City in Motion awarded Missouri Arts Organization of the Years
- lydknopp
- Jan 17
- 4 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | November 12, 2025 > Read the Original Press Release
Missouri Arts Council announces 2026 Missouri Arts Awards honorees
St. Louis, MO – The Missouri Arts Council has chosen the recipients of the 2026
Missouri Arts Awards, the state’s highest honor in the arts.
The 2026 Missouri Arts Awards recipients are the Community Music School of Webster
University, St. Louis, for arts education; City in Motion Dance Theater, Kansas City, for
arts organization; City of West Plains for creative community; Ray Harvey, New Haven,
for individual artist; Erin Warner Prange, St. Louis, for leadership in the arts; and David
and Thelma Steward, St. Louis, for philanthropy.
“The arts tell the story of who we are as Missourians,” said Lieutenant Governor David
Wasinger. “These honorees remind us that creativity isn’t confined to one city or stage
— it’s alive in classrooms, small towns, and communities across our state. We’re proud
to celebrate their work and the lasting impact they’ve made on Missouri’s cultural life.”
Including these 44th annual awards, the Missouri Arts Awards have since 1983
acclaimed 262 people, organizations, and communities throughout the state for their
significant contributions to Missouri’s artistic and cultural legacy. The 2026 honorees will
be recognized in a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol on February 4, 2026.
An independent panel of Missourians from the statewide arts community selected the
honorees from public nominations.
Arts Education | Community Music School of Webster University, St. Louis
One of the premier music schools in the country, the Community Music School (CMS) of
Webster University has provided comprehensive music education for an entire century.
Every year CMS serves about 1,200 students across all skill levels, young children
through adults. The programs include individual lessons, group classes, chamber music
ensembles, two full orchestras, summer camps and more. CMS amplifies its impact
through awarding scholarships, partnering with public and private school systems,
performing free concerts, and visiting nursing homes, cultural institutions, and
community centers.
Arts Organization | City in Motion Dance Theater, Kansas City
Founded in 1985, City in Motion Dance Theater, Inc. is the longest running
contemporary dance company in Kansas City. City in Motion builds bridges in the
community with its professional company, dance school, outreach program, and
performance series that includes the free “Dance in the Park” each fall. Its mission is “to
create dance opportunities for everybody in Kansas City.” Over the past five years City
in Motion has increasingly collaborated with social service agencies to provide free
classes to high-risk people such as survivors of domestic violence and students who are
visually impaired.
Creative Community | City of West Plains
The arts are crucial to the identity and growth of West Plains, the commercial and
cultural hub of south-central Missouri. Creative businesses and special events from First
Thursday Downtown Strolls to the annual Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival
make for a vibrant location for residents and a year-round destination for tourists.
Teamwork among the city government, West Plains Downtown Revitalization Inc., West
Plains Council on the Arts, Missouri State University–West Plains, civic and service
organizations, and the business community ensures that the arts are embedded in the
long-term strategy for the city’s vitality.
Individual Artist | Ray Harvey, New Haven
Painter Ray Harvey is often called “Missouri’s Small-Town Muralist.” Since 1990 he has
transformed more than 600 indoor and outdoor blank walls, mostly in Missouri, into
works of art. He has created so many murals in Hannibal—25 so far—that in 2023 the
mayor gave him the key to the city. This past summer his eight huge outdoor murals in
Concordia lead to the city’s being designated by the Missouri legislature as the state’s
official Patriotic Mural City. Ray Harvey works with community organizations, local
governments, businesses, individual donors and more to bring art to people who
otherwise have little chance to enjoy it.
Leadership in the Arts | Erin Warner Prange, St. Louis
As executive director of Saint Louis Dance Theatre (STLDT) since 2012, Erin Warner
Prange has painstakingly built this contemporary dance company from a modest local
troupe to a $1.2 million operation serving people across Missouri and beyond.
Performances include both major productions and community shows. The education
program offers classes to adults as well as nationally recognized training for pre-
professional dancers. Senior Embrace brings dance to 25-30 retirement homes every
year. Partnerships beyond traditional arts boundaries extend STLDT’s community
impact even more.
Philanthropy | David and Thelma Steward, St. Louis
David and Thelma Steward’s commitment to improving lives and transforming
community spans more than four decades. They have combined their investment of
time and talent with millions of dollars in donations. They support every variety of art
from music and dance to cinema and literature. Among the host of organizations and
programs to which they have been and continue to be indispensable are jazz education
at the University of Missouri, Evolution Festival of music, The Black Rep, Center of
Creative Arts, The Muny, Saint Louis Ballet, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Sheldon,
and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
About the Missouri Arts Council
The Missouri Arts Council provides support to nonprofit organizations through grants
that meet its strategic goals: 1) engage people in meaningful arts experiences, 2) grow
Missouri’s economy using the arts, 3) strengthen Missouri education through the arts.
This funding makes quality arts programming possible in communities statewide. The
Council also provides expertise in community development, fundraising, marketing,
grant writing, arts education, and artistic disciplines (visual arts, music, literature,
theater, dance, festivals, and film/media).
Established as a state agency in 1965, the Missouri Arts Council is a division of the
Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The Council is funded through the Missouri General
Assembly, Missouri Cultural Trust, and National Endowment for the Arts.
Contact: Barbara MacRobie
Public Information Coordinator
Office: (314) 340-6852
Mobile: (573) 508-8156
Missouri Arts Council
815 Olive St., Suite 16
St. Louis, MO 63101
