Fact Sheet – Arts and Education Council (A&E)
Who We Are
Founded in 1963, A&E is the only privately funded arts umbrella organization that serves the 16-county, bi-state St. Louis region. This area is comprised of St. Louis City; the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren and Washington; and the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair. A&E has raised and distributed more than $100 million in support of the arts and arts education in the St. Louis region – a significant contribution that directly affects our quality of life. A&E does not receive any funds through taxing districts or government entities. With the funds raised through private donations and community partnerships, A&E annually assists nearly 70 nonprofit arts and arts education organizations.
Mission
To build appreciation, participation and support for arts and arts education throughout the St. Louis community.
Earning Community Trust
A 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, the Arts and Education Council meets all 20 Better Business Bureau Charity Standards and has earned the Wise Giving Seal of Approval, a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Guidestar Exchange Silver Participant rating. Recent honors include the 2013 Missouri Arts Award for Philanthropy from the Missouri Arts Council and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (St. Louis) 2012 Spirit of Philanthropy Award.
Recent Milestones
▪ The Arts and Education Council launched its new website in March of 2016. The robust new site showcases A&E’s Makers of St. Louis video and offers an interactive ARTS Card calendar, a crowdfunding platform, and is fully responsive.
▪ The St. Louis Arts Awards, hosted by the Arts and Education Council, takes place annually and marks its 25th year in January 2016. This highly anticipated event is the preeminent award ceremony honoring individuals who achieve a legacy of artistic excellence, and organizations and businesses that enrich
St. Louis’ arts and cultural community.
▪ In 2015, A&E announced the fifth year of the award-winning Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers. The Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers has a substantial effect on students. McCluer High School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, a four-time recipient of the Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers, found that the average school attendance rate increased by more than 10% and the average ACT score and grade point average increased by nearly 40% for students participating in the programs supported by the Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers. Moreover, in the past five years McCluer High School students participating in the Maritz funded program received more than $300,000 in college scholarships.
▪ In 2012, the Arts and Education Council purchased its first permanent home, the Centene Center for the Arts, located in the burgeoning Grand Center Arts District. A&E offers below-market-rate office space and provides secure technological infrastructure, rehearsal and performance space to arts organizations. This arts incubator inspires collaboration and reinforces the importance of the business of the arts.