The Insider: 6.14.17

Congratulations to the Saint Louis Zoo, which is the proud ‘parent’ of a brand-new black rhinoceros calf. Born May 17, Moyo (which means ‘heart’ in Swahili) is only the second of its kind born at the zoo in 26 years and the 10th in zoo history! The baby male is bonding behind the scenes with his mom, and a date for his public debut has not been set. Critically endangered, the black rhino has experienced the most drastic decline of any of the five surviving rhino species; our zoo is considered a leader in wildlife conservation.

Did you know that the Arts and Education Council has launched a stARTup Competition for arts entrepreneurs? Two winners were named recently in the effort to encourage new ideas for community change through the arts. One, Creative Reaction Lab, was started by Antionette Carroll (pictured at right) to forge partnerships between cities and underrepresented communities to improve those cities through creative problem solving and entrepreneurship. The other, Flow, was founded by writer Amanda Wells (pictured at left) to provide a haven for writers and artists to converge and collaborate.

Bravo to Jim and Cathy Berges for supporting the good work of COCA in a big way. The Berges Family Foundation has pledged $5 million to its Create Our Future Campaign, matching dollar for dollar all gifts made by Sept. 30. Jim Berges applauded COCA for “using the arts to impact our schools and create pathways of success for young people.” The funding will be used for endowment, reserves, and to renovate and expand COCA’s historic University City building.

Longtime Cardinal Glennon NICU nurse Anita Sue Gregorich has been memorialized with a Tranquility Healing Garden that bears her name at the hospital. Under construction in a fenced area along Grand Boulevard, the space will contain seating areas with beautiful plantings where the families of young patients can find peace and comfort. Gregorich, who spent 26 years as a nurse, passed away of cancer in March.

Photo: Elizabeth Irwin