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St. Louis Story Stitchers Advance Civic Pride Through Performance Art

Tylea Wilson (at left), poet AnnaLise Cason, and St. Louis Story Stitchers CEO Susan Colangelo.
Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
Tylea Wilson (at left), poet AnnaLise Cason, and St. Louis Story Stitchers CEO Susan Colangelo.
Tylea Wilson (at left), poet AnnaLise Cason, and St. Louis Story Stitchers CEO Susan Colangelo.
Credit Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
Tylea Wilson (at left), poet AnnaLise Cason, and St. Louis Story Stitchers CEO Susan Colangelo.

Young adults throughout the St. Louis area make up theSt. Louis Story Stitchersartists collective.They aim to showcase the region’s culture through performance art, and they work to curb gun violence, which many members have grown up with.

Tylea Wilson is a storyteller with the group, and she regularly performs her poem, “Guardian Angel,” about a friend who was shot and killed.

“Me taking notice that I have a voice and I’m not afraid to use it was probably what got me into activism,” Wilson said. “Then I found out about the Story Stitchers, and literally my first show was the day before my friend’s funeral.

“I feel like everything that I go through, all the struggle, just helps me get into an anger that builds into making action,” she said. “How can I use my youthness and my voice to create a positive change for something different?”

On Tuesday’sSt. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske spoke with Wilson, as well as poet AnnaLise Cason and St. Louis Story Stitchers CEO Susan Colangelo.

Hear the conversation:

Related Event

What: Pick the City UP Tour performance

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, August 10, 2019

Where: Gregory J. Carter Park (5800 Lillian Ave.)

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted bySarah Fenskeand produced byAlex Heuer,Emily Woodbury,Evie Hemphill,Lara HamdanandAlexis Moore. The engineer is Aaron Doerr, and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.

Send questions and comments about this story tofeedback@stlpublicradio.org.

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Emily Woodbury joined the St. Louis on the Air team in July 2019. Prior to that, she worked at Iowa Public Radio as a producer for two daily, statewide talk programs. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science. She got her start in news radio by working at her college radio station as a news director. Emily enjoys playing roller derby, working with dogs, and playing games – both video and tabletop.