Whether it’s museums and art galleries or live music and theater, St. Louis is always full of unique arts and culture opportunities. The region is buzzing with creative energy, cultural richness and new innovation. A large part of that is thanks to the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC). For 40 years, it has been a catalyst for using arts and culture to strengthen and enrich our community. It’s dedicated to ensuring that every resident has access to opportunities to live a full creative life, whether that’s sharing their own vision and stories or experiencing the artistic works of others.
Since its founding in 1985, RAC has been supporting local artists, cultural institutions and nonprofits in the St. Louis region. It works with pillars of the artistic community like The Muny, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and Laumeier Sculpture Park while also supporting grassroots projects and emerging artists. “What would St. Louis be without the arts?” asks Jay Scherder, RAC communications and partnerships director. “RAC was created to ensure that we never have to answer that question. Art is a great unifying force, and we bring people together to celebrate and experience what makes our community unique.”
Without RAC, the St. Louis community could look very different. According to Scherder, arts and culture helps bring in more than 8.1 million people to the city each year. This in turn helps support local small businesses, restaurants, hotels and more. Investing in the arts also helps fuel job development and attract talent, allowing St. Louis to continue to grow and flourish into the future. “St. Louis is a sports town, and the Cardinals, Blues and St. Louis SC all help integrate the arts into sports in impactful ways,” Scherder notes. “But sports have seasons, and the arts never go out of season. Whether it’s theater, local and national musical acts, dance, galleries or museums, something is happening every single day.”
The impact of RAC’s work is clear. Over the last 40 years, it has invested more than $115 million in the arts and culture sector. That investment has in turn helped facilitate more than $1 billion in economic activity annually in the region. “When you support the arts, you support St. Louis,” Scherder says. “Arts and culture is integral to who we are as a community. What is The Gateway Arch if not a giant piece of public art? RAC partners with the Arch for events like the Blues at the Arch Festival. Over the last four decades, investments like that have created a domino effect, building a strong arts sector, which in turn makes St. Louis a great place to live, work and play.”
As RAC enters its fifth decade, its commitment to the St. Louis community remains as strong as ever. Scherder notes that the region is on the cusp of a renaissance, and the organization is excited to be a part of it. “The arts are not a luxury—they’re a necessity,” he says. “They are an economic catalyst that attracts tourists and creates jobs as well as providing an outlet for expression, emotion and empathy. The arts have power, and we want to ensure St. Louis remains tapped into it.”
The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis is a catalyst for using arts and culture to strengthen and enrich the community. It is celebrating 40 years of economic and cultural growth in the region. Pictured on the cover: Artist Rob Armbrister of the St. Louis Mural Project, a RAC-funded initiative, with his work at the Sisters Sandwich Shoppe. For more information, visit racstl.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo courtesy of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis
Pictured at the top: STAGES St. Louis’ production of In the Heights
Photo courtesy of STAGES St. Louis
