Since 1997, the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute is an innovative program centered on the belief that art has the power to be an agent for positive social change. The CAT Institute is a five-month curriculum fostering successful partnerships among artists, social workers, educators and community activists with the goal of creating significant arts programs in community settings such as neighborhood organizations, social service agencies and after-school programs.

About 200 Community Arts Training Institute graduates are currently working in areas such as neighborhood organizations, at-risk schools, prisons, homeless shelters, hospices, labor unions, community centers, jobs programs, and daycare facilities. With dedication, creativity and resolute spirit, these artists, community activists, social service workers, educators, policy makers and administrators are a force in the St. Louis area equipped with powerful tools to foster transformation in individuals and in our community.

In March 2010, the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) presented a conference that cultivated innovative strategies in community cultural development.

This conference brought together a cross-section of artists, community partners and leaders in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development.

Consisting of presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions, At the Crossroads: A Community Arts and Development Convening connected and engaged people working in diverse practices, inspiring new ideas and creative collaborations in communities. See http://crossroadsconvening.com or contact roseann@stlrac.org for more information.

At the Crossroads: A Community Arts and Development Convening was facilitated by the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis, Missouri and was generously sponsored by the Nathan Cummings Foundation. Special support provided by the Whitaker Foundation and National City-Now Part of PNC.

Save the date for RUSTBELT TO ARTIST BELT : AT THE CROSSROADS, St. Louis - April 12 through14, 2012 .

The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) and the Community Partnership for Arts & Culture (CPAC), present Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads.

This conference unites a cross-section of artists, community leaders, educators, academics, policy-makers, and creatives in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development. This convening places a special emphasis on the role of artists and their community partners in creating positive, social change.

Presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions will allow people in diverse social practices to connect and engage in a forum that inspires new ideas and community collaboration.

Mark your calendars today for April 12 through 14 in St. Louis. This event will take place in the Chase Hotel and Conference Center. Web site and registration information to come soon.

For more information, contact Roseann Weiss at roseann@stlrac.org or 314/863-5811.

Rustbelt to Artist Belt: At the Crossroads is sponsored by RAC and CPAC with support by the Ford Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity and is funded, in part, by the Kresge Foundation and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.

Program Spotlight

Science & Arts Summer Experience (SASE)

The month-long Science & Arts Summer Experience (SASE) program enables Saint Louis youth to explore diverse art media at local greenspaces with significant environmental and historical value. Students visit area natural and cultural sites, and then use the arts to interpret and reflect on these experiences. Also key to the program is realization of a community service project. This summer, SASE participants are working with local artist William Burton to design and paint masonite tiles that will serve as interpretive markers along a pedestrian walkway in the Calvary Cemetery ...More Info