Urban Evolution is an after-school program with high school students interested in the arts. Lead by St. Louis-based artist Robert Longyear, the project will primarily take place in a building in the Grand Center district of St. Louis, serving as both studio and inspiration for the students’ work. They will learn about the evolution of the district, thereby deepening their understanding of place and how creativity can heal and inspire.

Urban Expression is a workshop promoting reading, writing, and artistic skills for at-risk youths. A shared initiative with ACCESS Academies’ Succeeding with Reading program, this project will involve Chicago-based artist and 2010 Whitney Biennial participant Theaster Gates, whose neighborhood-inspired work celebrates culture and promotes social inclusion. St. Louis artists Stewart Halperin, Janie Ibur, and Juan William Chávez will guide students from Holy Trinity Elementary School in explorations of their daily lives using photography, writing, and art.

Urban Renewal involves clients from Employment Connection St. Louis, an association that assists adults with limited opportunities to self-sufficiency through employment. Under the guidance of local artist Jenny Murphy, the participants will salvage bulk trash items and learn ways to transform them into treasure. These re-purposed items will be returned to the community on a donation-basis to encourage interactions between potential consumers and the craftspeople behind the objects. The idea of not assigning prices to the objects will introduce questions of how we value objects and how we demonstrate that value.