Call for Proposals – Applications due September 9, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Who are we? The Engaged City is a joint project led by the Center for the Humanities (College of Arts & Sciences), the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2), and the Office for Socially Engaged Practice (Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts) at Washington University in St. Louis. 

What are we doing? 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 St. Louis.  

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.  

Fellowship Opportunity

We are seeking three (3) Community Fellows in Residence who will help expand the Engaged City cultural asset map through community engagement, creative practice, research, and documentation. We encourage projects that take intersectional approaches and explore the relationships, dialogues, and dynamics among multiple identities, communities, and cultural experiences. 

Fellows will work closely with an Engaged City representative who will provide project guidance, support, and access to relevant community and university resources. Fellows will maintain creative and intellectual independence while contributing to the ongoing development of the Engaged City cultural asset map. 

Applicants may apply in one of two ways:

• Open Proposal: Propose your own cultural asset mapping project that aligns with the goals of the Engaged City. 

• Priority Project Area: Apply to work within one of the priority initiatives described below. 

Priority Project Areas

1. Weird St. Louis

Help uncover the people, places, traditions, stories, folklore, and unexpected cultural landmarks that make St. Louis unlike anywhere else. We are interested in overlooked histories, neighborhood legends, local oddities and unique gathering spaces. 

Examples might include: 

• Hidden landmarks and neighborhood traditions 

• Local folklore  

• Unusual museums, businesses, and gathering places 

• Unique Individuals 

2. East St. Louis

Help document and elevate East St. Louis by identifying the people, places, organizations, and traditions that have shaped its history and continue to define its communities today. 

Examples might include: 

• Historic and contemporary cultural landmarks 

• Artists, musicians, writers, and cultural leaders 

• Community organizations and neighborhood institutions 

3. The “I Am St. Louis” Missouri Historical Society (MHS) Fellow 

The “I Am St. Louis” Fellow will connect the Engaged City fellowship with the Missouri Historical Society’s “I Am St. Louis” initiative, linking historical collections with community knowledge to open new pathways for research, storytelling, and public engagement. “I Am St. Louis” is a civic identity campaign designed to build a deeper sense of place attachment to the St. Louis region. 

The Fellow will work with MHS and the Engaged City team to develop a mutually agreed-upon project that draws on materials housed in the MHS Library and Research Center and other associated archives. The project will connect archival and museum collections to the Engaged City cultural asset mapping project. 

Applicants interested in this category are encouraged to visit the MHS Library and Research Center or explore the online collections to assess what materials are available in the archives. 

Examples might include:

• MHS St. Louis Public Schools Photograph Collection

• Richard Reilly Social Protest Photograph Collection

• Katherine Dunham Costume Collection (Available online and in person) 

Project Expectations

Applicants should indicate the project area for which they are applying and describe how their experience, interests, and creative or research practice align with that initiative. Selected Fellows will collaborate with the Engaged City team and other fellows throughout the fellowship while producing work that contributes directly to the ongoing development of the Engaged City project. 

Fellowship Responsibilities

The Community Fellows in Residence Program serves as a hub for community knowledge, creative practice, and collaboration within the Engaged City project. Fellows will work alongside the Engaged City team, Community Advisory Board, and other fellows to develop their project that contributes to the cultural asset map while bringing community perspectives into the university.