Unlike traditional bars and restaurants, each of KAF’s venues, including The Key Burger Bar & Boogie, The Dark Room and Sophie’s Artist Lounge are part of a greater ecosystem that provides the support and infrastructure for the arts to thrive in St. Louis. Whenever you enjoy a craft cocktail or delicious bite at these spots, your hard-earned money is flowing back into that ecosystem to directly support local artists.  This week, guests will see the debut of signature MATI-inspired cocktail offerings at our venues, along with the introduction of the “MATI Melt” at The Key. A specialty menu item designed to celebrate the festival's spirit, creativity, and community, the MATI Melt consists of two beef patties, American cheese, Swiss cheese, garlic mayo, bacon and onion ...

Honora Kinsella joined KAF in May 2025 as General Manager of The Key ahead of its grand opening in October 2025. Honora had previously worked with KAF team members as an employee of concert promoter Jamo Presents, hosting events at The Big Top and Central Stage and then taking on a larger  role assisting with artist hospitality and transportation during MATI 2022. She loved the people she met and worked with and knew that if she were ever presented with an opportunity to join the KAF team long term, she would jump at the chance. Honora oversees all daily operations at The Key and never tires of welcoming guests to KAFs newest venue and first full-service restaurant.   What is your favorite part of your job ...

Curatorial & Digital Media Coordinator Kenneth Randle, an accomplished artist, officially joined the KAF staff in January 2026. He first interfaced with the Foundation in 2021, upon moving back to St. Louis from Huntsville, Ala., when he found himself being a part of a creative project that aligned with the opening of Sophie's Artist Lounge. Having worked at ArtsHuntville in Admin and Gallery management, the skills he acquired through his undergraduate and graduate journey were a perfect fit for KAF. Kenneth holds a bachelor’s degree in general art with a concentration in painting from Alabama A&M University and an MFA with a concentration in Art and Philosophy from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After working alongside the KAF visual arts team on various projects, ...

On Friday, April 3, the community gathered for the official opening of Everything Under the Sun, a public art project supported by the Sam Fox School, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation through the Design Opening initiative, which supports art and design projects and installations in the Covenant Blu/Grand Center neighborhood. The evening celebrating creativity, collaboration, and community included a talk by designer Jonathan Stitelman; MIDI: A Live Beats experience by K Kudda Muzic, curated by Mvstermind in collaboration with local producers; hands-on art making with the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis Resident Teaching Artist and more. Everything Under the Sun is a large-scale steel sculpture installed in a KAF-owned lot at the intersection of Delmar Boulevard and Leonard Avenue, at the northeastern edge of ...

MATI (Music at the Intersection) Festival and Conference returns for its sixth year with a date move to July, new indoor-outdoor format, five main stages, an amped up free block party, and a continued focus on diverse, decades-spanning, St. Louis roots-inspired programming. Headliners include singer, guitarist and former Fugees frontman Wyclef Jean; 4x Grammy winning rapper Killer Mike; legendary funk band Zapp featuring modern funk duo Tuxedo; 6x Grammy winning soul singer-songwriter PJ Morton; New Orleans bounce rapper Big Freedia; rising R&B artist Destin Conrad; neo-soul band Moonchild; and Latin instrumental trio LA LOM. New for 2026, MATI will kick off on Thursday night with a special concert at The Fabulous Fox (separate ticket required) featuring 8x Grammy winning singer, songwriter and composer Jon Batiste. The ...

Events Operations Manager Emily Hoffman served as a bartender at The Dark Room and a hospitality assistant at MATI before joining KAF full-time in early 2025. After experiencing the energy, camaraderie, and success of MATI 2023, she knew she wanted to be a part of the KAF mission. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Audio Studies with minors in Theater and Live Sound Reinforcement from Missouri State University.   What is your favorite part of your job at KAF? My favorite part of my job is the opportunity to play a role in the success of the wide variety of events that we hold in our venues. Each event brings a new experience, a new group of people, and a new set of expectations. I love being ...

KAF is proud to be STL Made and celebrate our region-wide holiday, 314 Day, on Saturday, March 14. Every day, in everything we do, KAF works to lift our local artists and provide the necessary infrastructure for the arts to thrive in St. Louis. Our artists are an integral part of what makes St. Louis so special and unique.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of 314 Day in St. Louis and we’re celebrating all throughout the district. From markets and pop ups to art exhibits, food, music, and a late night dance floor, this is a full takeover rooted in love for the Lou. Show your civic pride and join us for these exciting 314 Day events:   314 Day City Market at Sophie’s Artist Lounge: ...

Accounting and Administrative Associate Alyssa Wolf joined KAF in 2023. Her work in the arts started at a young age with her first passion—dance. Alyssa grew up performing at The Muny each summer in the mainstage shows and all across St. Louis as a Muny Kid and Muny Teen. Those experiences led her to pursue theatre and dance at the Conservatory of Theatre & Dance at Southeast Missouri State University, where she not only honed her craft, but learned other aspects of the arts as well. Working in the administrative department at the conservatory, she quickly realized that she enjoyed the production and operational side of the industry. With her combined passion for performing and her education in the business, she was eager to ...

In addition to its regular juried and resident exhibitions, KAF maintains the Kranzbergs’ private collection, built over decades and heavily focused on St. Louis artists. These works are displayed in regular rotation across KAF’s venues and spaces.. Portions of The Collection, some never before publicly displayed, are now part of a special exhibition, A Story Unfolding, on view through April 5 at The Kranzberg Gallery. Bringing them to this location represents a full-circle moment in the first physical space occupied by KAF in the Grand Center Arts District.  Female identifying artists are central this installation, which balances large-scale, room-defining work with pieces that reward close looking by artists including: Carol Carter, Sabina Ott, Tina Mion, Melody Evans, Diana Guerrero-Macia, Ginny Ruffner, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and ...

In addition to great food and entertainment, The Key Burger Bar & Boogie offers a glimpse into the past, present and future of sports in St. Louis. In order to create the perfect atmosphere for game day viewing as well as pre and post-game celebrations, KAF partnered with art consultant and St. Louis sports superfan B.J. Vogt to curate a collection of sports memorabilia and artwork—primarily St. Louis Blues and St. Louis CITY SC—to adorn the space. “I grew up here in St. Louis. I play sports and I've been a hockey fan my entire life. I'm also a huge CITY SC fan and a member of the Saint Louis City Punks, which is one of the supporter groups,” Vogt says. He and his family ...