Photograph by Thomas Crone
Facilitator Tim Jordan and artist Paul Stanton at Artists First in May 2016.
Since 1983, the Missouri Arts Council has put on the annual Missouri Arts Awards, which have recognized 242 individuals, organizations, and communities throughout the state over the past four decades. This year, the council has selected six awardees to honor for their commitment to arts and culture in Missouri, four of whom are from St. Louis.
Professional small theater company Stray Dog Theatre was recognized for its work in arts education. Nonprofit art studio Artists First was selected as the recognized arts organization. Kenneth Calvert—a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller of Black experiences—was chosen as the individual artist. Mary Strauss, the longtime local patron best known for her stewardship of the Fox Theater, is being honored for her philanthropy work.
MAC selected the city of Hermann as its creative community awardee and Joan Israelite from Kansas City was recognized for her leadership in the arts.
“The arts have a profound impact on the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of our state and each of these honorees exemplifies the diversity of talent and creativity we have across Missouri,” said Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe in a release announcing the awards.
Local award recipient Artists First is a Maplewood-based nonprofit visual arts studio for artists of all abilities. The studio offers programs for people with disabilities, those with extreme stress, elders with memory loss, caregivers, disconnected youth, and veterans.
“Part of our mission is to challenge the narrative of who and what an artist is,” says Sheila Suderwalla, executive director of Artists First. “We are so grateful for [this recognition], because hopefully it will uplift our artists who sometimes have gone overlooked.”
Suderwalla found out that Artists First had won not long before awards were publicly announced. They, along with the other five honorees, will be celebrated in a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol on February 9.
“This was all a surprise to us,” she says. “When the Missouri Arts Council let us know that we were voted as the arts organization in Missouri for 2023, it was a pleasant surprise.”
