Activists and artists in St. Louis have found a different way to advocate change.
Eight billboards in St. Louis and St. Louis County feature messages urging people to stay involved in the fight for change.
The billboards are part of a public arts initiative by the Luminary and STLMade: "I watch for good news. I work with folks to create good news.鈥� They feature illustrations, photographs and graphic design encouraging St. Louisans to stay engaged and help create a stronger region.
鈥淸We鈥檙e] putting these billboards up around the city in unpredictable locations. It鈥檚 region wide, creates this kind of active watching; you never know when you鈥檙e going to come across one,鈥� said James McAnally, executive director of the Luminary. 鈥淎nd then the broader implication is that watching isn鈥檛 good enough, you鈥檝e got to work with folks to create the good news. This isn鈥檛 passive work.鈥�
The STLMade collaboration has been a yearlong effort, but it is particularly important during the coronavirus pandemic and at the end of a tumultuous presidential election, he said.
The Luminary picked seven artists from a field of about 30. McAnally said the project aims to boost the visibility of each of the artists, all of whom have rising careers.
鈥淭hrough this moment where a lot of galleries and museums are shut down, we really wanted to do a project with local artists where we could pay them and commission them to work in a way where maybe they hadn鈥檛 been able to and on a scale where they wouldn鈥檛 normally be able to,鈥� he said.
The artists include Collin Elliot, Jen Everett, PSA and Jessie Donovan, Brock Seals, Simiya Sudduth, WORK/PLAY and De Nichols.
Nichols has two billboards. One, near the intersection of Chouteau and Vandeventer avenues, features images of notes and messages describing some of the challenges St. Louis activists face today. A large red note in the middle of the billboard reads, 鈥淲e must fight for what we know is possible.鈥�
鈥淲ith these two billboards in particular, they are all fighting for justice, as a region and as a community of different cultures that have been targeted unfairly by our national administration and federal policies, but also on a local level,鈥� Nichols said.
Small copies of the billboard will be posted across the city, Nichols said. Nichols鈥� work also is displayed on a billboard at Interstate 70 and 10th Street. It uses the words 鈥淪how U.S. Justice.鈥� Nichols said the piece highlights the past decade of activism in St. Louis and how activists in the region helped shape activism across the U.S.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just saying, 鈥楽how us justice as people,' but that St. Louis has shown the United States what it means to fight for justice,鈥� Nichols said. 鈥淚n many ways an expression of pride about our local activism, but also a declaration that we will not stop fighting for justice until we feel it and we know it.鈥�
McAnally said the billboards will remain up until at least Dec. 3.
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