Kasper's Fundraiser For Intersect Arts Center

As many of you know, I recently transitioned careers and joined Intersect Arts Center a little over two months ago. What started as a joyful collaboration with the Executive Director, curating a fashion exhibition in celebration of 5 years in a beautifully renovated building, evolved into an opportunity for me to help the organization make a deeper impact in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Since my first Dovetail event, I have continued to be inspired by the entwining of creative disciplines and the enthusiastic welcoming of diverse audiences. 

I'm thrilled to be a part of the future vision here at Intersect! Read on to see what we have in store as we look to renovate our campus grounds.

Intersect Arts Center is cultivating a holistic urban habitat to deepen reciprocal relationships between people and place.

Two years ago we raised enough funding to engage local landscape architects, DTLS, to develop a revisioning plan for our 70,000 sqft property. Now we are ready to break ground but in order to do that, we need your help!!!

Please consider a gift toward phase one. Any amount will make a significant impact in our ability to move this project forward. 

To learn more about matching grants, NAP tax credits that double your impact, or the organization and our plans for the future, reach out to me, Intersect's new Director of Engagement!!! You can find me at kasper.intersectstl@gmail.com

Below outlines Intersect's plans for greenspace development. 

COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP + RESTORATION

Over the past 10 years Intersect has been part of reinvigorating a number of facilities including the former Holy Cross Lutheran School and a small private residence that is now home to our Arts + Faith focused Bridge House Gallery. Intersect Arts Center currently stewards a 30,000 sqft. historic building that sits on 70,000 sqft. of outdoor space including an unruly yard and disused parking lot bursting with potential. 

We plan to revitalize and transform our outdoor space through incremental reimagining. This process will open up economic opportunities for local businesses and artists. We will also seek creative structural collaborations between contractors and artists to visually emphasize our values.

 Proposed Mini Basketball Court

Proposed Nature Play Space

 Proposed Splash-pad + Meeting Area

ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACE 

Currently our grounds are home to community garden boxes, outdoor youth education classes, native garden beds, and stormwater rain gardens. The hope in our pursuit for continued restoration of the grounds that we steward is to weave respite ,play, and beauty into the physical gathering spaces of our community. We plan to transform our underutilized parking lot into a public splash-pad, natural playground, and sculpture park that will be a haven for families and artists alike who lack walkable play and green space. 

SCULPTURE PARK 

We plan to mount ambitious curatorial programming, activating what will be an ever-evolving Sculpture Park & Garden. It will be a place where visitors of all ages can experience both the physicality and history of the land. Advancing projects will consider the park’s unique ecological and urban infrastructural context, and seek ways that art can serve as a catalyst for community connection, identity, play, and environmental care.

NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY + WALKABILITY

Ultimately we hope to invest in safety and walkability infrastructure, creating an arts corridor that connects Intersect with the Cherokee Street arts district. In doing so, we aim to collaborate with the local government and Cherokee CID to enhance the surrounding blocks. This includes increasing pedestrian-scale lighting, supporting bike infrastructure, and integrating green spaces—proven to reduce crime risk by lowering aggression and stress. Additionally, there is a demonstrated need for cooling areas in communities that lack accessible parks.