EPISODE #41  |  December 13th, 2019

Guest: Arica Foster, Community Engagement Manager, Kranzberg Arts Foundation

It was five years ago. The death of Michael Brown and the grand jury verdict were still raw. So was the murder of Arica Foster’s cousin, a young man whose life was stripped from his family and friends far too soon. Arica couldn’t shake the reality that so many young people dying. Nor could she get over how deeply trauma was impacting the St. Louis community at large. That’s when the inspiration to tap into a new life rhythm struck a chord. As a musician and Gospel singer, along with working for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Arica knows how music – and the arts in general – can heal. So does bringing people together. Why, then, not blend both arts and people to compose a new movement and rhythm for the entire St. Louis community?

Introducing PACE (Performance Art Creative Expression), Arica’s brainchild that sets up various platforms in the Grand Center District to connect people through and with music. From Wednesday Night Jazz Crawls to the Family Sunday Series, Arica orchestrates free community arts events to foster healing. In this week’s Mental Health Matters with Executive Tom Duff, LCSW, MSW, learn how Arica’s endeavor that debuted in 2015 has scaled back the cacophony of trauma to create a new harmony for healing.