Researchers working on a Webster University study will soon examine the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Black artists and creative professionals in St. Louis.
Study authors hope their work will inform changes to the local arts economy that will boost the sector as a whole.
“You could be a Black artist in St Louis and never show any work in front of white audiences, or not even meaningfully engage with other artists outside of your racial group,” said Mk Sadiq (formerly Stallings), a sociologist who serves as research and evaluation manager for the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
Sadiq noted that St. Louis’ history of racial segregation — enforced by white officials for decades through redlining, limited access to loans for Black applicants and other tactics — has helped shape an arts ecosystem in which many participants make and consume art in racially separated silos.
“The networks seem to be homogenous, or just of one race,” he said, “so it leads one to believe that culturally speaking, there might be certain patterns, certain values, certain ways of doing things that might be very distinct [between Black artists and white artists] just because of the level of separation between groups.”
Black creatives in St. Louis are more likely to self-produce projects and see themselves as entrepreneurs than their white peers, said lead researcher JB Kwon — possibly because of less access to institutional funding, performance spaces and the best-funded galleries.
Study authors are looking for insights into the St. Louis arts infrastructure that can lead to policy changes that will boost the entire regional arts economy, not just the portion of it fueled by Black artists.
“We want to identify those pressure points where, if we alleviate them, the sector as a whole can better thrive,” said Kwon, an associate professor of cultural anthropology at Webster University. “How can we contribute to building an infrastructure that can enliven the region in many ways — maybe even to rehabilitate the reputation of the city and to bring positive energy?”
A study released by the national advocacy group Arts for America in 2023 found that the St. Louis arts sector contributed $868.7 million to the local economy the prior year, supporting nearly 12,000 jobs and generating $155.2 million in tax revenue.
“Creatives Count,” a RAC-funded study that took a closer look at the experiences of St. Louis artists and other professional creatives, found that nearly half of the artists surveyed who identify as Black, Indigenous or other people of color said they were either “just getting by” or “finding it difficult to get by.” Fewer than one-third of white respondents gave the same answers. White artists said they were “living comfortably” twice as often as BIPOC artists.
The Webster University study led by Kwon will largely consist of interviews with Black creatives and take two to three years. Participants will be paid a stipend. The findings should be extensive enough to fuel a book-length report, he said.
RAC is contributing resources to the study, including Sadiq’s time and expertise, and its leaders are looking to craft concrete proposals for the cultural sector informed by its findings.
However, a key funding source may be in doubt. The National Endowment for the Arts alerted Webster University in November that it would receive a $45,000 grant to support the work, and this month announced the funding publicly. But the White House’s position on pending federal grants is unclear. Last week, the Trump administration imposed a freeze on most federal grants and loans — which a U.S. District Court judge temporarily blocked — then appeared to rescind and then reinstate the policy.
The study’s focus on Black creatives could also run afoul of White House declarations that colleges and universities stop academic research into issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Editor's note: JB Kwon is married to Elaine Cha, the host of St. Louis Public Radio's talk show, St. Louis on the Air.
