Who’s having an impact in the creative arts world? We want to tell their stories
The Belleville News-Democrat wants to tell more stories about people from the metro-east who are having an impact on the arts and culture scene in our region and beyond, but we need your help.
Who are the emerging creative artists whose stories are still untold but could help shape the future of music, dance, the theater, film, sculpture, television, writing, photography and other visual arts here and across the nation?
Who are the professionals who are already having an impact but may not be widely known in southwestern Illinois?
Who are the actors, rappers, dancers, sculptors, writers and others that we’ve seen or heard about on the national scene, but that many of us simply did not know had ties to our region that influenced their careers?
And who are the teachers, directors and coaches behind the scenes who made all of this possible?
You’ve told us, through your readership, that you love stories like this one about a 16-year-old rap artist and her viral Tik-Tok video and this one titled ESTL Voices, the Black music month series highlighting slices of the musical legacy of East St. Louis and this one about a Waterloo native who is making a name as a country music singer.
What other stories are out there that represent the rich diversity of our region?
Whose stories haven’t we told but should share with our readers?
Help us find the stories by completing this survey, or sending your ideas to DeAsia Paige via email (dsutgrey@bnd.com) or phone 618-239-2624
This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 12:32 PM.