The Kranzberg Arts Foundation (KAF) continues its mission to invest in the infrastructure and systems needed to support local artists and community arts organizations with its latest development project, The High Low, a new venue for freedom of expression through spoken and written word in the Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis. The two-story building located at 3301 Washington Avenue will include a 1,500-square-foot main level café and progressive library featuring rotating collections of inspiring books, magazines, newspapers and articles carefully curated by St. Louis finest literary arts professionals and institutions.
The café will operate daily from early morning into late afternoon/evening with a full-service coffee program by Blueprint Coffee and a fast-casual food service program by James Beard-Nominated Chef Rob Connoley and Squatters Café. Dynamic seating options including comfortable sectionals, focused workspaces and storefront café seating will offer patrons a variety of spaces to meet and work.
A 600-square-foot gallery space (expandable up to 2,600 square-feet) will host 5-6 rotating exhibits per year dedicated to literary arts-focused exhibitions in a temperature and humidity controlled environment to protect collections. A 2,000-square-foot/200 capacity dynamic performance and event space will be dedicated to literary-arts-focused content from poetry readings to storytelling and literary series to book signings.
Two distinct workspaces will occupy the building’s second floor. The 1,000-square-foot Writers Suite will house KAF’s forthcoming Writers-in-Residence program designed to support local up-and-coming writers and attract national and international writers to the community. Additional spaces are available for rent by local writers on a weekly or monthly basis. A separate Cooperative Office with eight dedicated office suites provides the perfect turnkey environment for fledgling arts organizations. Both workspaces will feature private entry from the first floor, the ability to rent storage space and access to a writers lounge and kitchenette.
“St. Louis has a strong literary arts tradition and has and continues to produce some of the greatest authors, poets and literary arts professionals in the world,” said Chris Hansen, Executive Director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. “The High Low seeks to uplift and nurture that strong tradition, ensuring that there is always a space, time, and place where the literary arts can start and graduate.”
The High Low is scheduled to open in summer 2019. Kranzberg Arts Foundation is working with SPACE Architecture + Design to complete the project. KAF previously collaborated with SPACE on several other development projects including The Grandel and .ZACK in the Grand Center Arts District.
