On Friday’s “Cityscape,” we talked about the most influential, interesting and moving parts of St. Louis’ arts and culture scene in 2015. Themes of social justice, urban design, and the continued evolution of issues within the Zoo-Museum District were all part of the discussion.
Joining us were the folks who know it best: St. Louis Public Radio’s arts and culture reporters: Nancy Fowler, Willis Ryder Arnold and Robert Duffy.
“I think there was a lot of work around social justice,” said Fowler. “The arts have always addressed social justice. Beginning in 2014, after the events of Ferguson, that has continued in a deeper and bigger way.”
“Social justice issues have absolutely come to the fore in the arts community, specifically in the hip-hop community and with visual artists like Damon Davis and De Nichols,” said Arnold. “Some of the work that has been produced, and even protest signs, have been included in places like the Smithsonian.”
Some of the topics of conversation:
- The struggles of the Griot Museum of Black History
- The Zoo-Museum District
- Social justice and how the arts have responded to crisis
- Urban design and historic preservation
- Highlights from the Cut & Paste podcast, hosted by Nancy and Willis, which is celebrating a year of existence in January
- The Smithsonian Institution’s acquisition of Ferguson-related protest art and signs
- Art in St. Louis’ transgender community
- Soldiers Memorial Museum
Listen here to learn about what the reporters’ are looking toward as big arts and culture news in 2016:
“Cityscape” is produced by Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer, and Kelly Moffitt. The show is sponsored in part by the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.
