Louis the broken heart of America. In my years here I’ve certainly witnessed and experienced how St. Louis can break one’s heart, but when I look at the arts here, I look at their expressive power, their unifying power, their ability to harness aesthetics to recount tragedy, to document hope and to inspire resilience. I see how St. Louis’ cultural institutions are the beating heart that unifies our community and provides a vision for our future.”
Adrienne Davis
The honorees included Outstanding Working Artist Sarah Paulsen; Community Impact Artist Sukanya Mani; Major Contributor to the Arts Adrienne Davis; Arts Innovator Katie Banister; Outstanding Teaching Artist Adelia Parker-Castro; and Outstanding Arts Professional Marie-Hélène Bernard.
“These women are passionate, not only about their work, but about the spaces and communities in which they operate,” said co-host Miran Halen. “As we honor these awardees, let us also honor the relationships that were forged and the trust that was built to get us to the end product – communities that are transformed by their contributions.”
Halen described Paulsen’s art as a powerful lens into shared experiences and underrepresented stories. “I am after my own liberation through my art practice,” Paulsen said.
Mani transforms everyday materials into bold expressions of social change.
“My art has evolved to ask questions … and also to create spaces for the community to contemplate the answers,” Mani said. “Through my art, I create spaces where people can pause, reflect and connect with experiences beyond their own.”
As a little girl growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Davis’s first connection with art was an extreme sense of awe during her visits to The Smithsonian and Kennedy Center.
“As awestruck as I was by the stories and adventures of our world, I never dreamed that I could grow up and find a home in St. Louis where I could be a part of its cultural institutions,” said Davis. “And lend my voice to help envision the future of my community.”
She does exactly that in her roles as a member of the Executive Committee of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Board of Directors and as an honorary trustee of the Saint Louis Art Museum. She is also an ambassador for arts and culture across a myriad of institutions, organizations and individuals.
“Historian Walter Johnson called St. Louis the broken heart of America. In my years here I’ve certainly witnessed and experienced how St. Louis can break one’s heart,” Davis said. “But when I look at the arts here, I look at their expressive power, their unifying power, their ability to harness aesthetics to recount tragedy, to document hope and to inspire resilience. I see how St. Louis’ cultural institutions are the beating heart that unifies our community and provides a vision for our future.”
Banister leaned on the arts after a devastating car accident resulted in paralysis.
“She did not retreat – she transformed through art, music, publications and public speaking,” Mizell said. “She chose to entertain and educate, turning her anger into art and advocacy. Katie has redefined disability, showing that a condition doesn’t define a person. Her work changes perceptions. It opens hearts and lights the way.”
As the 71st President of the National Society of Arts and Letters – St. Louis Chapter, Parker-Castro describes her role in the arts as a gardener who sows seeds of joy and light.
“We pay homage to all of the gardens she has nurtured in all of the communities she has touched,” Mizell said.
Parker-Castro works to embody meliorism through her life and creative practice. Meliorism is the belief that we can contribute to positive change and improve the world through acts of love, creativity, compassion and kindness. “I am trying to embody meliorism,” Parker-Castro said. “And my belief that we can improve society through service to others.”
A decade ago, Bernard became the first woman President and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in its 145-year history. According to Mizell, her tenure will be defined by leadership with vision, passion, purpose and growth. The half-million students and 1,300 teachers annually impacted by SLSO programming and the ambitious $140 million renovation (which includes a 64,000 square foot expansion) backed by a $155 million campaign as prime examples.
During her remarks, Bernard paid homage to other SLSO women pioneers.
“While I am the first CEO, I am not the first woman to lead this organization,” said Bernard. She pointed to Florence Wyman Richardson, who is considered one of the first St. Louis Symphony employees. Richardson served SLSO in the late 1800s. She mentioned May Goldman Rice, who organized the SLSO Volunteer Association. The organization is still active today – a century later. Benard also gave a nod to violinist Charlene Clark, the first Black woman member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
“When I joined this vibrant arts and cultural community a decade ago, I found a remarkable network of women sharing a similar vision and a profound belief in the transformative power of the arts and music,” Bernard said. “Tonight is an inspiring reminder that St. Louis women are far from finished making history.”
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.
