Counterpublic Awarded $250,000 in ARPA for the Arts Funding to Attract More Out-of-Town Visitors from Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

Counterpublic is proud to announce it has been awarded a $250,000 ARPA for the Arts Tourism Grant from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL). The grant will support Counterpublic with staffing, marketing, programs, and initiatives that attract more visitors to St. Louis City.

In September, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL) awarded more than $6 million in ARPA for the Arts grants to 21 local organizations through one-time, tourism grants. The grants are meant to support organizations with staffing, marketing, programs, and initiatives that attract more visitors to St. Louis City. ARPA for the Arts is a collaboration between the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, the Community Development Administration of St. Louis (CDA), and the City of St. Louis.

The arts are crucial to the economic development of St. Louis, contributing nearly $868 million to the region in 2022 according to the Americans for the Arts – Arts and Economic Report 6. Additionally, more than 8.1 million local and out-of-town tourists attended St. Louis theatre performances, concerts, art fairs, festivals, and more in 2022 – many of which were funded by RACSTL. Out-of-town tourists spent 71% more than their local counterparts when engaging in local arts and culture experiences.

“We’ve made significant investments with our ARPA for the Arts Tourism grants. We are funding and encouraging greater innovation and collaboration between arts and culture organizations. We want to see increased audience engagement and help expand our individual and collective cultural tourism efforts. We believe this work will ultimately bring more visitors to St. Louis City,” said Vanessa Cooksey, RACSTL president and CEO.

“The City of St. Louis and the Regional Arts Commission have been leading the way in their continual commitment to art-inspired regeneration of the region through one of the most impactful ARPA investments in the arts in the nation. Counterpublic is grateful to be a recipient of these funds as we work with RAC to help make St. Louis an epicenter of art and culture tourism through our next edition,” said James McAnally, Executive + Artistic Director of Counterpublic.