The stage of the Sun Theater in Grand Center was graced with six extraordinary women Monday, April 25 for the 2016 St. Louis Visionary Awards. The honorees, selected for their achievements in support of the arts in St. Louis were: 

Phoebe Dent WeilMajor Contributor to the Arts

Priscilla Block, Outstanding Arts Professional

Stacy WestOustanding Teaching Artist

Sabina EnglandEmerging Artist

De Andrea NicholsCommunity Impact Artist

Sarah Burke and Kim Eberlein, Visionary Awards planning committee co-chairs, kicked off the evening by welcoming Karin Bliznik, principal trumpet for the St. Louis Symphony, for the opening performance. Alicia Grat Mack, former principal dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and cofounder of D(n)A Arts, performed later in the evening, and the two took the stage together for a final piece to close the ceremony.

Cynthia Prost, A&E president and CEO, co-hosted the event with Monsanto Fund President Deborah Patterson, introducing each of the remarkable honorees. Acceptance speeches highlighted similar themes: the landscape of possibility in the city's art scene, the many obstacles that can so easily discourage innovation and drive, and the immense value of passionate teachers and supportive communities for those just beginning to find their paths.

The event was first established in 2003 by Grand Center, Inc., and after a year hiatus it was relaunched in 2015 by an independent committee of women with A&E as fiscal sponsor. To date, over 80 women working in or supporting the arts in St. Louis have been honored.

For more information, visit vizawards.org