Building Collaborative Futures with the International Institute
Deepening its ties with the vital organization that serves immigrant and refugee communities in the region, Counterpublic’s new cross-organizational partnership will establish a two-year Community Engagement Fellowship in advance of the 2026 triennial, of which the IISTL campus will serve as an anchor site.
Counterpublic – the St. Louis-based triennial exhibition reimagining the possibilities of art in public life – is proud to announce a major expansion of its partnership with the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL), a vital organization that has served immigrant and refugee communities in the region for over a century. As part of this deepened collaboration, IISTL’s campus in Tower Grove East has been named an anchor site for the Counterpublic 2026 Triennial, taking place September 12–December 12, 2026.
This partnership comes at a critical moment: following the loss of all federal funding for the International Institute of St. Louis, the organization was forced to reduce its staff by 60%. In response, Counterpublic is accelerating its partnership with the IISTL through a new two-year cross-organizational fellowship designed to strengthen ties between the two institutions and deepen their engagement with the communities they serve—both leading up to and beyond the 2026 Triennial.
Established in 1919, the IISTL is the St. Louis region’s leading immigrant service provider and information hub. With nearly 1,000 volunteers and staff, the organization serves as a pivotal landing point for the city’s newest community members, offering comprehensive services including English and citizenship classes, career path assistance, job placement, counseling, and small-business development and microloans. As the primary immigrant integration and refugee resettlement agency in the State of Missouri, the IISTL has long relied on federal grants to fund its programs. Recent policy shifts and funding cuts with the new presidential administration have created urgent challenges, but also new opportunities to reimagine what long-term support and community partnership can look like.
This announcement builds on over a year of ongoing collaboration as part of Counterpublic’s community engagement process, during which the Institute and Counterpublic have co-created multilingual learning materials, collected stories from IISTL’s community of more than 7,500 New Americans representing over 75 countries, and begun planning site-specific works—ranging from permanent sculptures to performances, murals, meals, and community engaged art—that reflect the cultures rooted in and around IISTL’s campus.
“When the IISTL lost their federal funding, it was clear this was a moment to act. As an organization rooted in the belief that art can shape civic life, we saw the deepening of this partnership as both a responsibility and opportunity to invest in community, stand in solidarity, and to help build the future we want to live in,” says James McAnally, Counterpublic Co-founder and Executive + Artistic Director. The initiative emerged from Counterpublic’s Community Engagement Team. Melisa Betts Sanders, Director of Community Engagement, states, “We’re honored to support a critical institution like IISTL and to steward this partnership in a time of great need. New Americans are essential to the fabric of our city, and we remain committed to working collaboratively and creatively to support all members of our St. Louis communities—especially in moments of profound change, uncertainty, and injustice.”
Counterpublic Community Organizer Abraham Diaz at the IISTL Community Bazaar, Photo by Michael Thomas.
The cornerstone of this institutional partnership is the inauguration of the newly created role of Community Engagement Fellow to be funded by Counterpublic and shared between the two organizations. Beginning this month, Grace Murekatete, who served as an Employment Caseworker at IISTL will be rehired following furlough as the full-time, two-year Fellow at the IISTL, where she will will support essential programming, including the beloved annual Festival of Nations event, and serve as a key connector between the communities served by the IISTL and the upcoming Triennial. "This organization (IISTL) has helped me meet people from various backgrounds and learn a lot from their diverse experiences” says Murekatete. “I am very excited about this new role because I like to socialize and connect with new people in new ways."
“Our work with Counterpublic over the past year has shown what’s possible when community organizations and cultural organizations align around shared values. Together, we’re creating programs and pathways that reflect the diversity and vitality of our communities—and working to ensure St. Louis is a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Kelly Moore, Director of Community Engagement at International Institute of St. Louis adds.
One of the largest public art exhibitions in the country, the Counterpublic 2026 Triennial celebrates the St. Louis region as a site of bold artistic and civic imagination through new commissions, programs, publishing, and civic initiatives. The 2026 edition, curated by a globally-focused team of curators – Jordan Carter, Raphael Fonseca, Stefanie Hessler, Nora N. Khan, and Wanda Nanibush – will feature new commissions of art and architectural installations that reimagine the potential for both public life and civic infrastructures.
Community Engagement Fellow, Grace Murekatete. Photo by Carly Faye.
About Counterpublic
Counterpublic is a triennial exhibition reimagining the role of art in public life. Located in St. Louis, Counterpublic connects art with lasting impact by bringing together bold ideas with the region’s most pressing challenges. As one of the largest public art exhibitions in the nation, Counterpublic celebrates and spotlights the St. Louis region as an epicenter of art and culture through ongoing partnerships and artistic programming. The focal point is a three-month, citywide exhibition with dozens of the world’s leading artists.
Working in public places, cultural institutions, historic houses, and community gathering spaces, Counterpublic commissions artists, and cultural leaders, and civic stakeholders to make and present artworks and ideas that engage history and imagine new futures. In addition to presenting artworks, programs, and publishing, Counterpublic rethinks the model for art exhibitions, seeding civic initiatives that extend beyond the exhibition. Guided by community engagement, each three-year cycle focuses on a new set of dynamic sites and questions, remaining responsive to the moment and aligning with the most impactful opportunities in the region to cultivate generational change.
Counterpublic was founded as a 501c3 nonprofit in 2021. For more information, visit counterpublic.org.
About International Institute of St. Louis
The International Institute of St. Louis provides opportunities for immigrants and refugees to thrive in order to create a welcoming, prosperous, and healthy region for all. We envision a welcoming, prosperous, and healthy St. Louis region for every individual in our community. To achieve this vision, the International Institute of St. Louis creates opportunities for the immigrant and refugee community in St. Louis to achieve its greatest potential. These opportunities span all facets of life: family, health, community, career, culture, and much more. We know that when our neighbors thrive, our region thrives, and when our region prospers, we have even more chances to prosper.
We offer a variety of services for 7,500 new Americans from 75 countries each year. We help refugees, immigrants and their families become productive Americans and champion ethnic diversity as a cultural and economic strength. With the help of the Institute, many newcomers can achieve independence and make valuable contributions to the St. Louis community.
About Grace Murekatete
Grace Murekatete came to the United States in 2016 as an international student from Rwanda. She earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural biotechnology from Washington State University where she participated in a variety of academic and social activities. Grace moved to Saint Louis in 2020 after receiving her degree and began working at the International Institute in 2022 where she has served as an Employment Caseworker, supported the Refugee Supportive Services program, and now as Community Engagement Fellow. Through her work, Grace has welcomed and assisted newcomers (refugees) from many nations during their resettlement process. Outside of IISTL Grace enjoys spending quality time with her family and celebrates the diversity of St. Louis.
Counterpublic team members at the IISTL Community Bazaar. Photo by Michael Thomas.
