GRIFFIN September 2026

14 • CWEA GRIFFIN • September 2026 In June, Independence Center, a not-for-profit that serves adults with mental illnesses, opened a new apartment building for seniors called Sidney R. Baer Jr. Place. This four-story, $13 million building includes 38 one-bed- room units designed as affordable Independence Center opens new senior apartments housing for low-income seniors. The apartments are located at 4221 Forest Park Ave., adjacent to Inde- pendence Center’s Clubhouse in the Central West End. “This development comes at a time when the senior population is on the rise and there is an in- creased demand for age-appropri- ate affordable housing and mental health services,” said Trish Holmes, Independence Center Executive Director. “Sidney R. Baer Jr. Place represents what is possible when a community invests in its most vul- nerable members, and we are proud to offer a place to live as well as a foundation for recovery, connection and renewed independence.” Sidney R. Baer Jr. was the son of a St. Louis-based businessman and a member of the family who founded the Stix, Baer & Fuller department store chain. Baer Jr. lived with serious mental illness (primarily schizophrenia) for much of his life; his experiences deeply influenced his family’s later philanthropic priorities. The project, leveraging low-in- come housing tax credits and private funds, has six units dedicated for households earning less than 30% of the area median income (AMI) and 28 units available to those making less than 60% of AMI. The final four units, while not income-restricted, are also expected to be rented to ten- ants making less than 30% of AMI. Move-ins took place throughout the month of June. “When we talk about building a stronger St. Louis, this is what we mean. Sidney R. Baer Jr. Place brings together affordable housing, mental health support and a deep commitment to our senior resi- to two from out-of-state, which is another way for the atelier to gain national recognition. Most classes are taught by Ar- tistic Director B. J. Parker, who is ARC (Art Renewal Center) Asso- ciate Living Master. All of Parker’s classes are ARC credited. The 4 year certification require students to take sculpture classes once a week, while some students come just for sculpture classes. That’s rooted in the idea that essentially, drawing and painting is a matter of under- standing form. Some afternoon and evening classes are taught by faculty member Brei Cameron Harris, who earned an MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2008, and whom Parker consid- ers the best figurative sculptor in the region. the word out early for 2027’s Sum- mer Program. Ingrid Oertli, GACA’s treasurer, said that they have enough students to keep the school going, as well as generous support from donors. Their five-year plan is to build the certificate program so that it’s com- petitive enough that people will want to move to St. Louis. “This requires our institution to be excellent, and we need organizational and strate- gic planning for it to work,” Parker added. “On the other hand, we offer individual classes that help create a day-to-day community, which I think in many ways contributes to the St. Louis community at large because we’re offering something that isn’t available anywhere else in the region.” For more information, Visit the website: https://www.gacastudio . org, email: gacastudio.info@ gmail. com, or phone: (314) 399 5118. Classical or realist training is not offered in most art schools, so many artists studying at GACA are learn- ing realism for the first time. Parker explained: “Very few universities with art departments offer skill- based training. You’ll find small art departments in universities that might have a figure drawing instructor or painter who has roots in classical realism or traditional approaches, but the art department itself is usually conceptually driv- en. (Parker’s simple explanation of conceptual art: If the artist paints a glass of water and says it’s a tree, that’s conceptual art because the artist says that’s what it is.) According to Parker, people who want to become working artists are mostly high school students. Stu- dents who are in their 20s and 30s often can’t make the leap to full-time, because they’re bound to a career that pays the bills. Those people still come to class regularly. Parker said, “I tell people who want to make a career as an artist that it’s tough. It’s the best job I’ve ever had, but it’s also the hardest job because there is no job description. I have to make it up every day. Whether you’re a contem- porary artist or a realist, we all just have to figure it out.” “Art education is typically expen- sive so it was important we create opportunities for people to study with us who are often priced out of the experience, such as high school students,” Parker said. From the beginning, they recruited high school students to study at GACA. They’ve covered the tuition for two students who are enrolled in this summer’s program. The long-term strategy is to build enrollment by establishing relationships with area high schools, and they plan to get Gateway Atelier From Page 1