Counterpublic

Over the past week, Counterpublic has been featured in a number of news articles celebrating the rematriation of Sugarloaf Mound. What’s more, we have witnessed an outpouring of support from St. Louisans, the Midwest, and beyond. Writers have handled this historic moment with care and attention, interviewing key members of this campaign and contextualizing Sugarloaf Mound within the greater Land Back movement. Take a moment to read some of the quotes and segments! Jim Salter for The Associated Press: "St. Louis was once known as Mound City for its many Native American mounds. Just one remains." https://lnkd.in/gUZkjd59 Angella d'Avignon for The Art Newspaper: "Indigenous mound in St Louis is transferred to the Osage Nation" https://lnkd.in/gKwynHsK Christine Jackson for St. Louis Magazine: "Osage Nation is one step closer to complete stewardship of Sugarloaf Mound" https://lnkd.in/gPNh7_QU Adam Schrader for artnet: "Historic Land Transfer to Osage Nation Facilitated by Arts Group" https://lnkd.in/gVnPnmHc Chad Davis for St. Louis Public Radio: "Osage Nation regains home on Sugarloaf Mound as part of reclamation efforts" https://lnkd.in/guVU64mf Gabrielle Hays for PBS NewsHour: "A sacred site in St. Louis will return to the Osage Nation" https://lnkd.in/gHTmZBWc Kaili Berg for Native News Online: "Sacred Mound Returned to Osage Nation" https://lnkd.in/gEuPndgp

Counterpublic and the Osage Nation announce the historic land transfer of Sugarloaf Mound. In partnership with the Osage Nation, Counterpublic is honored to announce a historic land transfer agreement for Sugarloaf Mound, the last intact Mississippian mound and oldest human-made structure located in the City of St. Louis. Accompanying the transfer will be a first of its kind resolution by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen sponsored by Cara Spencer and with the support of Mayor Tishaura Jones, marking the City’s first public acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the Osage Nation with ancestral rights to this sacred site. The announcement marks a major milestone in Counterpublic’s three-year effort to rematriate the entirety of the mound to the Osage Nation. Artistic and Executive Director James McAnally and Dr. Andrea Hunter, Director of the Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office, with Counterpublic 2023 curators Risa Puleo and New Red Order, have stewarded the rematriation process with private owner Joan Heckenberg, who has lived atop the mound for over eighty years. Our aim has been to create an intentional process that offers a replicable model for how art can connect with Land Back movements directly to seed lasting change. Following the purchase of the summit of the mound by the Osage Nation in 2009, the transfer agreement with private owner Joan Heckenberg leaves only one home remaining on the mound, currently owned by the St. Louis chapter of Kappa Psi, a national pharmaceutical fraternity. We’re hopeful that the Board Resolution, paired with public input from supporters like you, will help facilitate the sale or transfer of this last home for the long-term preservation of the mound and eventual construction of an Osage Interpretive Center. Visit the link below to learn more about the rematriation of Sugarloaf Mound: https://lnkd.in/gYiTpd_N #Counterpublic #Counterpublic2023 #Counterpublic2026 Mellon Foundation #SugarloafMound #IndigenousSTL #OsageNation #LandBack #NewRedOrder #indigenousart #landbackmovement

Artists, are you looking for a way to build your connections within the artist community? Attend our St. Louis Artist Connect Night! Meet us, meet each other, and learn more about how to connect with Counterpublic as an artist. Date: Wednesday, November 13 Time: 6-8 PM Location: TechArtista UCity, 725 Kingsland Ave, University City, MO 63130 Registration is appreciated, but not required. Visit https://lnkd.in/gr_8nSzp to register today! We can't wait to talk with you ??

Welcome Abraham Diaz to the Counterpublic team as a Community Organizer! ?? Abraham Diaz is an architectural designer, artist, and community organizer based in St. Louis, MO. He is dedicated to social justice through the research and practice of somatic design, a field closely related to trauma-informed design. In 2022, he received a Divided City Graduate Summer Research Fellowship where he traveled to the Southwestern United States to document US Customs and Border Patrol interior checkpoints, proof of what he considers the United State’s growing legacy of colonialism and white supremacy. Abraham is active in the movement for a free Palestine.

Counterpublic invites artists of all mediums to submit to our growing St. Louis Artist Database! Interested artists can submit their information via our website. All we need is your name, email address, and website (or social media link) where we can find your work! The St. Louis Artist Database is a vital part of our efforts to connect with every artist in the region. By submitting your work through our online form, you are becoming a part of a larger network of opportunities. Visit the link in our bio to learn more about + submit your work to the St. Louis Artist Database. Not an artist but consider yourself artist-adjacent? Tag and share with your friends! If you have any further questions regarding submitting to the database, please email [email protected]. ?? We’ll see you at the Artist Connect Night on November 13th from 6-8 PM at TechArtista UCity! Meet us, meet each other, and learn more about how to connect with Counterpublic as an artist. Register + submit your questions at https://lnkd.in/g3BvjhsZ.

Introducing Kristin Fleischmann Brewer as Counterpublic’s Deputy Director! Previously, Kristin was the Deputy Director, Public Engagement at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation where she worked as a curator and the leader of external relations. A leader in the St. Louis arts community, her portfolio of projects includes public art, mission-building, strategic partnerships, and campus planning. Projects have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Art in America, and more. Kristin serves as the President of the Board of Directors for The Luminary, a platform for contemporary artists and cultural leaders, and co-founded artist-run galleries Monaco and Enamel Art Space. She is a recipient of the St. Louis Business Journal's 40 Under 40 award and a frequent speaker at universities and art organizations. Visit the link below to read Kristin’s full bio: https://lnkd.in/gzTR3-Kn #counterpublic #counterpublic2026 #stlarts #stl #stlouis #stlouisarts

What are our goals for the St. Louis Artist Database? ? Build a comprehensive list of artists in the St. Louis region. ? Create a secure online database to share with our curators and project partners. ? Expand our relationships with local artists and catalyze creative opportunities. The St. Louis Artist Database is a vital part of our efforts to connect with every artist in the region. By submitting your work through our online form, you are becoming a part of a larger network of opportunities. Visit the link in our bio to learn more about + submit your work to the St. Louis Artist Database. Not an artist but consider yourself artist-adjacent? Tag and share with your friends! Event Reminder: ?? We’ll see you at the Artist Connect Night on November 13th from 6-8 PM at TechArtista UCity! Meet us, meet each other, and learn more about how to connect with Counterpublic as an artist. Refreshments will be provided. Register + submit your questions at https://lnkd.in/gr_8nSzp

STL artists: We want to meet you! Join us on November 13 from 6-8pm for an interactive session with St. Louis artists and the Counterpublic team. This artist-focused networking event welcomes artists of all mediums to TechArtista UCity. Executive + Artistic Director James McAnally and Assistant Curator Charlie Farrell will discuss the St. Louis Artist Database, present the curatorial process, share ways you can get involved, and answer your art-focused burning questions about Counterpublic. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Register for the event + submit your questions at https://lnkd.in/g7sHtetZ

Calling All Artists: Let’s Build a St. Louis Artist Database! Submit your information to the first St. Louis Artist Database. This crowd-sourced data is a vital part of our efforts to connect with every artist in the region. By submitting your work through our online form, you are becoming a part of a larger network of opportunities. Not an artist? Forward to your friends. It only takes a minute ?? The repository will house artists’ contact information and websites and will be a reference as we develop future projects. With your approval, we will also share your work with other curators and project partners. We can’t wait to learn more about you! ? Where to start: Submit your information through our online form. This ongoing artist database is for our curators and partners to learn about your work. Wondering if you’re the right fit? Check out our FAQ. ? Where to connect: Attend the upcoming Artist Connect Night on November 13th from 6-8 PM at TechArtista UCity to meet us, meet each other, and learn more about how to connect with Counterpublic as an artist. ? What to share: Help us connect with artists far and wide across St. Louis. Are you an artist or friends with arts and culture people? Tag and send to your friends! Visit https://lnkd.in/g3BvjhsZ to submit to the Artist Database, register for the Artist Connect Night, and access everything Counterpublic.

Introducing Wanda Nanibush, Curator for Counterpublic 2026: “I am very excited to work with Counterpublic because of both the stated commitment to and the actual actions on the lasting impact of the arts on St. Louis. We hope to expand this in 2026 with profound engagements in and with communities where the arts can be a life changing experience. It is this marriage of artistic experimentation and long lasting community impact that is my goal. I would like to see the fun, loving, deep, committed, connected side of St.Louis brought to the fore through art works and performances of Counterpublic.” Based in Toronto, Wanda Nanibush is the founding director of aabaakwad, an international yearly gathering of Indigenous curators, writers and artists that last took place at Venice Biennale. She recently won the Toronto Book Award for her co-authored book Moving the Museum which chronicles some of her groundbreaking work at the Art Gallery of Ontario as the Inaugural curator of Indigenous Art. We are thrilled to have Wanda on our team for the next edition of Counterpublic! Visit www.counterpublic.org to learn more about Wanda and Counterpublic 2026. Photo captions in comments