Arts

St. Louis in photos: Chingy, Sam Altman, pawpaws and puppies

St. Louis Public Radio | By Brian Munoz,

Published September 14, 2024 at 7:13 AM CDT

St. Louis City SC forward Simon Becher visits with a dog up for adoption on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at CARE STL — the city’s contracted animal shelter — in Downtown West. — St. Louis City SC forward Simon Becher visits with a dog up for adoption on Tuesday at CARE STL, the city’s contracted animal shelter, in Downtown West.

St. Louis holds onto its people — no matter how large their fame or how far away from the city they relocate.

Even tech giant Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, keeps the St. Louis ties and memories he formed growing up here. This week, he demonstrated that by returning home for a talk to his alma mater, John Burroughs School, and to visit St. Louis Public Radio's St. Louis on the Air to discuss the new ChatGPT model and the city.

"I love Burroughs," he said. "I had a wonderful time there, and I don't get to go back very much, but it feels great to just see my old teachers."

Altman wasn't the only story of the week at St. Louis Public Radio — Chingy, a Missouri native fruit, a new City Found restaurant and more — made headlines, and STLPR covered the news in photos as well as words.

Photojournalists Brian Munoz and Sophie Proe captured the scenes across the St. Louis region. Scroll down to see the week through their lenses.

De’Nonna Jones, 23, of St. Louis’ Southwest Garden neighborhood, picks pawpaws while volunteering with Forest Releaf on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at Earthdance Farms in Ferguson, Mo. — De’Nonna Jones, 23, of St. Louis’ Southwest Garden neighborhood, picks pawpaws while volunteering with Forest Releaf on Friday at Earthdance Farms in Ferguson. Read about Missouri's elusive fruit in "Pawpaw craze hits Missouri as festivals and farmers embrace the custardy native fruit."

Will Colbert, 29, of Creve Coeur, Mo., holds a pawpaw while wearing a pawpaw print shirt on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at the Ferguson Farmers Market’s first-ever pawpaw festival in Ferguson, Mo. — Will Colbert, 29, of Creve Coeur holds a pawpaw fruit while wearing a pawpaw print shirt last Saturday.

A stack of smoked St. Louis-style barbecue ribs paired with garlic toast and baked black beans on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at Expat in St. Louis’ Prospect Yards neighborhood. The $34 stack of ribs is brushed with msutard, rubbed with 5 spice and glazed, topped with chili crisp and served with baijiu whiskey barbecue. — A stack of smoked St. Louis-style barbecue ribs paired with garlic toast and baked black beans on Tuesday at Expat in St. Louis’ Prospect Yards neighborhood. The $34 stack of ribs is brushed with mustard, rubbed with 5 spice and glazed, topped with chili crisp and served with baijiu whiskey barbecue. Read about St. Louis chef Gerard Craft's new City Foundry restaurant in "Gerard Craft’s latest restaurant imagines barbecue through an expat’s eyes."

Gerard Craft, chef and Niche Food Group’s CEO, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at Expat in St. Louis’ newly-formed Prospect Yards neighborhood. The new BBQ joint is situated in the City Foundry Food Hall. — Gerard Craft, chef and Niche Food Group’s CEO, in advance of opening Expat in St. Louis’ newly formed Prospect Yards neighborhood.

St. Louis rapper Chingy on Wednesday outside Sophie’s Artist Lounge in Grand Center. He spoke to St. Louis Public Radio's St. Louis on the Air in advance of his Music at the Intersection performance. Read about it in "Chingy made St. Louis hip-hop a thing — and now he’s coming home."

Lucas Kunce gives a kiss to his wife Marilyn Kunce on stage in the Sheetmetal Workers Local 36 in downtown on Monday, September 9, 2024. — U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce kisses his wife, Marilyn Kunce, on Monday at Sheetmetal Workers Local 36 in downtown St. Louis.

Pamela Boyd, right, claps for Lucas Kunce as he says Josh Hawley is “wrong for Missouri” in the Sheetmetal Workers Local 36 in downtown on Monday, September 9, 2024. — St. Louis Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, of the 13th Ward, claps for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce as he addresses the crowd.

Lu Alleruzzo, a co-founder and CEO of Immunophotonics, speaks after being crowned the champion of the 2024 Startup World Cup Regional on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at The Post building in downtown St. Louis. — Lu Alleruzzo, a co-founder and CEO of Immunophotonics, speaks after being crowned the champion of the 2024 Startup World Cup Regional on Monday at the Post building in downtown St. Louis. Alleruzzo won the startup contest with the invention of a cancer-fighting drug. Read about the win in "Immunophotonics wins Startup World Cup's St. Louis regional with cancer-fighting drug."

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and venture investor, speaks to students at John Burroughs School, his alma mater, on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Ladue, Mo. — Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and venture investor, takes a selfie with John Burroughs School senior Miko Kim on Friday at the school in Ladue. The tech giant gave a talk at his alma mater, and addressing the new ChatGPT model, growing up in St. Louis and more on *St. Louis on the Air.* Read about it in "‘We have the next few years in the bag’ Sam Altman touts U.S. AI supremacy, ChatGPT release and St. Louis."

Dan Blair reads the paperwork from the folder during the meeting on Childrens Advocate for Change Child Poverty Forum in Southern Illinois University, at Edwardsville East St. Louis Center — Dan Blair reads paperwork from a folder on Tuesday during a children's poverty forum at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Learning Center in East St. Louis. Read about the forum in "East St. Louis forum attendees propose community-driven solutions to child poverty."

Reggie Thomas, front, and Adaron Jackson, back pose for a portrait at Jazz St. Louis on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. — Reggie Thomas, left, and Adaron Jackson on Tuesday at Jazz St. Louis in Grand Center. A quintet of jazz players will pay tribute to the indelible contribution of jazz musicians and educators from the Metro East during Music at the Intersection. Read about it in "East St. Louis jazz takes center stage Sunday at Music at the Intersection festival."