Sherelle Speed — known artistically as The Art Doll — is a surrealist painter whose work transforms personal pain into imaginative, dreamlike worlds. Her artistic journey began in 2015 after a traumatic experience pushed her to create an alternative reality through painting. A self-taught artist, Sherelle honed her craft through trial and error, studying the…
Influencers
2025 Luminary Awards: Sister Pattie O’Pounder
Sister Pattie O’Pounder, lovingly dubbed “Drill Sergeant” by the legendary Sister Roma of the San Francisco House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, currently serves as the Abbess of the Fourth City Sisters, Abbey of the Glittering Arch. As radiant and resilient as the Gateway Arch itself, Sister Pattie has become one of the city’s…
2025 Luminary Awards: Dannae Delano
An attorney with the Wagner Law Group, focusing on employee benefits law, executive compensation, and taxation, Dannae Delano wasn’t known for publicly weighing in on hot-button issues. That all changed a year ago. “When Trump was first elected, I was so angry. I believed the best in people, and I was angry that he…
2025 Luminary Awards: Maven Logik Lee
Maven Logik Lee is a multidisciplinary artist, community cultivator, and cultural producer whose work uplifts identity, empowerment, and authentic expression. As Executive Producer of Tens Across the Board, a documentary inspired by their acclaimed Tens Project, Maven has brought the artistry of ballroom to audiences across the U.S. and abroad, earning features on PBS…
2025 Luminary Awards: Matthew R. Kerns
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…
2025 Luminary Awards: Luann Denten
On the surface, the word socialite can sound frivolous. But for those who know how to harness the power of connection, being social can be a superpower—especially when it’s used in service of the community. “Maven of Mardi Gras” Luann Denten has done exactly that. As founder of The Krewe of Vices and Virtues…
2025 Luminary Awards: Q&A With Vivent Health’s Board Chairman Emeritus, Arvan Chan
Whether he’s mapping global growth strategies for companies like Centene Corporation, or speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Arvan Chan brings a rare mix of strategic rigor and social commitment to the healthcare-and-impact sector. Arvan is not just an executive; he is a global thinker, a healthcare strategist, and an advocate for inclusive…
2025 Luminary Awards: Joe Hedley
At 80 years old, beloved bartender Joe Hedley describes the three defining eras of his life as the three legs of a tripod: his time in the US Army, his years in San Francisco at the dawn of the AIDS crisis, and his 14 years at Just John. Though he has received awards from Fair…
The Luminary Awards: Randy Rafter
Black Pride’s Randy Rafter was sitting in church when something the pastor said stuck with him: “It’s no longer time for moments. It’s time for a movement.” A man of service, Rafter took that message to heart—and made it his organization’s motto. In many ways, Rafter and Black Pride St. Louis are one and…
Keith Boykin’s Journey: How a Son of St. Louis Became a National Voice for Justice, Culture and Change
Long before Keith Boykin stood in the East Room of the White House helping orchestrate the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and LGBT leaders, he was just a kid growing up in St. Louis. It’s easy to forget that icons often start right next door. Boykin, who lived here until high school before…