Peace in the Prairie

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective presents Peace in the Prairie, an original presentation exploring the concepts of peace and violence, juxtaposing urban life as experienced by African American people living in the city of St. Louis, Missouri and the state’s endangered prairie lands.

Is the path towards peace through Missouri’s native prairies?

April 22, 2022

10:00 AM-9:30 PM

Earth Day!

World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park

Saint Louis, Missouri

Free and open to the public

All ages

Peace in the Prairie is presented with support from Missouri Arts Council, a State Agency, which receives support from the State of Missouri.

Story Stitchers is supported by The Lewis Prize for Music’s 2021 Accelerator Award. The mission of The Lewis Prize is to partner with leaders who create positive change by investing in young people through music. 

Additional support for Saint Louis Story Stitchers is provided by the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, City of St. Louis Youth at Risk Crime Prevention grant of 2021 and 2022, March For Our Lives Aid & Alliance, Edward Jones Community and Philanthropic Giving, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

To learn more visit: https://storystitchers.org/peace-in-the-prairie-2/

Vendors

Vendors will bring information and resources about prairies and native plants, accessing and enjoying the outdoors, and healing from trauma.

10:00-12:00

• Cabanne Library, St. Louis Public Library - Resources related to Earth Day and conservation

10:00-4:00

• Audubon Center at Riverlands - Birds of Missouri prairies
• Alive and Well - Resources for mental health and healing
• Crime Victim's Center - Resources for victim recovery, mental health and healing
• Missouri Prairie Foundation - Prairie books, seeds, related products, and information
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - Resources for adults to learn how to keep their families safe from firearms, how to talk with youth about firearms, and identify warning signs of suicide by firearms

10:00-2:00

• Missouri Department of Conservation, Powder Valley Nature Center & Tower Grove Park Office - Animals of the Prairie will have various mammal pelts, and a few other animals (like birds and insects) that people can find on Missouri’s prairies.
• Flora Conservancy of Forest Park - Offering plants such as native plant Rudbeckia Trifola pictured above and Flora related gifts for sale
• Perennial - teaching people creative skills to upcycle materials

12:00-4:00

• Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter - masks, t-shirts, and information about our outings programs & state parks in Missouri

2:00-4:00

• Creative Reaction Lab - Sharing art made by youth reacting to gun violence, community trauma, and mental health

• Women's Voices Raised For Social Justice - Lock It For Love providing free gun locks and gun safety education

Performances and Presentations

10:00-4:00

Power4STL aka The T with Punch Love! with TWheels - Make your own first aid kit and PunchLove Boxing

10:30

Yoga and Mindfulness with Michelle Fleming, Certified Yoga Therapist

11:00-11:30 and 12:30-1:00

Understanding Trauma with Alive and Well

1:15-1:45

Story Circle with Master Storyteller Bobby Norfolk

2:30-3:00

Birds in Missouri Prairies with Audubon Center at Riverlands

4:00-6:00

Who's Ready? Music Video Cameos with Troy Anthony

6:00-6:45

Ars Poetica - Spontaneous poetry

CommUNITY Arts Pop UP performances

* MoSTLy Tap

* Big Plate Dance + CS Academy

* CS Academy Landscapes

* Loukidz

Story Stitchers Pop UP Krump Dance to Bug and Bird Beatz

Free and open to the public.

Sugarfire Boxed Picnic Lunch

1:00 PM

Pre-order through April 13

Reserve a delicious boxed sandwich lunch!

• Ticketed Meal
• Meals by pre-order only
• Pre-order through April 13

Who's Ready? We ready!

We ready for the violence to stop!

4:00 - 6:00 PM

You're invited!

Tired of the gun violence in our city? It's time to stand up and be heard!

Sign up to join Saint Louis Story Stitchers music video re-shoot of their original song, "Who's Ready?" Bring your group or bring yourself! We will film you singing the call and response to the song! If you are under 18, be sure to bring a parent or guardian, too!

This project is supported in part by a grant from March For Our Lives Aid & Alliance.

• Free with Registration. Spaces are limited.

MAIN EVENT

Performance and Film Screening by Saint Louis Story Stitchers

Picnic Dinner and Pre-Screening Community Gathering

7:00-8:00 PM

Peace in the Prairie

Is the path towards peace through Missouri’s native prairies?

Reserve a chair at our community tables to hear speakers and see performances celebrating the earth we share and its power to heal us from the trauma of exposure violence and loss.

• Ticketed Meal
• Meals by pre-order only
• Pre-order through April 13 or bring your own picnic dinner

Peace in the Prairie

MAIN EVENT - Free

6:45:-7:15 Ars Poetica

7:00 Dinner and Saint Louis Story Stitchers Performance

Reserve a boxed dinner and a chair by April 13.

7:45-9:00 PM Film Screening at dusk under the Stars

April 23-30, 2022 Film Screening online at storystitchers.org

Film Screening at storystitchers.org. Peace in the Prairie 2022 will be available with captions for public viewing online for a limited time. Please enjoy.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective presents Peace in the Prairie, an original presentation exploring the concepts of peace and violence, juxtaposing urban life as experienced by African American people living in the city of St. Louis, Missouri and the state’s endangered prairie lands.

Is the path towards peace through Missouri’s native prairies?

Reserve a chair at our community table sand enjoy cocoa or hot tea, and a cookie , snuggle under a lap blanket, and grab a hand warmer for a unique and unforgettable event!

Experience the original film by Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective, six years in the making, under the stars of our city in the most iconic park in America!

Peace in the Prairie is unique to Missouri, generated by local artists and residents reflecting on loss and resilience in the human experience and rejuvenation in nature.

Peace in the Prairie expands the artistic body of work of African American artists in the Collective, addresses the community need of understanding violence while seeking peace, supports the exploration of new natural settings by both artists and audiences, and supports the greater understanding of Missouri's unique natural heritage in its native prairie lands.

Celebrate Earth Day April 22, 2022, at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park with Peace in the Prairie. Community groups involved in gardening, native plants, birding, hiking, planting trees, and loving the earth or who can bring resources for victims of violence are encouraged to contact Story Stitchers for more information on getting involved.

Peace in the Prairie is presented with support from Missouri Arts Council, a State Agency, which receives support from the State of Missouri.

Additional support for Saint Louis Story Stitchers is provided by The Lewis Prize For Music, the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, City of St. Louis Youth at Risk Crime Prevention grant of 2021, March For Our Lives, Edward Jones Community and Philanthropic Giving, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

To learn more visit: https://storystitchers.org/peace-in-the-prairie-2/

Introduction to Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

Learn about the work of Saint Louis Story Stitchers!

ABOUT SAINT LOUIS STORY STITCHERS ARTISTS COLLECTIVE

The Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective is artists and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) youth ages 16-24, working together to create social change with a focus on gun violence prevention.

Story Stitchers is committed to placing youth at the center of the work both in identifying topics for exploration as well as the methods for engagement. This approach builds a community of youth and professional artists who respect one another. Gun violence continues to be a pressing public health crisis that consumes the attention of the engaged youth, and artistic expression helps youth work through the pain and loss they have experienced.

Stitchers collect stories, reframe and retell them through art, writing and performance to promote understanding, civic pride, intergenerational relationships and literacy. Projects create a platform for community engagement through an artistic lens and with it the Saint Louis Story Stitchers work to shift perceptions and realities and bring hope to the Saint Louis community. Our goal is to promote a better educated, more peaceful and caring region through storytelling.

storystitchers.org

History

Once upon a time there was a stitcher who liked to embroider stories from the newspaper. One day she was stitching about two sisters who were shot on their porch in University City. One sister died. Two brothers were arrested for the crime. The stitcher reflected on the power of stitching throughout history; of the Aids quilt and quilts on the Underground Railroad. She determined to join with others to create change. In August 2013 eight artists gathered in Old North St. Louis and founded the Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective — to make change.

Board of Directors

Susan Colangelo, President and Executive Director susanc@storystitchers.org

Breona Butler, Vice President

Tausha Dirks, Secretary

Maggie Wu, CPA, Treasurer

Members At Large

Michelle Fleming

Keisa M. Johnson, Esq.

Ben Kessler

Amanda Shields

Lynn Valeri

Cassandria White

John A Wright, Jr.