Mound City Bar History

Since 2001, St. Louis ArtWorks youth apprentices have completed commissioned art for corporate, foundation and individual clients. These commissions are an important educational tool for our apprentices and an important source of entrepreneurial support for our organization.

The opportunity for teens to meet with community leaders and be involved in a client interview to uncover the goals of each commission is a priceless experience in building job interviewing and communications skills. These valuable lessons provide a foundation of success for our apprentices’ future employment, no matter what field they may choose.

ArtWorks Enterprises (AWE) is a new division of St. Louis ArtWorks, launched after winning the 2006 Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition at Washington University Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. AWE brings new revenues through the sale of products designed by apprentices. The first venture is Boomerang Press, offering holiday and note cards designed by apprentices. Some Boomerang Press commissions for artwork in 2006 were from Washington University, Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, Acropolis Investment Management and Confluence Greenway. Many other companies and individuals selected designs offered in our card portfolio with customized imprints to personalize them. ArtWorks Enterprises is located in the Centene Center for the Arts in Grand Center with a state-of-the-art digital graphics studio.

One popular commission opportunity through Boomerang Press is commissioned art for greeting cards. Apprentice artists will create a custom card image for $1,000, plus the cost of printing. This investment covers the salary for one youth for 10 months of spring and fall programming. These cards have a true Boomerang effect: card recipients appreciate that sending them supports others; especially employment for at risk teens from the city of St. Louis.

Commissioning a work of art from St. Louis ArtWorks provides real paid employment for youth. Clients can support an artistic discipline in one of our summer programs by underwriting the salaries for 12 apprentices who will work on your commission. They are given a meaningful job, 5 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. During this time, the group will design and complete a unique work of art in disciplines including photography, sculpture, painting, ceramics or graphic design. The donation cost for a summer program commission is $12,000. Additional fabrication costs may be necessary depending on the art work.

Another way clients can support St. Louis ArtWorks is through a graphics commission to support our spring program. Typical projects in this program include community note cards, calendars, reports, brochures, or display posters. Fall program commissions can support a particular neighborhood, event or cause. Fall 2006 apprentices designed and fabricated commissioned architectural centerpieces for the Arts & Education Awards Banquet. Spring and fall programs typically employ apprentices for 6 hours a week for 10 weeks.

90% of commission donations are eligible for Missouri Youth Opportunity Tax Credits. Please call Executive Director Priscilla Block at 314-289-4181 or visit www.stlartworks.org to learn more about the ArtWorks programs and learn how to get involved. This is a unique opportunity to help empower teens with a meaningful job and bring public art to your business or community.

Why are our clients interested in an ArtWorks commission?

“Naturally, when we initially hired you for our project, we were pleased to work with an organization actively helping young people develop creative thinking and employment skills. As the process went on and we saw their initial presentations we were impressed with the work that they had put in to the project and the ideas they had come up with. When we wanted to make changes to their initial suggestions, we appreciated how willing and able they were to help incorporate our ideas into the cards. And finally, we love the end result!”

David Ott, General Partner, Acropolis Investment Management, L.L.C.

“Several things have impressed us concerning the ArtWorks program as we have worked with administration, mentors and the young people involved in our project. Foremost is commitment on the part of all three groups—administration and mentors to making the students experience both instructive and fulfilling—and the students to learning about the topic they are depicting and to creative expression of their perceptions.

We particularly were struck by the efforts to approach the task in a professional manner—the students came to our site for a client conference, asked many good questions about what we do and why, and translated those ideas into a work that has meaning to us because it has meaning to them.”

Dr. James Kimmey, Executive Director for Missouri Foundation for Health

“I want to thank you and the students for taking an idea and making it reality. When we met last yearI had an idea in my head. When the finished artwork arrived to be installed in our lobby, it was beyond what I had envisioned.

We wanted something to hang in our lobby that showed our commitment to Volunteerism in our community. When the student/apprentices came to Citigroup to talk what Volunteerism was all about, we gave them photos, word descriptions and a chance to see our employees and a chance for our Senior Vice President of Volunteerism from New York to tell them her vision. Then they went away...and they got it!”

Ms. Melanie De Leo, Vice President Community Affairs, Citigroup

"St. Louis ArtWorks apprentices created fantastic murals for the Deaconess Foundation. The student/apprentices work--displayed throughout our offices--is thought provoking, visually appealing and expresses the core of our mission."

Rev. Jerry W. Paul, President and CEO, Deaconess Foundation

The ArtWorks Mission is to provide meaningful work experience and education in the arts for youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area without regard to race, gender or family income level through a partnership of government and private sector. ArtWorks’ collaborates with the community to provide work experience through apprenticeships in the arts for youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Apprentices, many from urban neighborhoods, benefit from developing creative thinking and employment skills and discovering and exploring interests and talents that may influence career and educational opportunities.