About the Engaged City:

This is a cultural asset mapping project. In an attempt to bridge divides instead of highlight or enforce them, this project will create publicly accessible co-created cultural maps of St.Louis that spatialize the individual and collective cultural knowledge bearers, organizations, and community members in STL.

What is Cultural Asset Mapping?

Cultural asset mapping is a process where communities identify and document the cultural resources,strengths, and activities they already have. Think of it like creating a map, but instead of streets and landmarks, you're mapping out all the things that make a community unique in terms of culture. This can include:

• Places: museums, theaters, parks, or historical landmarks.

• People: Artists, musicians, poets or storytellers who contribute to the community’s cultural identity.

• Practices: Traditions, festivals, languages, or events that are important to the community.

• Organizations: Nonprofits, cultural centers, or community groups that support the arts or cultural education.

Once these assets are identified, the community can see where there’s already strength, what might be missing, and how they can work together to celebrate or grow their cultural life. It’s like taking stock of what you have before planning for future growth or development.

About the Fellowship

The Community Fellow in Residence program is a key hub and incubator for the Engaged City cultural asset map. Fellows will promote community priorities and provide important insights to the efforts of the project as a whole by bringing the community into the university. The fellows will also serve as members of the Engaged City community advisory board and give an important form of assessment to the respective centers. Fellows will also be given the opportunity to contribute their original creative work to the cultural asset map. Fellows will also benefit from Washington University in St. Louis resources like access to office space, libraries and archives and special collections, courses, workshops and research centers. During the course of their fellowships, fellows will, in collaboration with the Engaged City team, the Community Advisory Board and other fellows, work to develop and advance their creative contribution to the cultural asset map. Our hope is that this Fellowship will be a space for both personal and artistic inquiry as well as collaboration.

The primary purpose of the Community Fellows in Residence program is to resource community members directly. Three fellows will be chosen in a number of different fields (visual artists, writers,data scientists, illustrators, etc.) who can each contribute a distinct expertise and perspective on the cultural asset mapping project. Each fellow will be partnered with the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity, the Center for the Humanities and the Office for Socially Engaged Practice, to help us create, build, and disseminate the cultural asset map. These Fellowships are key to The Engaged City.

Fellows will:

• Contribute original creative work to the cultural asset map

• Collaborate with the Engaged City team and Community Advisory Board

• Help identify and elevate community priorities

• Receive mentorship and access to WashU’s resources (libraries, archives, workspace, courses, and more)

• Engage with other fellows, scholars, and cultural workers in residence