For more than a decade, Matthew R. Kerns has been the fearless heart and visionary force behind St Lou Fringe, the region’s vibrant independent performing arts festival that champions bold voices, celebrates innovation, and ensures that the arts remain accessible to all. As President and Artistic Director, Kerns has transformed St Lou Fringe from a grassroots startup into a cornerstone of St. Louis culture—an incubator for creativity that has launched more than 500 works for the stage, supported 250+ artists each year, and cultivated a thriving community of volunteers, collaborators, and audiences.
Holding an MFA in Contemporary Theatre Performance from Naropa University, Kerns is a consummate artist whose original works are as daring as they are heartfelt. His performances—infused with humor, wit, and storytelling—reflect a deep belief in the transformative power of art to connect, challenge, and inspire.
Matthew R. Kerns
Under his dynamic leadership, St Lou Fringe has remained in the black, an impressive feat for an arts organization of its scale. Kerns’s creative stewardship spans everything from strategic planning and fundraising to artist discovery and development, as well as curating world-premiere productions, some of which have delighted off-Broadway audiences.
A respected arts advocate and community builder, Kerns’s contributions have been recognized by both the St. Louis Business Journal, which honored him with the Diverse Business Leaders Award, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His work has garnered local and national media attention from The New York Times, CNN, FOX-2, St. Louis Public Radio, and beyond.
A proven concept-to-execution theatre artist, altruistic leader, and visionary champion for inclusion, Matthew R. Kerns embodies the spirit of the Luminary Award—shining a light on what’s possible when art, authenticity, and community come together.
Kerns and his husband, Sean Gottlieb, were married under the Arch in 2020, and their wedding was prominently featured in The New York Times. They reside in a circa-1865 home in Lafayette Square with their three dogs, Louis Armstrong, Harvey Milk, and Ella Fitzgerald.
