Culture Creators

Making things interesting since 1764.

These are the people who are proudly making art, food, beer, green spaces, music, fashion, films, sports and more that defy preconceptions, misconceptions and expectations about what culture in the heartland looks like.

Featured Stories

Reclaimed
Treasure

With Refab, Eric Schwarz gives new life to St. Louis' past by repurposing the pieces of its architectural history.

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Culture

Nothing Little About It

From rural China to Fox Park, Lona Luo has come a long way in her journey to become one of…

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Culture

Impeccable Taste

Craig and Mowgli Rivard are making a mark in Fox Park with their Brooklyn-inspired, modern neighborhood restaurant, Little Fox.

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Culture

Making Art History

Newly at the helm of the St. Louis Art Museum, Min Jung Kim brings a fresh perspective to the institution’s…

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Culture

All That Jazz

Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson have turned the childhood home of music legend Miles Davis into a community catalyst.

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Culture
Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson outside the childhood home of Miles Davis

Fresh From the Vine

Tony White’s locally grown tomatoes are the not-so-secret ingredients in many St. Louis chefs’ acclaimed dishes.

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Culture
tony white holding box of fruit

Home(Town) Brew

Here in one of the nation's top beer cities, St. Louis brewers are shaping the industry's future.

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Culture
A man pulls a beer tap in a brewery

A Broad Canvas

At Onyx Dagger in Lafayette Square, Valencia Miller combines fine art with tattoo art, supporting local painters in St. Louis…

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Culture

314 Day Design for 2024 Call for Entrants

Now for all the details

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Culture
Dan Zettwoch drawing the 2023 314 Day illustration

A Coffee Culture

At Brew Tulum, Laura McNamara and Alberto Juarez bring a deep-dive into Mexican coffee culture to the Delmar Maker District.

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Culture

Culinary Creators

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Culture
Culinary delights, food from Little Fox

One of a Kind

From the depths of the caves to its 10-story slide, City Museum continues to find new ways to delight and…

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Culture

A New View

As president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society, Jody Sowell focuses on telling stories about St. Louis’ past that…

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Culture

STL Outside

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Culture

Impeccable Taste

Craig and Mowgli Rivard are making a mark in Fox Park with their Brooklyn-inspired, modern neighborhood restaurant, Little Fox.

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Culture

Drawn to St. Louis

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Conversation

Tastes of Home

Nearly 30 years ago, Shayn Prapaisilp’s parents introduced Thai food to St. Louis. Now Prapaisilp is leading the family business…

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Culture

A Broad Canvas

At Onyx Dagger in Lafayette Square, Valencia Miller combines fine art with tattoo art, supporting local painters in St. Louis…

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Culture

Planting Roots

Noboleis Vineyards and Root Food + Wine draw St. Louisans to the natural beauty of Augusta.

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Culture

Open Arms

Moji Sidiqi leads the International Institute of St. Louis’ Afghan Support Program in helping refugees adjust to their new home.

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Culture

Float On

From the Boathouse to the Mississippi, Big Muddy Adventures offers St. Louisans a chance to connect with the region's waterways.

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Culture

Notes of Community

Soul artist turned community facilitator Brian Owens helps lift up young creatives in St. Louis.

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Culture

Princess Dreams

At Racine and Rafael Martir’s boutique, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, teenage Latinas can find the dress of their dreams to…

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Culture

Making Art History

Newly at the helm of the St. Louis Art Museum, Min Jung Kim brings a fresh perspective to the institution’s…

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Culture

Wicked ‘Wiches

Sugarwitch’s Martha Bass and Sophie Mendelson craft wickedly good ice cream sandwiches and frozen treats in Botanical Heights and Carondelet.

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Culture

Rewriting the Narrative

At EyeSeeMe Bookstore in University City, Jeffrey and Pamela Blair are fulfilling their calling to provide people with positive stories…

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Culture

Drawing Outside the Lines

Steenz Stewart has blazed their own trail in the comics industry to become one of the few Black cartoonists at…

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Culture

A Wider Net

St. Louis’ storied soccer tradition will take a leap forward in 2023 with an MLS team of its own, St.…

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Community

Nothing Little About It

From rural China to Fox Park, Lona Luo has come a long way in her journey to become one of…

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Culture

Reclaimed
Treasure

With Refab, Eric Schwarz gives new life to St. Louis' past by repurposing the pieces of its architectural history.

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Culture

A Home for Art

In Gravois Park, St. Louis Art Place Initiative has completed the first of 20 units of single family housing at…

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Culture

Tastes of St. Louis

Bringing together more than a dozen kitchens with varied cuisines, City Foundry STL’s Food Hall draws St. Louisans to Midtown.

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Culture

Upping the Game

With Stonemaier Games, Jamey Stegmaier turned his favorite hobby into a St. Louis-based company that publishes beautifully designed board games…

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Work

Homegrown
Market

Local farmers and entrepreneurs build their businesses and a strong community through the support of St. Louisans at the Tower…

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Culture

Natural Wonders

St. Louisans find peace and purpose in parks and on trails throughout the region.

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Community

What is Juneteenth

Learn more about how Juneteenth – the commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. – came to be and why it’s important.

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Infogram

Plant-Based
Possibilities

Trezel Brown's CC's Vegan Spot has become a destination for local vegans and is converting more folks to try plant-based…

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Culture

The Power of Plants

Mónica Carlsen, a Venezuelan immigrant and plant biologist with the Missouri Botanical Garden, is inspiring the next generation of budding…

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Culture

STLMade Conversations: ModernSTL

Nathan Wilber is president of ModernSTL, which was formed in 2010 by a group of St. Louisans who share a…

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Conversation

Preserving the Past, Shaping the Future

Michael Allen pushes back against the traditional view of preservation, and wants St. Louisans to embrace and appreciate all parts…

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Culture

Into Existence

Nationally-recognized artist and St. Louis native Aaron Fowler shows his work in St. Louis for the first time in a…

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Culture

Shaping the Soundtrack of St. Louis

Hometown hip hop legend DJ Kut reflects on the role he's played in the region's music scene.

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Culture
DJ Kut

Empowering the Community

For 20 years, Diversity Gallery owner Leslie Christian Wilson has connected with St. Louisans through art, jewelry and natural hair.

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Community

Breaking Barriers

The Tran family risked everything to emigrate from Vietnam to the United States four decades ago. Forged through sacrifice and sweat…

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Culture

Superhero Delivery

Martin Casas of Apotheosis Comics is making sure that St. Louis residents have plenty of comic books and drinks to…

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Work

Designing with Purpose

David Cervantes is bringing together local volunteers to make personal protection equipment for health care providers.

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STLMade
Plastic Face Shield

Creating Through Crisis

Mee Jey, an immigrant artist from India, tells community stories through her art in St. Louis and abroad.

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STLMade
MeeJey

‘Round and ‘Round

For 50 years, Mathew and Niah Foggy have built community while circling the roller rink at Skate King.

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Culture
Man and woman standing at skate rental counter

Home(Town) Brew

Here in one of the nation's top beer cities, St. Louis brewers are shaping the industry's future.

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Culture
A man pulls a beer tap in a brewery

That’s a Ringer

Home to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame, St. Charles County has become one of the country’s top regions…

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Culture
Quail Ridge Horseshoe Club

Pump Up the Volume

Through their Tunespeak platform, St. Louis musicians Tom and Rick Pernikoff are connecting international performers with ardent fans.

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Work
Tom Pernikoff with his brother Rick

Funny Business

St. Louis is nurturing comedy careers, thanks to new talent and major events like Zach Gzehoviak’s Flyover Comedy Festival.

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Culture
Zach Gzehoviak of Flyover Comedy Festival

That’s
Entertainment

Downtown Edwardsville is thriving, thanks in part to the musicians and events Al Canal brings to the restored Wildey Theatre.

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Culture
Al Canal at the Wildey Theatre

A Global Community

As the St. Louis region recruits top international talent to its companies, Susan Gobbo is building a support system for…

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Community
Susan Gobbo of the International Spouses Meetup Group

Spilling the Beans

Estie Cruz-Curoe’s Cuban-style black beans at del Carmen Foods are filling a delicious niche in the St. Louis food scene.

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Culture
del Carmen beans header

Autumn Action

The St. Louis economy gets a yearly boost from an array of spectacular fall sights and cool-weather activities, including Oktoberfest.

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Culture
Couple walks one of the paved trails of Cliff Cave Park, in South St. Louis County.

Making a Mark

In creating custom wood pieces through Mwanzi Co., Jermain Todd is taking the St. Louis maker movement around the globe.

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Culture
Jermain Todd produces custom wood pieces at Mwanzi.

Call of the Wild

For Kari Musgrave, honing her veterinary skills at the world-class Saint Louis Zoo is a dream come true.

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Work
portrait of st. louis veterinarian

Shifting Gears

Mike Weiss believes that St. Louis could become one of the hottest cycling destinations in the country -- and the…

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Culture
Mike Weiss of Big Shark

Fresh From the Vine

Tony White’s locally grown tomatoes are the not-so-secret ingredients in many St. Louis chefs’ acclaimed dishes.

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Culture
tony white holding box of fruit

Puppy Power

Fitness trainer Kim Gray built her wellness business for St. Louisans who love spending time with their pets.

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Work
Kim Gray and her poodle Oscar

Night Moves

Ranked No. 1 in nightlife, St. Louis is drawing attention for its fun, affordable ways to hit the town.

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Culture
Nightlife - We Love St. Louis sign

Urban Oasis

Theo Smith thought he’d become an urban planner, but Kennedy Forest in Forest Park beckoned.

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Culture

Healing Through Art

Paige Walden-Johnson uses CommUNITY Arts STL’s creative outlets to help first responders and their families process trauma.

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Community
Paige Walden-Johnson

The Business of Basketball

Khalia Collier has transformed the St. Louis Surge into both a competitive team and an economic driver.

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Culture

Hat Trick

There’s a new national appreciation for St. Louis hockey thanks to plenty of local teams, culture and opportunity.

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Culture
Fan at blues game wearing Tarasenko jersey.

Making
Connections

Through Human Spaces, Lisa Rokusek is exploring how people can learn from each other with empathy and purpose.

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Community
Lady

Home Run

St. Louis scores again and again as one of the nation’s best baseball cities.

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Culture
Busch Stadium

Sweet Dreams

La Patisserie Chouquette co-owner and executive pastry chef Simone Faure has become the maven of macarons in St. Louis.

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Work
baker

Masters of Light

Just as their great-great grandfather did, Aaron Frei and his siblings are coloring St. Louis with hand-crafted stained glass.

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Culture
Emil Frei

Cool Rider

Sump Motorcycle owner and mechanic Mike Henneberry just might love your bike even more than you do.

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Work
Sump Motorcycles

All That Jazz

Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson have turned the childhood home of music legend Miles Davis into a community catalyst.

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Culture
Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson outside the childhood home of Miles Davis

Moving Forward

Historic St. Louis gems are earning new appreciation for marrying the past with the future.

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Culture

Art in Motion

Through the Justice Fleet, Amber Johnson empowers people to heal.

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Culture

Food for Thought

The Chicago Tribune is impressed with the St. Louis dining scene, but there’s plenty more for the newspaper to discover.

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Culture
Qui Tran from Nudo House

Family Matters

Angie Smart is an accomplished violinist with the St. Louis Symphony – a career her son Theo Bockhorst might want,…

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Culture
Angie Smart and Theo Bockhorst rehearse in the green room at Powell Hall.

Bass-ic Instinct

Tonina’s passion for the low notes is creating a hum in St. Louis.

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Culture