The Luminary Hires Programs Coordinator and Manager of Public Engagement

The Luminary Hires Programs Coordinator and Manager of Public Engagement

07.18.2022

From left to right: Stephanie Koch, Kalaija Mallery, and Sarah Nixon at The Luminary. Photo credit: Virginia Harold.

The Luminary is excited to introduce our new Programs Coordinator and to reintroduce our Manager of Public Engagement

The Luminary is delighted to welcome Sarah Nixon as our new Programs Coordinator. Sarah's primary work will equip The Luminary with the systems and tools necessary to sustain an accessible arts space. In addition to her work at The Luminary, Sarah is the Fatal State Violence Response Program Manager at Faith for Justice. In a few short weeks, she has already inspired our team to elevate how we show up for community. Her internal work at The Luminary will soon produce visible shifts.

We are excited to reintroduce Kalaija Mallery in her new role as our Manager of Public Engagement. In addition to her work managing The Luminary's operations, Kalaija relaunched in-person programming after a long hiatus through an ambitious series of programming, including the opening of KNOW/HOW Books + Print and hosting BlackCoffee. to create more welcoming spaces in the gallery. Mallery also oversees Futures Fund, a regranting program funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which supports artist projects that exemplify the unique possibilities of St. Louis.

The refocus of her work at The Luminary will emphasize listening to the needs of the St. Louis arts community and continuing our organization's work of building responsive programs. Her work thus far as Manager of Operations exemplifies her commitment to resourcing all parts of an artist's life. As a multiform visual artist, researcher, and community liaison, Kalaija demonstrates a breadth of tools to engage thoughtfully with The Luminary's St. Louis-based artists and creative practitioners.

Together, Stephanie, Kalaija, and Sarah bring to The Luminary their commitment to community care, participatory research practices, and experience with building support structures. With renewed energy, we are eager to build upon The Luminary's past work as a responsive, artist-centered platform.