CULTURAL THINKER IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
The Cultural Thinker In Residence program, launched in 2012, appoints an individual to engage with Laumeier’s programming over the course of one year. This person is typically a scholar with expertise in a field outside of art—past residents have included archaeologists, an environmental historian, and a nutritionist—to engage in interdisciplinary thinking and learning.
AK Brown - The Fashion Connector / 2023
AK Brown - The Fashion Connector is a St. Louis based fashion innovator, who uses her platform to educate her audience through services, insight, and connections. As a 9-year industry professional, AK has grown her following around her expertise in blogging, styling, product development, public relations, business & brand development, and more.
Follow AK Brown on Instagram / @akbrownstl
Shelly Goebl-Parker, MSW, LCSW, ATR-BC / 2022
Shelly Goebl-Parker is an artist, social worker, art therapist, and professor teaching in the Art Therapy Counseling Program at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She has worked in child, youth, and family behavioral and mental health in the St. Louis area and is a fellow of the Community Arts Training Institute. Her research stems from her role as Primary Instigator of the SIUE/StL Art Hives, a collaboration with university and community partners providing pop-up studios that invite everyone as an artist. Art Hives are part of an international network of drop-in public spaces for exploring community building and well-being.
ART HIVES
February 12, March 12 and April 9 / 1-4 p.m. / All Ages / FREE / Kranzberg Education Lab
An Art Hive is a community art studio that welcomes everyone as an artist, regardless of age, ability, and familiarity with art materials. Join us at the Park as we reflect together on health and wellness throughout this year. We will draw inspiration from the natural world, the art in the park, and the work of the artists represented in the Salutary Sculpture exhibition. We are looking forward to helping you find art materials or processes that you can explore and enjoy. You are welcome to come and go as you wish, bring friends, and make new ones.
Elvir Mandžukić / 2021
Elvir Mandžukić was born in Zenica, Bosnia, Mandžukić and left his hometown on January 13, 1996. Since settling in St. Louis, he received his MEd/Master Degree in Education/Secondary Education/Technology in 2006 and his BSBA/Bachelor Degree in Business Administration/Marketing and International Business in 2000. Mandžukić is an active community member, with a number of volunteer and charitable pursuits including projects with: Islamic Community of Zenica, Bosnia; Bosniak Culture Institute; International Organization for Relief, Welfare and Development; International Medical Corps; International Rescue Committee; Unites States Agency for International Development; World Health Organization; Interrupting the Cycle of Hate-Breeds-Hate; Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis; World Affairs Council; Jewish Muslim Day of Service St Louis and Sarajevo 450 among others. Mandžukić has been the Faculty Development Coordinator at Webster University in St. Louis since 2008.
Working together with Laumeier’s 2021 In Residence Visiting Artist, Aida Šehović, Mandžukić will bridge connections and develop partnerships with community members and institutions such as the International Institute and Patrick McCarthy, Associate Dean of University Libraries at St. Louis University, who is best known for his groundbreaking research on the Bosnia Memory Project.
In 2020, Laumeier embarks on a year-long examination of the intersections between art and global change. Perspectives on art and global change will come from local scholars and environmentalists, as well as artists from around the globe. The In Residence program welcomes two Cultural Thinkers in 2020 to engage in Laumeier's public programs. Due to covid-19, this discussion will continue through mid-2021.
Gerardo Camilo, Ph.D. / 2020
Gerardo Camilo, Ph.D., is Professor of Biology at St. Louis University. Camilo teaches General Ecology, Ecological Ethics, Biometry and Advanced Biometry. He received his Ph.D. in Zoology from Texas Tech University. Camilo's research focuses on understanding the role that space has on ecological processes and structures. Most of his work centers around populations and communities of bee pollinators in urban environments. Understanding how ecosystem services, like the pollination of crops, are affected by the urban environment is of crucial importance. Camilo's work has shown that bees in St. Louis city are responding the many of these parameters. Camilo is a member of the Conservation Fellows at the St. Louis Zoo. Camilo’s Bee Lab offers several research opportunities for students including: Biodiversity distribution in green public spaces in relation to income inequalities, Ecology of insect-plant interactions in tropical systems and Statistical ecology of vector species.
Benjamin de Foy, Ph.D. / 2020
Benjamin de Foy, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. His courses include: Earth's Dynamic Environment II - Atmospheres; Earth's Dynamic Environment II - Atmospheres Lab; Climate Change; Fundamentals of the Climate System; Air Pollution; Journal Club; Communication in Science; Hands-on Lab: Weather Research & Forecasting Model and Environmental Aspects of Sustainability. De Foy has been working on inverse modeling to improve emissions inventories using long time series of hourly measurements at fixed sites. He is currently working on using the inverse model to evaluate diurnal and annual patterns of emissions of elemental and organic carbon. De Foy did his post-doctorate with Prof. Mario Molina and Dr. Luisa Molina in the Mexico City Project at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During this time, he was involved as a weather forecaster and computer modeler in the MCMA-2003 and the MILAGRO field campaigns.
Laumeier started the Cultural Thinker In Residence program in 2012 to bring different forms of social and intellectual artistic practice into the public spaces of the Park. In Residence artists complement the Park’s thematic exhibitions and deepen the exploration of topics relevant to Laumeier's cultural landscape.
2019 In Residence: Xinyue Deng
2018 In Residence: Poet Stefene Russell
2016 In Residence: Musicians Barbara Harbach + Jim Henry
2015 In Residence: Nutritionist Marjorie Sawicki
2014 In Residence: Archaeologists Joe Harl + Robin Machiran
2013 In Residence: Environmental Historian Jenny Price
2012 In Residence: Composer Eric Hall