Cynthia Prost to head Arts & Education Council

The organization that produces the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival is losing its executive director. From Post-Dispatch gossip columnist Deb Peterson:

"PROST PRO: Cindy Prost has ankled her post as executive director of Cultural Festivals of St. Louis to become president of the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis. Prost will succeed James F. Weidman, who is retiring. She will assume her new role at the end of the month. Prost became executive director of the St. Louis Art Fair in 1997 and grew it into an organization that also presents the St. Louis Jazz & Heritage Festival and The Big Read. Weidman has headed the council since 2002."

What does this mean for the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival? It's hard to say, at least until Cultural Festivals names a new executive director.

The organization has a small permanent staff, with just four employees (including Prost) listed on its Web site. Laura Miller, whose title is Director of Operations & Programming, would appear to be the highest ranking staff member after Prost. Will the organization will promote her to the top job, or look outside its current ranks for a new leader? With the Art Fair just three months away, it would seem that whatever they decide to do, they'll need to act quickly. (Readers who may have more insight into the situation are hereby invited to share their information, thoughts and/or opinions in comments.) StLJN will have more on this story as developments warrant.

Wheeler, Prost to receive awards from Grand Center

In a item in today's Post-Dispatch, gossip columnist Deb Peterson revealed that singer Mae Wheeler will be one of the recipients of a "Visionary Award" from Grand Center Inc. in a ceremony to be held in November. The awards, now in their fifth year, recognize women for their outstanding contributions to St. Louis' arts and cultural community. Wheeler will be getting a Lifetime Acheivement Award, and StLJN congratulates "Lady Jazz" on a well-deserved honor.

Also scheduled to be honored as Outstanding Arts Professional is Cynthia Prost, executive director of Cultural Festivals, Inc, the organization that produces the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival, the St. Louis Art Fair, and the Big Read literary festival.

Oddly, Peterson's item mentions the Art Fair and the Big Read, but not the Jazz Festival. Was this an intentional omission by Prost or Peterson? Is Grand Center expressly excluding the Jazz Festival from the list of accomplishments making Prost eligible for the award? Or did one or more of the above just sort of forget that the Jazz Festival exists, or feel that it was too insignificant to mention? Whatever the reason, it certainly doesn't reflect well on the importance or the public profile of the event.