STL Story Stitchers: Artist Collective Stands Strong

Earthworms

Creating from The Center in midtown St. Louis, youth artist Story Stitchers collect stories, reframe and retell them through art, writing and performance to promote understanding, civic pride, intergenerational relationships and literacy.

Story Stitchers Branden Lewis and Chris BlueBeatz Pendleton are both artists and staff. Their collaborative crew mainly targets ending gun violence as content focus, not surprising for urban youth in the U.S. today. Time experiencing Prairie environments surprised them: growing deep-rooted perspective and creative expression that connected KDHX Earthworms host Jean Ponzi to these vibrant humans. Nature is a bond we share, expressed in Peace in the Prairie, a big body of award-winning Story Stitchers work.

This conversation grew from a meetup this spring at the Midwest Climate Summit. Jean gets to guest this summer at Stitch Cast Studio Live on June 6, for another Nature-inclusive exchange.

Pick up Story Stitchers podcasts!

Related Earthworms Conversations: Midwest Climate Collaborative with Heather Navarro (May 2022)

St. Louis Environmental Racism Report with Leah Clyburn (October 2019)

THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms audio wiz, and to KDHX Production Power, Jon Valley.