2022 St. Louis Arts Awards
Time: 5:00 p.m. cocktail reception| 6:00 p.m. dinner, awards and entertainment
The St. Louis Arts Awards honors the artists, educators, philanthropists, corporate citizens and arts organizations that make our region so vibrant. It is an elegant evening of dinner, an awards presentation and awe-inspiring performances - in just over three hours.
Proceeds benefit the Arts and Education Council, which offers programs and services that benefit more than 70 arts and arts education organizations impacting 1.6 million people throughout the 16-county, bi-state region.
Honorees
Mark Bernstein
Mark Bernstein is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and has managed nonprofit professional theatres since 1982. As Managing Director, he has led The Rep from 1987 to 2019 in partnership with Steven Woolf, and from 2019 to the present in partnership with Hana Sharif. In addition to work at The Rep, he has taught in Webster University’s Arts Management and Leadership MFA Program since 2013. He has been active in the leadership of the League of Resident Theatres for many years, having served as vice president, an executive committee member and as a member of numerous national negotiating committees. Before coming to St. Louis, he spent six years at the Philadelphia Drama Guild and taught financial management for nonprofit arts institutions at Drexel University. Bernstein retired from his role of managing director at The Rep on Jan. 1, 2022.
The Black Rep
Faced with a lack of opportunities for Black students in the theater and with the fact that Black plays were seldom performed, The Black Rep was founded in 1976 by Producing Director Ron Himes, while he was an undergraduate student at Washington University. Himes also recognized the healing power of theatre to expose misunderstandings and shatter myths, by exploring common themes that build bridges to foster a stronger community. The Black Rep’s mission is to provide platforms for theatre, dance, and other creative expressions from the African American perspective that heighten the social and cultural awareness of its audiences. The founding vision for The Black Rep is no less relevant today: a more equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for Black students and professionals in the theatre; improved representation on and back-stage in the theatre industry; and a fostered community culture of support and mentorship for those who will follow us.
Anita Jackson
Anita Jackson is a native of St. Louis, Missouri who returned home after living in New York City for twelve years. She is a graduate of the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York and has performed extensively nationally and internationally in theater productions, concerts and workshops. She has recorded and performed as a background vocalist on Grammy Award winning songs and albums for artists such as Bette Midler, Whitney Houston and Cissy Houston. Her theatrical experience in St. Louis includes work with Tennessee Williams Festival in St. Louis and numerous plays with the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre under the direction of Ron Himes. She has appeared as a featured vocalist with several jazz, R&B, soul, blues and gospel music groups in and around St. Louis including at Jazz St. Louis, BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, St. Louis Ethical Society, the Heman Park Starlight Concert Series and the Sheldon Concert Hall – as a soloist and collaborative artist with many of St. Louis’ finest musicians.
Classic 107.3
Classic 107.3 was created by people who believe a vibrant arts and cultural scene is essential for our community to thrive. Since 2013, the station has been a home for the St. Louis fine arts and performing arts to come together, to share ideas and to flourish. Listeners tune in to hear diverse sounds, log on to learn about the local arts scene, wind down with podcasts about favorite music and take Classic 107.3 with them throughout their day and around the globe. It is a one-of-a-kind radio station with a commitment to providing outstanding programming in support of the arts for the benefit of the St. Louis community. Organized as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) entity, the station offers a broad and invigorating format on both analog radio at 107.3 and in hybrid digital at 96.3 HD2. Content is also streamed online, on Audacy and via the station’s mobile app. As a community-owned station, Classic 107.3 showcases the best the St. Louis region has to offer in the arts, collaborating with artists, arts organizations and other community partners to keep the arts accessible to the community through radio.
PaintedBlack STL
PaintedBlack STL was founded in Summer 2020 by Jayvn Solomon and Tyson Baker with Charlie Tatum joining the team shortly thereafter. It began as an initiative to bolster local black artists by connecting them to businesses that were boarded up due to property destruction and creating paid mural opportunities. In 2020, they later collaborated with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival on two public art experiences. From there, PaintedBlack STL has been focused on working with primarily local Black artists and businesses to create paid, public facing creative opportunities. PaintedBlack STL continues to empower local Black artists by connecting and collaborating with community organizations.
Rosalind-Denise Rogers
Rosalind-Denise Rogers, a Kansas City, Kansas native, is a mother, musician, educator, founder and Executive Director of The Inner Ear Foundation, an urban youth orchestra committed to providing at-risk youth with quality music education based out of East St. Louis, Illinois. In 2017, Rosalind-Denise accepted her job as Music Teacher at East St. Louis’ Lincoln Middle School. There she pioneered their first school orchestra program in over 40 years, as well as created and facilitated an after-school music program teaching the violin, viola and cello. Since her arrival, she has secured several community partnerships aiding in her mission to provide at-risk youth with quality string education experiences. She hopes to take away the taboo of the classical arts by using music education to unify and build up her community.
Presenting Sponsor
Principal Sponsor
Award Sponsors
Nancy and Ken Kranzberg
Gift Sponsor
Cocktail Sponsor
Principal Benefactor
Production Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Honoree Luncheon Sponsor
Major Benefactor
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Mike and Mary Harris Family
HOK
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher N. Lewis
Christy and John Nickel
Ann Scheuer
Webster University