Saint Louis University Launches New Center to Lead Programming in Literature, Creative Arts

Saint Louis University Launches New Center to Lead Programming in Literature, Creative Arts

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University has launched the Center for Literary and Creative Arts (CLCA), housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, to lead the University's programming in literature and the creative arts.

The Center brings together the SLU community with the St. Louis community through literature, writing, and the arts. It will focus on creative work across disciplines and fostering community engagement.

The CLCA is funded through a gift to the College of Arts & Sciences from a University alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous.

"The College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Louis University plays an important role in creating dialogue and engaging minds," said Dean Donna LaVoie, Ph.D. "This generous gift allows the College to expand those conversations with the community while we educate the next generation of leaders."

The CLCA will serve as a hub for the College of Arts and Sciences to launch and showcase broad scholarship in the literary and creative arts. It will be led by Katrina Thompson Moore, Ph.D., associate dean in SLU's College of Arts and Sciences, and Edward Ibur, executive director of the St. Louis Literary Award.

The CLCA will be the home of Saint Louis University's St. Louis Literary Award. For more than 50 years, the St. Louis Literary Award has drawn some of the world's most important writers to the University.

In addition to the award itself, the CLCA's featured programs will include SLU's Campus Read program; student competitions, including the Undergraduate Writing Award, the 1818 Writing Competition, and the Inspired By Arts Showcase; as well as a new youth literary initiative.

"As we have grown our Campus Read program over the past decade, we've seen the great conversations that come from bringing a group of people together around literature and the arts," said Ibur. "Those conversations don't stop in the classroom - they carry into book clubs, discussion groups and communities across the region. We're excited to expand that network by engaging students throughout the St. Louis area."

The CLCA Advisory Board will bring together a variety of stakeholders. Brian Yothers, Ph.D., professor of English at SLU, will act as advisory board chair.

Other initial advisory board members include Flannery Burke, Ph.D., associate professor of American Studies; Alex Rafi, assistant professor of media production; Holly Seitz Marchant, coordinator of the dance minor at SLU; Bradley Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor of art history; Joya Uraizee, Ph.D., professor of English; and Devin Johnston, Ph.D., professor of English.

The Saint Louis University Center for Literary and Creative Arts fosters inclusive, interdisciplinary, and innovative programming where literature and creative expression thrive. Guided by Jesuit values, the Center amplifies diverse voices, cultivates transformative learning experiences, and connects students, faculty, and the broader community through public discourse, research, and partnerships. By championing the literary and creative arts across disciplines, the CLCA inspires critical dialogue, nurtures emerging artists and thinkers, and enriches the cultural life of St. Louis and beyond-preparing students with the communication, critical thinking, and cultural literacy skills essential for leadership in a complex world.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.