Story Stitchers to present Keynote at Wash U Medical School


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“Journey to Healing:

Creativity in the Time of Covid-19″

Opening symposium of Art Exhibit

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Event 5:30-9:00 PM

Story Stitchers Presentation

6:00-7:00 PM

Conner Auditorium

Farrell Learning and Teaching Center

School of Medicine

Washington University in St. Louis

Story Stitchers artists will present video and performance as the keynote presentation for the opening symposium of the art exhibition, Journey to Healing, Creativity in the Time of Covid-19, in the Conner Auditorium of Farrell Learning and Teaching Center, South Euclid Avenue, School of Medicine, Washington University. Work from 2020-2022 is included in the presentation.

Free and open to the public with registration:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/journey-to-healing-opening-symposium-tickets-707554995037?aff=oddtdtcreator

Story Stitchers at Climate Solutions Day at the Saint Louis Zoo


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Thanks to our friends—people, plants and animals! at the Saint Louis Zoo for having us at Climate Solutions Day! We are honored to serve and play a part.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers joined 30 other vendors to bring awareness to climate issues and solutions on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Climate Solutions Day. Story Stitchers presented works from Peace in the Prairie during two performances and created a community engagement booth with photographs taken at prairies across the state of Missouri. This video shows excerpts of Story Stitchers performances that day.

Next UP!

Catch Story Stitchers’ Peace in the Prairie again at the Saint Louis Art Museum this Sunday, October 1 at 2:00 and 3:00 with storytelling and spoken word. We are bringing out the One and Only Mr. Bobby Norfolk! Master Storyteller extraordinaire!

Story Stitchers to perform at SLACO Conference Saturday


Saturday, September 9, 2023

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

7:30 AM-1:30 PM Booth

1:30 PM DJ UP Performance

27th Annual SLACO Regional Neighborhood Conference

Saint Louis Community College

Forest Park

5600 Oakland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110

Saint Louis Story Stitchers will perform a set from DJ UP at the 27th Annual SLACO Regional Neighborhood Conference Saturday, September 9th at 1:30.

DJ UP is a new program to strengthen St. Louis by training the next generation of DJ’s to understand and use the power of words and music choices to lift St. Louis out of violence.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers has contracted with artist and choreographer Sillo to work with our senior staff producer & DJ BlueBeatz to develop DJ UP. The set features music from the 50 years of hip hop and contemporary dance by Story Stitchers artists.

DJ UP is available for hire for high school dances, and university and other events.

Story Stitchers at Saint Louis Art Museum this weekend!


SAINT LOUIS STORY STITCHERS

at SAINT LOUIS ART MUSEUM

One Fine Arts Dr
St. Louis, MO 63110

Saturday, September 9, 2023

1:00-4:00 PM

Educator Open House for “The Culture: Hip Hop in Contemporary Art”

12:30 pm: Registration opens in the Farrell Auditorium Lobby (registration will be open for the entirety of the event. Please visit this table for exhibition tickets and other information)

1 pm: Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artist Collective will speak on their high quality art and youth violence prevention programs in the Farrell Auditorium

2- 4 pm: Drop-in beat making with Saint Louis Story Stitchers producers in the Student Gallery, Education Wing

Free and open to the public

This Open House is designed for teachers to learn about the exhibition The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century and discover programs, opportunities, and resources for connecting students with the exhibition and the broader canon of hip hop and contemporary art.

The Open House will include visits to the exhibition, art-making activities, talks, performances, and hands-on opportunities led by local artists, organizations, and students. This is a drop in style event so participants are welcome to come for a portion or stay for the entire event.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

2:00-4:00 PM

Family Sunday workshops and performances in association with  the exhibition The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

in the Gary Simmons Garage Lab

Beat Making

Story Stitchers producers will be on hand to engage the public in hands-on beat making!

Come give it a try!

Free and open to the public

Story Stitchers to perform at Wash U Med School’s Journey to Healing Symposium


Journey to Healing: Creativity in the Time of COVID-19

September 30, 2023

5:00-9:00 PM

Art Exhibition

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Performance

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Connor Auditorium

Farrell Teaching and Learning Center

Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Free and open to the public with Registration below

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Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is a nationally recognized Artists Collective known for high quality art and innovative youth violence prevention programs.

The mission of Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective is to document Saint Louis through art and word to promote understanding, civic pride, intergenerational relationships and literacy.

Story Stitchers was founded by eight artists in Old North St. Louis to combat gun violence. Incorporated as a public charity in 2014, Story Stitchers creates a platform for community engagement through an artistic lens to shift perceptions and bring hope to the St. Louis community. The organization brings together professional artists and underserved youth ages 16-25, to create social change, with a focus on gun violence prevention.

Over the last ten years Story Stitchers has performed for the public 600 times with audiences totaling 35,000; increased its online presence to 9,000 followers and 161,000 views of its creative work; strengthened partnerships with many neighborhoods; and more than tripled the organization’s operating budget.

Story Stitchers engage an average of 130 youth in programs each year and approximately thirty remain engaged weekly over one year or more. During the pandemic youth met in zoom or outdoors creating an award winning podcast, lively, fun and safe outdoor dance battles, produced a full production, published an album, partnered with the city of St. Louis public safety and public health departments and were a national leader in boosting vaccine confidence through work for the CDC Foundation, reaching 70 million people through a PSA campaign.

DJ UP Premiere at Saint Louis Art Museum


 

DJ UP Premiere

Sunday, August 27. 2023

Saint Louis Art Museum

Garage Lab

Performances at 2:00 and 3:00

All Ages – Free- Open to the Public

DJ UP is a new program to lift up St. Louis by training the next generation of DJ’s to understand and use the power of words and music choices to lift St. Louis out of violence.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers has contracted with artist and choreographer Sillo to work with our senior staff producer & DJ BlueBeatz to develop DJ UP. The set features music from the 50 years of hip hop and contemporary dance.

To learn more visit storystitchers.org

Story Stitchers Seeks Artists for Perception Project


Saint Louis Story Stitchers is a nationally recognized Artists Collective known for high quality art and innovative youth violence prevention programs.

Home page: https://storystitchers.org/

 

Perception Isn’t Always Reality: Mental Health

Perception Isn’t Always Reality: Mental Health will reduce stigma of mental health care among Black youth in St. Louis City and County through the creation and dissemination of a public service announcement (PSA) campaign. The 24-month project will be led by 10 youth (ages 16-24) and 10 adult artist-mentors working in collaboration with health experts; community residents; and marketing, media, and communication professionals.

The resulting fact-based, peer-to-peer messaging will reach a wide audience through billboards and public transportation ads in North St. Louis City and County and social media and radio ads through the greater region. Youth are viewed as trusted messengers, driving regional change in knowledge and attitudes on mental illness and accessing mental health care.

Project Landing Page:

https://storystitchers.org/perception-isnt-always-reality-mental-health/

 

Saint Louis Story Stitchers seeks artists with advanced skills, experience in a collaborative studio, and expertise in the following areas:

Project Coordinator to handle details of activities, records, collect data on media and evaluations. $25/hour for 140 hours $3,500 over two-year project. Project runs Sept 2023 – May 2025. Experience required.

Musician / rap lyricist / audio producer to join in workshops and recordings as needed and help create the content for the PSA campaign. Honorarium: $25/hour for 40 hours: $1,000. Project runs October 2023 – May 2025 with majority of creative work October 2023 – January 2024

Storyteller / Musician / rap lyricist to join in workshops and recordings as needed and help create the content for the PSA campaign. Honorarium: $25/hour for 20 hours: $500. Project runs October 2023 – May 2025 with majority of creative work October 2023 – January 2024. Two positions open.

Dancer to join in workshops and recordings as needed and help create the content for the PSA campaign. Honorarium: $25/hour for 20 hours: $500. Project runs October 2023 – May 2025 with majority of creative work October 2023 – January 2024

 

To apply please send resume and link to creative work samples to: storystitchers@gmail.com.

Open until filled. Work will begin in October.

 

Policies 

Saint Louis Story Stitchers does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or national guard status, or any other factor prohibited by law in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and/or activities.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is committed to ADA compliance. The Collective welcomes people with disabilities and subscribes to the goal of providing access to programs, services and facilities. The Collective’s goal is to integrate this philosophy into all activities: policies, guidelines, plans, budgets, funding proposals, meetings and outreach.

 

Story Stitchers’ Pick the City UP Single Released!


Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

Pick the City UP Single Released!

iTunes

Spotify

The vibrant video titled “Pick the City Up” showcases the journey of young people as they spearhead the creation of their new SPACE, illustrating their instrumental role in its development.

 

Premiere Link on YouTube

KARAOKE COUTURE

There will be a public screening of the video August 5th at Story Stitchers’ event, Karaoke Couture.

Saturday, August 5, 2023, 6:00-9:30 

LOCATION: HIGH LOW, 3301 Grandel Sq, 1A, 63108 in Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Grand Center

Free, All ages, Cash bar

Pick the City UP is a multi-year project by Saint Louis Story Stitchers that brings performances by the people to the people at block parties, community centers, festivals and more.

Karaoke Couture and the 2023 Pick the City UP Tour are sponsored in part by Regional Art Commission, Kranzberg Arts Foundation, The Lewis Prize for Music, the City of St. Louis Department of Public Safety and Office of Violence Prevention, Deaconess Foundation,  Cardinals Care, and Trio Foundation of St. Louis.

Next Stop:

Sunday August 6, 2023

Marquette Park Community Day in Dutchtown

Performance 2:00

Pick the City UP highlighted August 5 at Karaoke Couture


 

SAINT LOUIS STORY STITCHERS ARTISTS COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCES PARTICIPATION IN NEW VIDEO SERIES

The Lewis Prize for Music and Accelerator Awardees Present “Accelerating Change: Creative Youth Development Across the United States” Video Series

The Lewis Prize for Music in partnership with its esteemed Accelerator Awardees Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective, Hyde Square Task Force, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and Beyond the Bars, and is thrilled to announce the launch of the highly anticipated 2023 video series titled “Accelerating Change: Creative Youth Development Across the United States.”

Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs have long been at the forefront of empowering young people as thriving leaders in communities nationwide, and this series will shed light on the invaluable work carried out by CYD organizations in their respective communities, highlighting the inspiring stories of young individuals who have experienced the transformative power of music.

Expanding upon the success of the initial Accelerating Change collection, which debuted in 2021, this year’s video series comprises individual short films produced by each award-winning organization. These compelling videos offer an immersive perspective into the world of Creative Youth Development, as witnessed through the eyes of young people and the dedicated adults who support them. Together, they weave narratives of young individuals hailing from Boston (MA), Detroit (MI), Philadelphia (PA), and Saint Louis (MO), delving into their unique communities, personal experiences, and profound connections to music.

The video series unveils the following consensus stories from the esteemed Accelerator Awardees:

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective: The vibrant video titled “Pick the City Up” showcases the journey of young people as they spearhead the creation of their new SPACE, illustrating their instrumental role in its development.

KARAOKE COUTURE

There will be a public screening of the video August 5th at Story Stitchers’ event, Karaoke Couture.

LOCATION: HIGH LOW, 3301 Grandel Sq, 1A, 63108

DATE: Saturday, August 5, 2023, 6:00-9:30 PM

Free, All ages, Cash bar

Pick the City UP also features a new song and music video by the same name that shows young artists performing at locations familiar to the group around the city of St. Louis, Missouri and collecting young people on a bus to join them in their mission to make the city they love a safer and healthier place for all.

The song will drop on major music platforms August 5.

Reserve your copy today!

SINGLE RELEASE

(Chorus)

The peace is rising, stopping violence,

Yeah we vibing, no longer silent.

We hushing sirens, with what we writing.

Come and vibe with Story Stitchers, come and sign in.

It’s time to pick the city up, It’s time to pick it up.

(All we got is us).

It’s time to pick the city up, It’s time to pick it up.

(Watch we build it up)

Pick the City UP describes the vision and story of the young artists at Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective to create a safe studio space that will fulfill the needs and dreams identified by the group. Over a year, the young artists worked with designers and mentors to identify activities, colors, technology, and furnishings for the new, expanded facility. “The Center is a place for us, a safe place for learning and opportunities, a place for music and creativity, a place to gather with friends, a place with love, a place for me,” wrote the young artists.

Quinsonta Boyd – Lead Videographer

Troy Swanson – Videographer

Filmed on location at Kranzberg Arts Foundation at Saint Louis Story Stitchers’ The Center and Central Stage Vintage Vinyl in the Delmar Loop Wellston Loop Community Development Corporation Missouri Climate Summit, Washington University in St. Louis.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective, 2023

storystitchers.org