Arts Interview with Nancy Kranzberg

Quinn Antonio Briceño, a Nicaraguan-American artist in St. Louis, earned his bachelor's degree in fine art from the San Francisco Art Institute (2017) and a master's degree from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art (2022). Notable achievements include winning the Ann Metzger National Biennial in 2019 and being a finalist for the AXA Art Prize in 2021. Featured in publications such as All the Art, Friend of the Artist (Issue 10), St. Louis Magazine, Design St. Louis, and New American Paintings (No. 155, 165, 167), Briceño's works grace private collections nationwide. ------ Briceño's art, a reflection of dualities shaped by two countries, languages, and cultures, explores the perpetual pressure to choose between them. Consciously integrating Americana with Latinx influences, Briceño constructs a visual language bridging cultural gaps. His creations carve a unique space, offering solace to those burdened by societal expectations, and through painting and collage, he weaves a tapestry celebrating identity. Briceño's work is a dual exploration, sharing his personal struggle and narrating a journey towards acceptance, inclusion, and empowerment for the marginalized and forgotten. -----

Central Print was founded in 2014, by Eric Woods, as an extension of the programs, workshops, and community outreach that were being hosted at his for-profit letterpress studio, The Firecracker Press. Along with the design and printing of posters, stationery, and paper goods, The Firecracker Press was hosting tours, working with community organizations, and offering classes after-hours. As these not-necessarily-profitable aspects of a for-profit business gained popularity it became clear that dedicated time and space were needed to effectively address the growing interest in letterpress printing. ----- A space was secured in Old North St. Louis (formerly a Sobel's department store) and the work of building Central Print's headquarters began. An outline for the acquisition of new presses quickly grew and within a few months Central Print became print-ready. Construction began to accommodate printing classes, facilities were installed for an events venue, and storage/restoration areas were built for incoming equipment. The far-end of the space was reserved as an extension for The Firecracker Press, a temporary second location serving as support, and on July 1, 2014 Central Print officially opened its doors. ----- To fully commit to education and outreach Marie Oberkirsch, was brought in as Central Print's first director. She continues to manage and develop the organization as it changes and grows. ----

Gina Grafos, Director and Chief Curator for Visual and Literary Arts for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the happenings at the foundation.

Singer/Songwriter/Pianist, Katarra, stopped by to speak with Nancy about her career, her life and her writing process.   

Dr. Frances Levine has had a varied career, from teaching to heading up various major museums, writing books. Now, she has written "Crossings: Women on the Santa Fe Trail," after many years of passionate research. Through diaries, letters, and firsthand accounts, Levine seeks to understand the experiences of women who journeyed from St. Louis to Santa Fe, as well as some who made an eastward crossing. Crossings focuses on women who traveled during the most crucial period of Santa Fe Trail trade from the early 1820s to the later 1870s, ending as railroads made cross-continental movement a safer and more leisurely experience for travelers. Several of the women made multiple crossings, adding to the depth of their observations of the changing country and dispelling the myth of women in this period as averse to the risks of trail life.

Rebekah Scallet, Artistic Director for The New Jewish Theatre, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the institution and what is coming up including "First Date" (November 21 until December 8, 2024).

The Bingham Trust will host a two-day symposium on George Caleb Bingham that honors and celebrates the 50th anniversary of Missouri Governor Christopher S. “Kit” Bond's public subscription campaign to acquire 112 preliminary drawings for Bingham's genre paintings. The event is free; tickets and registration are not required. A symposium schedule is below.

At The Tesseract Theatre Company, the mission is to elevate professional theatre in the St. Louis area by telling powerful, transformative stories on an intimate scale. They are committed to showcasing innovative narratives and diverse voices with creativity and precision, proving that even the smallest stage can hold a monumental impact. By fostering a supportive environment for emerging talent and prioritizing artistic integrity, they seek to enrich the cultural fabric of our community and inspire meaningful connections through the art of theatre.

Prison Performing Arts is a multi-discipline, literacy and performing arts program dedicated to enriching the lives of youth and adults in Missouri's criminal and juvenile justice systems. They foster individual and social change by providing incarcerated adults, justice-involved youth, and returning citizens with opportunities to participate in the arts as artists, students, and audience members. Participants learn creative and constructive ways to express emotions, build trust, and work in collaboration with one another. Their programs aim to improve literacy and communication skills, instill responsibility to self and others, and to promote non-violent expression of emotion. ----- Long-time PPA collaborator, John Wolbers (he/him), steps into the role of Executive Director bringing over fifteen years of experience in the non-profit world. Most recently, he served as the Producing Associate for Metro Theater Company where he navigated many facets of company management: from development and production to COVID safety protocols and education. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Southwestern University in Texas, and is a respected director, administrator, educator, actor, and playwright. John is passionately dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and support in the St. Louis arts community. -----

Robert Ashton, Artistic Director of Albion Theatre stopped by to talk with Nacy about the company and there play "Lungs." 

Chris Hansen, Executive Director of the KRANZBERG ARTS FOUNDATION stopped by to speak with Nancy about the happenings at the foundation, including the Music at the Intersection Festival, happening on September 14-15th in the Grand Center Arts District and other associated events. 

Jacqueline Thompson/Artist director and Jessie Youngblood/Managing Director of Metro Theater Company stopped by to speak with Nancy about the company and its works.

Liz Crabtree and Joe Mancuso stopped by to discuss the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center and all the happenings there coming up.

Lisa Melandri, Executive Director of CAM, stopped by to discuss the happenings at the museum with Nancy.

Kelly Plunkett, Museum Curator for Jefferson Barracks, The General Daniel Bissell House, and Fort Bellefontaine... stopped by to talk with  Nancy about the various aspects of the County Parks Department.

Dana Turkovic, Curator of the Laumeier Sculpture Park, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the sculpture park, and her career.   Founded in 1976, Laumeier is one of the first and largest dedicated sculpture parks in the country. In 1968, Mrs. Matilda Laumeier bequeathed the first 72 acres of the future Laumeier Sculpture Park to St. Louis County in memory of her husband, Henry Laumeier. In 1976, local artist Ernest Trova gifted 40 artworks, with an estimated market value of approximately one million dollars, to St. Louis County for the formation of a sculpture park and gallery. Laumeier Sculpture Park opened as part of the St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation system on July 7, 1976. One year later, Laumeier Sculpture Park was officially incorporated. Today, Laumeier is an internationally recognized, nonprofit arts organization that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and operates in partnership with St. Louis County Parks. Projects and programs are supported by the Mark Twain Laumeier Endowment Fund, the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Laumeier presents more than 70 works of large-scale outdoor sculpture in a 105-acre park located in the heart of St. Louis County. Free and open daily, Laumeier serves 350,000 visitors of all ages each year through sculpture conservation, education programs, temporary exhibitions and public events.

Matthew Kearns: President and Artistic Director of St. Lou Fringe, stopped by to talk with Nancy about this year's festival. ---  About the festival: "It all started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an alternative festival that played concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival. In 1948, Robert Kemp, a local journalist, gave it the name Fringe: “Round the fringe of official Festival drama, there seems to be more private enterprise than before…” ---- Since then, it has grown into an international phenomenon with more than a hundred Fringe Festivals worldwide. ----  This year's festival runs August 12th through August 18th. ----          

Born in Syria to a Christian family in 1966, Nabil Mousa emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 12. After a career in business, in the 2000s he turned to the visual arts, particularly painting. This decision coincided with two important events, one public and one personal: first, the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. were a seminal moment in U.S. and global history. The fall of the twin towers ushered in an era of stigmatization and suspicion of people of Arab backgrounds, particularly in Western countries, as well as an on-going period of religious fundamentalism and intolerance. Second, when he decided to no longer live as a closeted gay man, Mousa came out to his family—resulting in his family rejecting him. Much of Mousa's work reflects directly or indirectly on these personally significant events and have been springboards for his ongoing commitment to arts activism in the name of social justice. Paralleling these efforts, he has drawn upon his ability as a colorist and gestural abstractionist to investigate concepts of beauty, often inspired by Arab visual culture.

About Carrie: Carrie Houk has spent her professional life as an actor, casting director, producer and teaching artist. Educated at HB Studio in NYC and the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, she began her acting career at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and from there worked in NYC, LA and Chicago. The Tennessee Williams Festival of St. Louis has a mission  to enrich the cultural life of St. Louis by producing an annual theater festival and other artistic and educational events that celebrate the art and influence of Tennessee Williams. The 2024 festival runs August 8th-18th.    

Andrew Jorgensen, General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, stopped by to talk about the happenings at the organization. Topics include the summer season and education programs. About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: Opera Theatre's mission is to shape a vibrant future for opera by connecting, inspiring, and entertaining our communities through the power and beauty of the art form; to foster the next generation by empowering a diverse group of artists, artisans, and administrators at the highest level; and to make opera accessible and inclusive through innovative and collaborative storytelling that reflects, engages, and strengthens the St. Louis community, and attracts national and international audiences.

Chris Hansen, Executive Director for The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, stopped by to talk about the happenings at KAF, including the Music at the Intersection, coming up in September. For more information on MATI, click here... https://www.musicattheintersection.org/  

Angie Villa, Museum Manager at 21 C Museum Hotel St. Louis, stopped by to speak with Nancy about this new hotel and new concept for hotels. 21c Museum Hotels reimagines a historic St. Louis fixture: the 10-story, Renaissance Revival-style YMCA building. Located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, and a short walk from the City Museum and CITYPARK stadium, 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis includes a 173-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, Idol Wolf restaurant, Good Press café, and Locust Street Athletic and Swim Club, a full-service wellness center. With more than 14,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting & event space seamlessly integrated into all areas of the property, there are opportunities to discover contemporary art around every corner.

Gerald Brooks, Chairman of the Board for The African Heritage Association, stopped by to speak with Nancy to talk about the St. Louis African Arts Festival. The first St. Louis African Arts Festival was held in 1991 as an outgrowth of the 34th Annual African Studies Conference hosted by Washington University.  A year prior to the conference, a group of academic, business, and community leaders came together to explore ways in which a forum could be established that would bring the  diverse community of St. Louis together for the purpose of learning and celebrating the rich and diverse cultures of African and African American  people. The mission of the festival is to increase the awareness of the global contributions of African people and people of African descent have made through art, cultural, and educational programs. The St. Louis African Arts Festival is held in beautiful Forest Park. Each year the festival attracts a diverse audience of thousands of local residents and out-of-town visitors during the Memorial Day weekend. The Festival draws the community together in celebration of the rich contributions of Africa and the African Diaspora (diaspora–people settled far from their ancestral homelands).  This year's festival happens May 25,  26, and 27 in Forest Park.

Dana Turkovic, Curator at Laumeier Sculpture Park, stopped by to talk about the happenings at the park, including Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular through May 12th. ----- American Vernacular, Hugh Hayden's first Midwest solo presentation explores a decade of his work in a variety of mediums including newly commissioned works. The exhibition will be on view through May 12, 2024, in the Aronson Fine Arts Center's Whitaker Foundation Gallery and in the Outdoor Galleries, near The Way Field. This exhibition was organized by deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in consultation with Laumeier and will debut at Laumeier before its presentation at any other U.S. venue. Hayden's vision draws from his personal memory and experience as an American and African American, born and raised in Texas. Growing up Black and gay in the South, and later training and working for a decade as an architect before becoming an artist, Hayden's work merges organic materials with built space, and draws on folk and fine art vocabularies to capture various aspects of the artist's personal biography and lived experiences. ------  

Model Maker Artist Tom Casey stopped by to talk with Nancy about his life and career. Tom is an artist who has been making artistic models all his life, but chose a life at sea. After retiring after 40 years as a sailor, he began to concentrate on his art, making about 70% of his life's artistic work. He has an opening of his work at the French Curve, on May 3rd.    

Brian's work is inspired by and questions American society's live-to-work mentality. He is concerned with the cultural and environmental effects of this obsession, as well as the physical and mental health ramifications. In 1931 distinguished economist John Maynard Keynes published a short essay, Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren, where, among other ideas, he states that by 2030 the standard of living would be dramatically higher; people, liberated from want (and without the desire to consume for the sake of consumption), would work no more than fifteen hours a week, devoting the rest of their time to leisure and culture. His work envisions a world where his prediction has come true.

In 2015, the Saint Louis Visionary Awards were relaunched by an independent committee of women to celebrate the numerous contributions and achievements of women who work in or support the arts in St. Louis. From established working arts professionals and arts educators to emerging artists and community impact artists, each year's honorees are truly "visionary". This years award ceremony happens Monday, April 29, 2024 6:00 - 8:00 PM at The Sun Theater, 3625 Grandel Square St. Louis, MO 63108.  

Bryan Knicely, Executive Director of Craft Alliance, stopped by to talk with Nancy about the offerings of the organization. Craft Alliance offers classes in ceramics, wood, metals, blacksmithing, glass, fibers, print, and paper arts. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, They have something for everyone!  

Moraa, is a passionate artist specializing in fashion and textiles, drawing inspiration from her rich cultural traditions. With seven years of experience in the Kenyan fashion industry and an MFA in Fibers from SCAD in Savannah, GA. Moraa's expertise lies in preserving traditional practices through her innovative textile explorations. From her early exposure to fabrics in her mother's boutique, she developed a deep fascination with colors, textures, and drapery. Moraa's work is a tribute to her ancestors, recreating the textures, shapes, and emotions associated with traditional body adornment practices. Through unconventional textiles, she simulates skin, hairdos, and beaded jewelry, transforming forgotten traditions into unconventional yet beautiful textile surfaces, challenging negative perceptions, and celebrating the beauty of her heritage.

 Vanessa Rudloff, Arts Relations Manager for ANGAD Arts Hotel stopped by to speak with Nancy about the institution. ---- The ANGAD Arts Hotel is a unique hotel experience with room colors based on Mood, and art everywhere. They also feature art exhibitions, concerts at their rooftop bar, and great food. -----      

Roland Burrow and Sara Kerr stopped by the studio to talk about Roland's art, and about the gallery that represents him, McCaughen and Burr, where Sara Kerr is a dealer. -----  McCaughen and Burr was founded in 1840 and is the oldest continuously operating art gallery west of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, the gallery has been instrumental in helping to establish St. Louis as a major venue for Artists. From the Westward Expansion to the present, McCaughen and Burr has been integral in the advancement of the Missouri Art Scene. Roland Burrow was born in 1981 in St. Louis, Missouri. From a very early age, Roland began to utilize his artistic ability. Wherever he traveled, he carried a sketch pad and pencil documenting his everyday subject matter of living in Ferguson, Missouri. Roland attended McCluer High School in St. Louis, where he began his formal artistic training. In 1999, Roland enrolled in the Fine Arts Study Program at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fine Art Studies. Roland has exhibited in many galleries across St. Louis. He has held residency at McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts since 2017. Roland's work has been sold into major museum collections as well as personal collections, including traveling collections. Roland looks to the Renaissance artists Michelangelo and Caravaggio to draw inspiration.  He also has immersed himself in the works of the Harlem Renaissance painters. You can see the influence of both of these movements as Roland delicately melds the two together to create his own unique style.    

Gina Grafos, Chief Curator of Visual and Literary Art for the KAF, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the various endeavors of the foundation. Subjects include the various galleries, exhibits, and projects within the KAF.

Rebekah Scallet, Artistic Director for the New Jewish Theatre in St. Louis, stopped by to talk with Nancy about the theatre, her career and the upcoming season which starts near the end of March 2024. Rebekah Scallet is a stage director, educator, and arts leader. She is currently the Artistic Director for the New Jewish Theatre in St. Louis, and is the past Producing Artistic Director for the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.  She believes in a theatre that is imaginative, interactive, and accessible for all, and one that can and should play a role in bringing communities together and making them stronger.

Larry Morris is the Director of Artists in Residency for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. He is also the Vocalist/MC for St. Louis music legends, Illphonics. He stopped by to speak with Nancy about the program. ———   The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has long been a major patron of the arts in St. Louis and is committed to aligning their resources to aid in and advance the flourishing renaissance of the arts in the St. Louis area. Growth in the local arts community is now more vigorous than ever, however, the shortage of affordable artists' work and presentation spaces has been a clear obstacle in the path of our artists. In consideration of this problem and in support and recognition of St. Louis area artists, the Foundation  is redefining and expanding our short and long-term residency programs. ———    The Foundation hosts partnerships with over 150 arts organizations and presenters in the St. Louis region and provides an intersection of arts  venues and work environments that serve a full range of artistic processes.  ———   Most of their venues are located in the heart of the Grand Center Arts District in Midtown St. Louis and  are surrounded by some of  St. Louis' most distinguished cultural assets,  including the Fox Theater, St. Louis Symphony, Contemporary Arts Museum,  The Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Jazz St. Louis,  the home of Public Media and so much more. ——— •

Stephanie Weissberg, a curator at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the Pulitzer and the current exhibition, Urban Archaeology: Lost Buildings of St. Louis. About Urban Archaeology: Drawn from the rich collection of the National Building Arts Center (NBAC), Urban Archaeology brings together salvaged architectural elements from landmark buildings, residential homes, and neighborhood institutions built in St. Louis between 1840 and 1950. The artifacts on display represent important histories of material innovation, labor, and the everyday lives of the people who inhabit the city. The exhibition sheds light on the city's history, revealing complicated legacies of power, wealth, and neglect that shape our experience of the built environment and daily life. By studying St. Louis's architectural past, Urban Archeology encourages us to imagine new ways of building, keeping, knowing, and inhabiting places. Located in Sauget, Illinois, the National Building Arts Center emerged in response to the rapid economic decline and widespread demolition the city experienced beginning in the 1950s. NBAC has worked over four decades to salvage and preserve significant parts of condemned buildings that would otherwise be completely lost, amassing the largest and most diversified collection of building artifacts in the United States. Urban Archaeology is the most extensive public presentation of NBAC's collection to date.      

Judith W. Mann, the senior curator of European art to 1800. Since joining the museum in 1988, she has reinstalled the collections of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and 18th-century European painting and sculpture three times, and organized two major international exhibitions. In 2022, the museum will organize a major, international exhibition curated by Mann that examines the art of painting on stone, a practice that flourished in Europe—particularly Italy—in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 2015, the Association of Art Museum Curators and the American Academy in Rome awarded Mann the Samuel H. Kress Foundation AAMC Affiliated Fellowship in order to allow her to continue her research into painting on stone in Rome.——- Mann curated “Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi: Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italy,” which opened at Rome's Palazzo Venezia and later was seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Art Museum, as well as the 2012 exhibition “Federico Barocci: Renaissance Master,” which was presented at the Saint Louis Art Museum and the National Gallery, London. In recognition for her scholarship relating to the Barocci exhibition and catalogue, Mann received the Association of Art Museum Curators' Outstanding Monographic Exhibition Award. She holds a graduate degree and doctorate from Washington University.

Danny Williams became The Rep's Managing Director in January 2022.  An experienced arts administrator, Danny has expertise in nonprofit accounting, senior management, and organizational development.  Prior to joining The Rep, Danny worked at The Public Theater in New York, where he served in various roles since 2006. Most recently, as Senior Director, Finance and Administration, he managed the daily and strategic financial operations of the $50 million nonprofit organization, successfully launched an organization-wide intranet, partnered with the development team to achieve fundraising goals, and collaborated on long-term financial planning and analysis, including cash investment strategies, budget analysis, and project management.  Noteworthy and favorite productions include Broadway productions of Fun Home, Eclipsed, Hamilton, and Hair along with Off-Broadway productions of Here Lies Love, Into the Woods, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, White Noise, and Rock Bottom.  

Independent artist, Melody Evans, stopped by to speak with Nancy about her life, art, and works.  Melody Evans studied for four years at the San Antonio School of Art and Craft and started her career as a potter but soon moved into making sculpture, large scale installations and drawings with collage and digital manipulations. This change coincided with her pursuit of a Master's degree in the influential area of Northern California.  Evans studied with nationally acclaimed artists Robert Brady and Stephen Kaltenbach, and has received numerous awards in her career; including first place in the National Visions in Clay

Will Henton stopped by to speak with Nancy about his life, works and about the arts scene in St. Louis. Will is a Senior engineer / Thermal Lead for both F-15 and AV-8B programs specializing in avionics cooling distribution analysis, avionics thermal qualification testing, and overall aircraft thermal environments.

Pianist Adam Maness stopped by to speak with Nancy about the goings on in his life and his work.  Open Studio is an online collection of online lessons on jazz performance and theory.  As Open Studio's Creative Director, Adam Maness develops the curriculum of all of the courses, in addition to teaching his own popular course like Magic Voicing System, Piano Fingering Independence and more. Adam is a versatile pianist, arranger, composer, and producer whose performances, original compositions, and arrangements have been featured on numerous recordings and on national and international radio and television broadcasts. Adam co-hosts the Open Studio podcast "You'll Hear It" with Peter Martin. Adam leads his new dynamic modern string orchestra Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! aims to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the popular song. This joyful collection of musicians never stops seeking out new ways of exploring the timeless songs that make up our shared musical identity.

Bree Maniscalco, Executive Director of Cinema St. Louis, stopped by to speak with Nancy about the organization's happenings including the St. Louis International Film Festival, which runs Nov 9-19th this year. The festival kicks off on Thursday, November 9th, celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop with a tribute to the Hi-Pointe Cafe's pivotal role in shaping hip-hop's history, showcasing the city's significant influence in its evolution. Attendees will be treated to a cocktail reception, engaging conversations, and a special screening of the 1990 film, "House Party," directed by East St. Louis' own, Reginald Hudlin.  CSL's Executive Director, Bree Maniscalco, shared, "As we celebrate our first festival at the Hi-Pointe Theatre, we wanted to pay tribute to the Hi-Pointe neighborhood and honor those who made Hip-Hop what it is today. Mondays at the Hi-Pointe Cafe holds a special place in many people's hearts, and we're looking to bring it back to kick things off in style for this year's Fest.” This year's festival promises a variety of exclusive events, screenings, enlightening post-film Q&A sessions, and illuminating masterclasses dedicated to addressing industry-relevant topics. SLIFF received an impressive 2,419 submissions, marking the festival's 32nd anniversary with record-breaking enthusiasm. SLIFF's dedicated team of programmers, hailing from diverse backgrounds, meticulously curated a selection of 278 films that underscore the transformative power of cinema.    

An American poet and artist, Sally Van Doren is the author of four poetry collections, Sibilance, (LSU Press 2023) Promise, (2017) Possessive, (2012) and Sex at Noon Taxes (2008) which received the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. Her poems have been featured by NPR, PBS, The Poetry Foundation, American Life in Poetry, and Poetry Daily, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her poetry has appeared widely in national and international publications such as American Letters and Commentary, American Poet, Barrow Street, Boulevard, Cincinnati Review, Colorado Review, Crazyhorse, december, Lumina, The Moth, The New Republic, Poetry Ireland Review, Poetry London, Southern Review, Southwest Review, Verse Daily and Western Humanities Review. Her ongoing poetic memoir, The Sense Series, served as the text for a multi-media installation at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. ------ As a practicing visual artist, Van Doren formalized her training at Hunter College and The School of Visual Arts in New York. She has had solo exhibitions at Furnace Art on Paper Archive and other venues and participates in group shows regularly. Her work is held in distinguished private and corporate collections, including a print commission for each guest room for the Hotel Downstreet in North Adams, MA.  Her art appears on the cover of The Difference is Spreading: Fifty Contemporary Poets on Fifty Poems (UPenn Press 2022) and in literary magazines such as The Nashville Review and 2River. ------ A graduate of Princeton University (BA) and University of Missouri-St. Louis (MFA), Van Doren has taught poetry workshops for a variety of educational institutions, among them the 92nd Street Y, the St. Louis Public Schools, Washington University in St. Louis, the St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Center and Scoville Memorial Library. She curated the Sunday Poetry Workshops for the St. Louis Poetry Center and serves on the board of the Five Points Center for the Visual Arts in Torrington, CT. A native St. Louisan, she works from her studio in West Cornwall, CT. -------

Established in 1846 by civic leaders and philanthropists, the Mercantile exists today as a vibrant community and cultural asset. It is the oldest library west of the Mississippi and the grandparent of St. Louis cultural institutions. ------ The task of the Mercantile Library as a research library is to make its collections, which have come to concentrate on Western Expansion and the history, development, and growth of the St. Louis region and of the American rail and river transportation experiences, available to the widest number of local and national users. -----

Franki Cambeletta/Co-Founder-Owner of the Haunted Garage podcast stopped by to speak with Nancy about the podcast and the related Horror Film Festival at the Hi-Point on Oct 5-7.  Haunted Garage is a paranormal podcast dedicated to transportation. Focusing on haunted cars, trains, busses, motorcycles and beyond. ------

Sabine Eckmann joined the Kemper Art Museum as curator in fall 1999 and also regularly teaches seminars in the Department of Art History & Archaeology in Arts & Sciences. Eckmann, a native of Nürnberg, Germany, is a specialist in 20th and 21st-century European art and visual culture with a particular focus on the intersection of art and politics, ranging from exile art and cold-war aesthetics to European post-unification art. Other research interests include avant-gardism, new art forms, media, critical theory and cultural studies.