A luminary (n.) is a leader in the field.
The Luminary is an incubator for new ideas in the arts.

The Luminary is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit founded in St. Louis, MO in 2007 as a forum for artistic research, production and presentation, conceived in response to both our immediate and international community, alongside our audiences, and in dialogue with artists.

The Luminary is a constellation of ideas and activities: a physical site that opens onto a larger cultural and conceptual space; exhibitions that move through multiple timelines, spaces and forms; music explored as a practice, presence and experience; an equipment library that redistributes tools and creates tangible means for experimentation; residencies with artists, curators and critics meant to test boundaries and continually push forward their individual and collective practice; and wide-ranging projects that critically engage emerging ideas and stretch the definition of the institution itself.

The basis of the organization is experimentation and engagement. Emerging art and ideas are at the forefront of this experimentation, but only as they interact with people: art as an individual and communal experience; call and response; exchange and change; form and reform. We propose, support and present exceptional art embedded in social and cultural contexts, viewing contemporary art as an essential expression of our time. Beyond promoting various modes of artistic exploration, The Luminary investigates its own infrastructure as an artist-run organization in order to advance the understanding of our potentialities within broader social, cultural and political frameworks, documenting these models both in practice and through publishing via Temporary Art Review. Taken together, we seek to be an institution of our time, as malleable as the work we strive to support.

Mission Statement 2011-2014
The Luminary Center for the Arts is a platform for the presentation of innovative art, music and cultural projects. Since opening in 2007, The Luminary has quickly developed into an incubator for new ideas in the arts, hosting acclaimed concerts, exhibitions and public programs as well as launching a number of high-profile projects, including FORM Contemporary Design Show, Temporary Art Review and the AV Artist Equipment Library.

Mission Statement 2007-2011
The Luminary Center for the Arts is an artist-run resourcing institution that seeks to provide meaningful support to emerging artists, audiences and appreciators in the St. Louis area. As a combined studio, education, and exhibition space, we bring together a conversation from all areas of the art world, encouraging creative engagement with contemporary art production and processes.

Back To About