News

Arts in Transit Receives $25,000 From the Gateway Foundation

Arts in Transit, a non-profit subsidiary of Bi-State Development, has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Gateway Foundation. The Gateway Foundation, best known for its work to develop Citygarden in downtown St. Louis, supports cultural and artistic activities to improve the quality of life in the St. Louis region.

The $25,000 grant will be used to support the 2019 MetroScapes, an annual public art program that reproduces the original work of local artists on large posters and features them at more than 200 Metro Transit locations throughout the St. Louis region. Since its launch in 2016, the program has featured the work of 30 local artists, representing a variety of ages and experience – from elementary school students to retirees.

“We are extremely grateful for the generous contribution of the Gateway Foundation and their support of the MetroScapes program,” said David Allen, Director of Arts in Transit. “With their help, we will be able to support some of the region’s most talented and exciting artists, and share their original work with transit riders and the neighborhoods served by the Metro Transit system.”

Arts in Transit was established in 1986 to connect the community and public transit through art and art education. Since then, it has supported numerous public art programs and commissioned more than 150 temporary and permanent public art installations throughout the St. Louis region. For more information about Arts in Transit and the MetroScapes program, visit artsintransit.org.

About Metro Transit

Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system which includes 400 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 83 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 38 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call‑A‑Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro Transit is one of five enterprises operated by Bi-State Development.

About the Gateway Foundation

Founded in 1986, the Gateway Foundation seeks to enrich life and culture in the St. Louis area by supporting efforts to acquire, create, or improve tangible and durable art and urban design. In 2009, the Foundation’s largest project, a two-block sculpture park called Citygarden, opened in downtown St. Louis in the Gateway Mall. From prominent public sites downtown to community college campuses in St. Louis County, Gateway also has purchased and installed more than 30 sculptures in the area. Additionally, the Foundation has arranged for and funded the lighting of the Gateway Arch, the Old Courthouse, the Civil Courts Building, and other prominent structures, and has funded the building and maintenance of several city playgrounds and parks. More information is available at gateway-foundation.org and citygardentstl.org.