The Gateway Foundation Marks 40 Years of Public Art, Design, and Grantmaking

From 70 sculpture installations to more than $136 million invested, the Foundation has defined how St. Louis experiences art in everyday life.

By Allie Magee / photos provided by Gateway Foundation

On any given day, thousands of residents and visitors experience public art, see the Arch illuminated at night, enjoy a playground with their family, or attend a theater performance. Many of those experiences are supported or led by the Gateway Foundation. This year, the Foundation celebrates 40 years of enriching life and culture in the St. Louis area through supporting efforts to acquire, create, and improve tangible, durable, public art and urban design.

The Foundation will celebrate this milestone throughout 2026 and into 2027 with new public art announcements, expanded programming at Citygarden, and storytelling that documents its work across the region.

Founded in 1986 by Aaron and Teresa Fischer, who were devoted to improving community life and education in St. Louis, the Gateway Foundation began with a sculpture loan to the Missouri Botanical Garden and grants to fund area parks and playgrounds. In the decades that followed, new generations of the family joined the Board of Trustees alongside local cultural leaders, which helped to guide dozens of public art installations, murals, lighting projects, and the continued support of cultural institutions and public spaces, including Citygarden in downtown St. Louis.

“The Foundation has always believed that art is not an accessory to civic life, it’s essential to it,” said Heather Sweeney, executive director of the Gateway Foundation. “For 40 years, the Foundation and its board of trustees have been intentionally invested in improving the daily quality of life for St. Louisans and visitors. This anniversary marks a moment to celebrate and carry that mission forward with a continued commitment to creating spaces and experiences that connect people and strengthen the region for years to come.”

Thinker on the Rock / Washington University in St. Louis

For those who have helped define the Foundation’s work over time, the impact is both visible and deeply personal. Susan Rava, a former professor of French language and literature at Washington University in St. Louis, joined the Board of Trustees in 1992 at the invitation of Aaron Fischer and served until retiring in 2023.

"We did our work quietly so that we could lift up the community, design and artists in everything we did,” said Susan Rava. “Over the three decades I served on the board, the memories I cherish the most are the ones spent picnicking at a new installation and listening to the people around me share excitement and joy with each other. Public art brings whimsy and wonder to daily life. Lighting historic buildings fosters civic pride. Thoughtfully designing parks creates spaces for parents to make memories with their kids. That was always why we did it."

By the Numbers

Over four decades, the Gateway Foundation’s impact across the St. Louis region includes:

$136 million invested in public art, lighting and cultural organizations

69 public artworks installed by 52 artists, including 29 in Citygarden
25 public park and playground projects
12 historic lighting initiatives, including the Gateway Arch, City Hall, and other civic landmarks
13 performance space renovations supported across the region
51 fellows supported through the Gyo Obata Fellowship
3 wall murals along high-traffic corridors throughout the St. Louis area
36 artists funded through the Great Rivers Biennial in partnership with Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and selected by prominent national curators.

The Foundation's next chapter is already underway, with a slate of major initiatives that expand its reach across education, public art, and community programming. Public events and dates will be announced throughout the year.

New Sculpture Commissions

Multiple new public art projects will be announced in 2026 in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway, Rung for Women, and The Ville. These projects continue the Foundation’s commitment to placing thoughtfully curated, landscaped, and site-specific works across the region.

Gyo Obata Fellowship

The largest cohort to date was announced in April 2026, with 11 fellows from five area universities. Beginning in June, the fellows will spend 10 paid weeks immersed in local cultural institutions, gaining experience in arts administration.

Great Rivers Biennial

Returning September 11 to the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, this major initiative identifies three artists working in the greater St. Louis metropolitan region, provides finalists with an unrestricted cash award of $25,000, and elevates their profiles through an exhibition and programming at CAM.

Citygarden

New partner programming will activate Citygarden year-round, including Storytimes with the St. Louis Public Library and a production by the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. The Gateway Foundation will add new art in the form of a site specific Locust Tree sculpture, debut a re-envisioned Terrace View Cafe as a visitor center, gallery, and hub for arts and programming, and will continue to offer the summer splash pads and holiday lights and activities.

"Looking back on 40 years, we know we want to continue to invest in St. Louis through durable public art and meaningful design,” continues Sweeney. “There is a lot of work to be done throughout St. Louis City and County, and we have several projects in motion behind the scenes that will help neighborhoods become what their residents and community leaders believe they can be."

The Foundation wishes to acknowledge the recent passing of Dr. Peter H. Raven and to honor and thank him for his willingness to partner with a fledgling Gateway Foundation and his instrumental work, more broadly, to advance the arts and culture of the St. Louis community through his years of tireless leadership at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The Foundation invites the public to learn more and engage with its work by visiting installations, exploring Citygarden, and attending public programs throughout the year.

For more information and a list of public artworks, visit gateway-foundation.org and follow on social @gatewayfoundationstl.

About the Gateway Foundation

Founded in 1986, the Gateway Foundation seeks to enrich life and culture in the St. Louis area by supporting efforts to acquire, create, or improve tangible and durable art and urban design. In 2009, the Foundation’s largest project, a two-block sculpture park called Citygarden, opened in downtown St. Louis in the Gateway Mall. From prominent public sites downtown to college campuses throughout the region and a substantial installation site within the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Foundation has purchased and installed more than 70 sculptures in the area. Additionally, the Foundation has designed and funded the lighting of the Gateway Arch, City Hall, the Old Courthouse, the Civil Courts Building, the City’s three landmark Water Towers, and other historically and architecturally significant structures. More information is available at gateway-foundation.org and citygardenstl.org.

About the Gyo Obata Fellowship

One of the world's most celebrated architects and cofounder of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) died March 8, 2022, in St. Louis. He was 99. In a career stretching more than seven decades, Obata designed scores of structures, ranging from the groundbreaking Priory Chapel at Saint Louis Abbey and the iconic James S. McDonnell Planetarium at the Saint Louis Science Center to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the Japanese American National Museum Pavilion in Los Angeles, and King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In honor of his 20+ years as a board member, the Gateway Foundation has created a program to offer students direct experiences with local arts institutions. The Gyo Obata Fellowship immerses students in the work of arts administration, introducing this field to those who may never have considered it a career pathway. The Gateway Foundation believes that advancing opportunities in arts and arts management for underrepresented professionals has the potential to bring new and broader perspectives to both institutions and those working within them.

About Great Rivers Biennial

Established in 2003, the Great Rivers Biennial is a collaborative exhibition program presented by CAM and the Gateway Foundation. The initiative identifies talented emerging and mid-career artists working in the greater St. Louis metro area, provides them with financial assistance, and elevates their profile across the Midwest and national art communities.