As Event and Booking Manager, Carman Grisham is responsible for all things related to booking and coordinating events across KAF venue, working closely with artists, arts organizations, and nonprofits to help them bring their ideas to life — whether that’s a play, concert, dance show, film screening, or community event. From start to finish, she helps connect creatives with the space, tools, and support they need to share their work with the public.
Grisham joined the team in 2017, inspired by the work the Foundation was doing for local artists and the broader St. Louis community and hoping to grow with the organization.
What drew you to KAF?
What drew me then still inspires me now. KAF doesn’t just support the arts — it actively invests in artists, organizations, and creative infrastructure. It provides affordable spaces, performance venues, and the kind of hands-on support that allows artists to do what they do best: create. Being part of a team that champions accessibility, equity, and sustainability in the arts makes the work feel meaningful every single day.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Simply put, working with passionate individuals and getting to say yes to artists. I love helping people bring their creative visions to life — whether it’s a first-time theatre production, a community film screening, or a grassroots festival. Every day is different, and I get to work alongside passionate people who care deeply about the arts and this city. Seeing our spaces filled with energy, expression, and community makes it all worth it.
How do you feel your role directly supports the KAF mission?
My role is all about creating access. I work with artists and organizations to open doors — literally and figuratively — to spaces where they can share their work with the public. By helping them navigate the booking process, understand the logistics, and feel supported from start to finish, I’m making sure our venues stay active, inclusive, and artist-driven. It’s about making room for voices that need to be heard and building the kind of infrastructure that helps the arts thrive long-term.
What do you love most about the St. Louis arts community?
It’s our community — it’s friends, neighbors, friends of friends, and family of friends. There’s something really special about watching someone you know step on stage, hang their work on a gallery wall, or organize their first event. The St. Louis arts scene is deeply personal, incredibly supportive, and full of people lifting each other up. That kind of connection and creativity is what makes it feel like home.
What do you personally do (outside of work) to engage in the arts?
I stay grounded — literally — by spending time in nature. Whether it’s playing disc golf, hiking, fishing, or floating, being outdoors helps me reset and reconnect with creativity in a more personal way. Nature is its own kind of art, and that quiet space inspires me to show up fully for the artists I support.
Who are some of your favorite St. Louis artists/musicians/creators that people should check out?
This is one of the hardest questions to answer — there’s just so much talent in St. Louis. But here are a few that come to mind:
Music: T Dubb O, BLVK SPVDE, Anita Jackson
Theatre: Soul Siren Playhouse, Metro Theater Company, Tesseract Theatre Company
Dance: PNC (Pack Dance), Karlovsky & Company
Visual: 18andCounting, Cbabi Bayoc
And that’s just to name a few. There’s an entire ecosystem of artists here doing meaningful, genre-pushing work — you just have to tap in.
