Arts funding is drying up, but $3.7M in grants heads to St. Louis organizations

Reported by St. Louis Public Radio

The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis is granting $3.7 million to arts organizations across the region as federal cuts and fewer corporate sponsorships shrink funding sources.

RAC is distributing funding to 122 groups, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the National Blues Museum, Cinema St. Louis, Laumeier Sculpture Park and the International Institute of St. Louis.

The funding comes as corporate philanthropic support for arts organizations is declining across the region, said Vanessa Cooksey, RAC president and CEO.

“Several of our large corporations have shifted their philanthropic priorities away from the arts, some of our large corporations have shifted their philanthropic priorities outside of St. Louis,” Cooksey said. Read more.