KAF’s recently-opened venues, The Sovereign and The Key, are not only spaces to enjoy great music, drinks and food, but are now also part of The Walls Off Washington, thanks to two new murals by legendary artists Kenny Scharf and Brock Seals.  Los Angeles-based artist Scharf returned to St. Louis to create a new mural titled "Kranzbergville: Forever and Ever For Eva to Infinity ∞” on the side of the Sovereign—a riff on his existing mural, “Kranzbergville,” across the street on the side of High Low. The new mural features a village of faces, gestures, and fluttering butterflies (named Mothra and Mothro), reflecting humanity’s  joys, storms, and hope. Each figure and each color stretches toward infinity in a vision of reflection, renewal, responsibility and boundless ...

KAF’s latest development, The Key Burger Bar & Boogie, makes its grand opening this Wednesday, October 29th at 3225 Olive Street. A pitch-perfect place where the music plays, the game is always on, and the dance floor is open, The Key is destined to be the new favorite neighborhood hang. On one side of the complex, the fast-casual Burger Bar offers a delectable menu of smashburgers made from pasture centric sustainable beef from Price Family Farms; specialty fries, tacos, a variety of appetizers and a dozen house-made specialty sauces, developed in partnership with chef Michele Coen of Michele C Catering. The food menu is complimented by a great selection of craft cocktails and local beers, while games of St. Louis’ favorite local sports teams play ...

A new multipurpose development from KAF, Grandel Square Studios & Workspaces, is officially open at 3701 Grandel Square, offering studio spaces for visual and multidisciplinary artists and workspaces for nonprofits. KAF purchased the building from The Urban League of St. Louis in order to support their purchase of a new headquarters. For the past couple of years, the space has been divided into two suites - one occupied by the St. Louis Story Stitchers, and another utilized by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra during the renovation of Powell Hall.  With the Symphony now back in its renovated home, the building is now operational in its intended purpose of supporting artists and social service nonprofits. Over 20 workspaces and studios offer shared amenities, including conference rooms, ...

Anyone strolling past 3333 Washington Avenue on a lovely St. Louis evening might be instantly drawn in by the stunning rainbow chandelier, vibrant paintings, stylish furnishings and huge DJ booth viewable through the wall of plate glass windows at Sophie’s Artist Lounge. More than just a nightclub, Sophie’s is an innovative space where artists, curators and DJs play an integral role in shaping St. Louis’ cultural landscape.  Named for the granddaughter of KAF founders Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Sophie’s originated in a second-floor space in .ZACK in 2017, catering to the local artistic community, specifically resident organizations within the building. Like all KAF venues, Sophie’s remains a non-profit model with every dollar spent by patrons going directly back into supporting KAF artists and programs.  Sophie’s relocated ...

One of the cornerstones of KAF’s mission to provide essential infrastructure for the arts to thrive in the St. Louis region is the Kranzberg Artist in Residency (KAIR) program. The program was launched in 2021 with the mission of helping each participant define, pursue and achieve their individual goals as an artist by providing the tools and space to improve their skills, develop new professional relationships and increase their knowledge. KAIR grew out of KAFs Music Artist in Residence program that was established in 2018, and expanded to include visual and literary arts. Since that time, the program has empowered dozens of St. Louis-based artists from diverse backgrounds, utilizing KAF artistic venues, studios, community programming and strategic partnerships to help take their careers to the ...

The fifth annual MATI Conference and Festival was a smashing success with crowds of approximately 17,000 gathering in Grand Center across the weekend-long event September 12 through 14. This year brought new changes to the festival, including a revised and expanded footprint that included the introduction of The Sovereign as a main stage venue, the Laz Jazz Artist Lounge stage programmed by venerable St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff, and the introduction of MATI Places, extending programming into the full Grand Center Arts District. All were well-received by audiences, signaling an openness to MATI’s continued growth and development. While main stage pass holders enjoyed world-class headliners like Common, Patti LaBelle, Branford Marsalis and De La Soul, people throughout the neighborhood were treated with free or low-cost ...

A St. Louis native and graduate of Cardinal Ritter College Prep, Curatorial and Digital Media Assistant Chris Pulphus joined KAF’s Visual Arts team in January 2025 and was drawn to the Foundation due to its continuous support of local artists and the massive infrastructure KAF brings to the St. Louis artist community. What is your favorite part of your job at KAF? Helping artists bring their visions to life is my favorite part of the job. It's an honor to be a part of that process and see all of our hard work come to fruition. How do you feel your role directly supports the KAF mission? My role consistently embodies the KAF mission because my work directly supports artists. Whether I'm making sure they're getting paid, have ...

MATI 2025 is just three days away! It’s not too late to join the best party of the year. Weekend, Daily and MATI Places passes are still available, as are full memberships with added perks. Whether you’re a loyal attendee or it’s your first time, this year offers new and exciting experiences for everyone with programming that extends outside of the main festival footprint throughout the Grand Center Arts District. The weekend features more than 100 national, regional and St. Louis-based performances and presentations across 19 stages and venues. One of the best parts of MATI is discovering sights and sounds you may not have been familiar with before that will soon become favorites. Arrive early and allow time to roam and take it all ...

Fall is an amazing time for the arts in St. Louis! A variety of theatre and dance productions presented by KAF Resident companies are set to grace our stages this fall. The Foundation is proud to partner with a number of organizations producing world-class art in St. Louis, providing an intersection of arts venues and work environments that serve a full range of artistic processes. Show your support by checking out a performance. “The fall schedule provides a wealth of opportunities to see some of the best performing arts St. Louis has to offer from some of our treasured independent theatre and dance companies,” says KAF Executive Director Chris Hansen. “Our intimate theatre spaces allow patrons to be up close and immersed in the action.” Fall ...

It’s been nearly six years since High Low first opened its doors at 3301 Washington Ave. in the Grand Center Arts District. Conceived as a home for the literary arts and a venue for freedom of expression through spoken and written word, High Low features a library and cafe; a state-of-the-art listening room for spoken performances and events; a modern visual arts gallery; and resident organization office suites and collaborative workspaces.  On any given day, the cafe’s long library tables and comfy sofas and chairs are filled with SLU students and neighborhood professionals, studying, collaborating and conversing amid its shelves of books while sipping made-to-order drinks from Blueprint Coffee. Each Thursday from 12-1 p.m., the Listening Room opens for the free weekly High Noon speakers ...