Stepping into the latest KAF venue, The Key Burger Bar & Boogie, patrons are greeted by larger-than-life characters seemingly jumping off the walls, alongside illustrations of some familiar neighborhood spaces. The art welcomes you in, inviting you to sit with it and look closer.  This illustrated universe, which also appears on the venue’s new website, is the work of a group of St. Louis-based Cuban designers and Illustrators, Raul Valdés (a.k.a. Raupa), Nelson Ponce, Juan Carlos Polo (from Havana)  and Carlos Zamora from Cartel Design. Valdés and Ponce were working at Cartel as artists in residence from Havana when the project began. “We went to see the place and then they felt that the space had the same feeling as a venue in Cuba called the ...

October 10 - December 13 Artist Reception: October 17 from 6 PM – 8 PM at The Kranzberg Gallery 501 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 631o3 Gallery Hours: Saturdays from 12 PM – 4 PM About Jose José Garza is multimedia artist and educator working within a socially engaged practice based in St. Louis. He draws inspiration from a wide range of cultural and subcultural sources, and his work encompasses traditional and new media, including photography, video, sculpture, drawing, curated exhibitions and screenings, ad hoc libraries, performances, and co-creations. Garza has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, including at the 2017 Biennale di Spazio Pubblico in Rome, the 2019 Counterpublic Triennial, and Border Control at Stamps Gallery at the University of Michigan. Currently, he is the Museum Academic ...

Bring your coolers, picnics, and lawn chairs to beautiful Bangert Park at 275 S. New Florissant Road in Florissant to enjoy a fusion of Jazz, Hip Hop, and R&B music by artist Lamar Harris. This free event is open to all ages and will include lawn games and activities. The Backyard Popout, presented by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation in conjunction with St. Louis County Library Florissant Valley Branch, is a special event extension of the popular Music Mondays series held at the branch on the second Monday of each month, showcasing musical performances from a range of KAF-connected artists. “We want to provide our patrons with the chance to experience a larger concert outdoors and celebrate the success that our partnership with the Kranzberg Arts ...

Join us for the opening reception of Cave of Bones, a new exhibition by Kranzberg Arts Foundation Resident Artist José Garza presented at The Kranzberg Gallery. Cave of Bones is a powerful commentary on the current state of failed societal promises. The work observes warlords and emperors exploiting a “once promised dream,’ where every victory is ultimately a deception. Drawing inspiration from the exhibition’s title, the pieces suggest a path forward through collective action: the refusal to comply will ultimately ignite a spark, leading the way out of darkness and toward a new future. This challenging, socially engaged work—featuring photography, video, sculpture, and drawing—is the culmination of Garza's residency with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. Garza is a St. Louis-based multimedia artist and educator whose socially engaged ...

The Legends’ Gallery was filled with hip-hop fans and art lovers on Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27 as global icon Chuck D was in the house for a special reception and artist talk for his new exhibition, Roll Call: Most of My Heroes Don’t Appear on No Stamps. The exclusive exhibition presented by KAF and XYION with Soul Kitchen and curated by Lorrie Boula and Adrian Miller features original fine art by Chuck D inspired by his heroes, legends and peers and serves as a visual deep dive into society and culture.  At Saturday’s artist talk, Chuck answered audience questions and waxed poetic for over an hour about everything from his artistic process to books that influenced him, technology, politics and more. Chuck ...

If you passed through Sophie’s Artist Lounge during MATI weekend, you probably caught a glimpse of To STL With Love, the landmark exhibition celebrating the deep roots and wide-ranging impact of hip-hop culture in St. Louis. Now it’s time to go back for a closer look.  Curated and produced by Kris Blackmon in collaboration with KAF, this thorough, multidisciplinary exhibition documents, celebrates, and uplifts the artists, venues, media, and cultural moments that have shaped the St. Louis hip-hop scene over the past several decades. “Hip-hop is more than music—it is a cultural force that has shaped generations through dance, fashion, art, and community activism. St. Louis has a rich and underrepresented history in hip-hop that extends beyond the mainstream success of national artists,” says Blackmon. From ...

KAF and XYION with Soul Kitchen present this exclusive art exhibition curated by Lorrie Boula and St. Louis native Adrian Miller featuring original fine art by Chuck D that was inspired by his heroes, legends and peers and serves as a visual deep dive into society and culture. Standout pieces include a pair of diptychs: “Black Legends,” which features portraits of Harry Belafonte and Nina Simone presented in mixed media, and “Public Enemy Number One,” featuring a self-portrait of Chuck D. alongside his longtime collaborator Flavor Flav. Both works, and more than 30 pieces of his fine art, are on view and available for sale at the gallery. “Art is about sight, sound, story and style. This show is a doorway into my mind and ...

While music is the main focus of MATI weekend, visual art is an immersive component of the festival as well. MATI Places throughout the Grand Center Arts District and Midtown, as well as venues within the main stage footprint, provide unique opportunities to both view and make art. Some of the sights and experiences include:  Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis -  Join CAM on Friday, September 12 for Quilting Connections: a community quilting experience led by Black elders and textile artists. Learn quilting techniques, engage in storytelling, enjoy brunch and a live DJ. Take home a personal quilt square. The Pulitzer - Explore two new exhibitions from internationally-known artist Jennie C. Jones, who explores the intersections between the visual and the acoustic with paintings, ...