To commemorate four decades of fueling the arts and cultural region by way of critical funding and support, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) has planned a good old fashioned birthday party. It will take place on August 28 and is a different format from the typical gala or banquet format that takes place for such a significant milestone. “A birthday party is the environment for celebration,” said RAC President and CEO Vanessa Cooksey. “And we have a lot to celebrate.”
They plan to party like it’s 1985 – the year that the organization came into existence – and even priced the tickets to commemorate the year that the organization was founded.
The ultra-affordable $19.85. The price point is aligned with their institutional goal of creating accessible cultural experiences.
“Given the current political climate in our country and the level of change and volatility that we are experiencing, we need a place where people can come and cast their cares away for three hours and just dance and laugh and celebrate,” Cooksey said. “We want to celebrate the achievement of 40 years, the economic impact that we’ve had and the social impact that we’ve had in supporting this vibrant arts sector. The party is also our way of saying, ‘Let’s continue to reconnect – and lean into being together and united.’”
The original intention of this feature was to promote the event and encourage all who might be interested to come and join in on the event. It is curated for audiences to not only party, but to come see how RAC helps make the region a better place by showcasing the many talents of organizations and individuals that are funded by them. However, tickets for the party have since sold out.
The gesture is a testament to the appreciation the region has for the organization. According to Cooksey, the feeling is mutual.
“The experiences that RAC funds help make a difference in changing the narrative about St. Louis,” Cooksey said. “Our region is a great place to live, work and visit – and the arts definitely contribute to all of those things.”
Established to facilitate and encourage the arts in the St. Louis region, RAC was created after a citizen vote to dedicate a portion of hotel/motel taxes to support the arts. The organization has awarded more than 7,300 grants and poured more than $115 million into the region’s arts and culture scene over the past four decades. Their critical funding has allowed emerging organizations to build a solid foundation – and guaranteed a future for historical ones.
“We’ve been funding The Black Rep for 40 years. They are now entering their 49th season,” Cooksey said. “We’ve been funding the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for 40 years – and we have the second oldest symphony in the nation. Whether its large legacy institutions that are major employers for creative talent in this region or small arts organizations who are telling stories that would not otherwise be told, our region benefits.”
RAC’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. Cooksey, who is approaching her fifth year at the helm, came on board at the height of a global pandemic. The shutdown that came as a response obliterated funding for RAC. A clause in their statute said that no more than 15 percent of the annual revenue can be spent on administrative and staffing expenses – which meant major layoffs and organizational restructuring.
“We made some significant sacrifices over the last five years to be in the place of strength at the 40th anniversary,” Cooksey said. “We needed to celebrate the fact that we survived COVID.”
They didn’t just survive, they thrived.
After a historic 18-month regional advocacy campaign, RAC received $10.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the City of St. Louis as a result of the passage of Board Bill #66 in October 2022. The St. Louis American is a beneficiary. ARPA funding underwrites the “Living It” section – which is designated for arts, entertainment and cultural content.
RAC 2025 grants cycle is another example. A total of $3,723,212 was provided to arts and culture organizations and programs in St. Louis city and county.
But new challenges are never far away.
The arts and cultural community across the nation was recently hit with a crushing blow from the current federal administration, who rescinded National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding that had been previously approved.
“Twenty of our arts organizations lost $580,000 annually due to a loss in NEA funding because of the decisions of the current federal administration,” Cooksey said.
She is encouraged by the impacted organizations and their “the show must go on” approach to the devastating financial hit.
“What I love about creators and artists is that they will find a way using this time – the political volatility in particular – to think about what we need to do in the short term as well as the long term. And when we have this conversation about RAC’s 50th anniversary – or 80th anniversary – we will be able to look back and say we did the right thing to ensure our success and our sustainability.”
In the meantime, Cooksey is excited to party alongside the broad range of guests who represent RAC, grantees and supporters of the arts and appreciate the talented roster of individuals and groups who are scheduled to perform.
“I want people to come and say, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard of this artist before or I’ve never seen Afriky Lolo,’” Cooksey said. “I wanted to create –and this is strategic, some level of audience development. I want to make sure people experience something new that they can love and enjoy.”
She also wanted to make sure guests are filled with a sense of pride.
“I want them to say, ‘I’m so glad we have RAC in the St. Louis community,’” Cooksey said. “I want them to experience joy with others and leave with a sense of pride that we have organizations like this in St. Louis. This [RAC] is the evolution of the vision that we have for how important the arts are to 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.
