Intersect's Public Art and Play Greenspace

Hi friends! Intersect is a really beautiful place in South City whose purpose is to bring people together through meaningful arts experiences. We're about loving this place and loving each other, and the Sculpture Park and Naturescape development of our current urban campus is part of that vision. In an era where public funding for the arts is significantly threatened, we're relying more than ever on our community for your support! Every donation and every share makes a difference. :) If you're interested to learn more about the greenspace development project, please read on! 

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

Over the past two years, with donor support, Intersect worked with 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, they need our help!!!

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

To learn more about matching grants, tax credit donations, or the organization and their plans for the future, reach out to their Director of Engagement, Kasper Woldtvedt at kasper.intersectstl@gmail.com

Below outlines Intersect's plans for Campus Revisioning. 

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 transform our outdoor space through incremental reimagination. This process will open up economic opportunities for local businesses and artists, educational opportunities for youth, and impact community health and home 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 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 both permanent and temporary 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 improve the 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.