In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter protests, UrbArts took time to reassess how to serve Black artists and support our community. At a minimum, we knew we needed to develop new partnerships with organizations on the frontlines of police reform. Additionally, we understand that public policy regulates human behavior…
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(ST. LOUIS Monday, July 27, 2020) – The UrbArts organization’s youth poetry slam team won their second championship when they competed during the 23rd Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival last week. Like many festivals, Brave New Voices was scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. until the pandemic disrupted their plans….
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Over the past two weeks, UrbArts has been livestreaming a virtual poetry reading. Tonight, it continues with Sahara Sista S.O.L.S. and Gregory Maurice. This online-only event is roughly 30 minutes in duration and hosted by MK Stallings. Join us here or on Facebook.
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Full text below: I watched a man get needlessly murdered the other day and he looked like me. He looked like my father… He looked like my two teenage sons and it broke my heart. It broke my heart in a way that I didn’t think my heart could be broken. I woke up this…
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We are all bearing witness to an uprising in the United States of America. Traditional social structures are being critiqued, questioned, and considered outmoded by protesters who believe incremental reforms are ineffective. The context of this change is multifactored, but the impetus is simple: a demand for human rights. The latest iteration of this demand…
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Given COVID-19 and Coronavirus concerns, UrbArts will be pausing events over the next few days as we monitor updates from the CDC and WHO. We are all about art and community at UrbArts so it’s difficult making these kinds of decisions. Still, we want to do our part and halt the spread of the virus…
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Founded in August 2001, our mission is to create platforms and platform creatives for youth and community development. The animating idea behind Urban Artist Alliance was the concept of “social arts,” where poets, writers, actors, musicians, and visual artists would create art that reflect the conditions and possibilities of their communities. This kind of art is…
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It seems like every year, the Lyrical Therapy Open Mic team offers a free performance at UrbArts on New Year’s Day. The recent tradition continues as performances from Just Rich and other members of his collective open the new year with poems, songs, and good energy. While this is not their typical open mic, audiences…
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What does justice in the arts and culture sector look like? On Friday, August 30th, I will talk about examples of injustice and justice in the arts and culture sector in our region. The key source for this talk are based on a report released earlier this year by the Regional Arts Commission. While the…
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