Laumeier Sculpture Park Development Officer Focuses on New Networks, Existing Ties

Seeing exhibits through her 8-year-old son’s eyes is one of the many reasons Jackie Chambers loves . After being the grants and major gifts officer at the St. Louis’ Center of Creative Arts (COCA), Chambers wanted to try some new challenges for herself.

“I really enjoy working for arts organizations, so this was an interesting move for me,” she said. “I wanted to add some new things to my arsenal.” 

As the new development officer of Laumeier, Chambers will lead fundraising efforts to support ongoing and expanding curatorial exhibit programming, along with education in the 105-acre park. While she wants to focus on new funding, sponsors and donors, she also wants to deepen existing relationships like those with Edward Jones and Emerson.

“We want to refresh the look of the park, perhaps add some new partnerships with artists,” Chambers said. “We are adding more adult education and camp programs for kids throughout the year. There also will be family friendly interactive projects and artwork related to love and relationships (in February).”

Chambers has been a Richmond Heights resident for 11 years and loves the convenience of being able to get almost anywhere in St. Louis in a matter of minutes. When she brings her son to the park, they love to check out the eyeball exhibit and the knot exhibit. (Cosimo Cavallaro, Knots, 1996.)

“He’s interested how things are constructed. I find it fascinating to see what it is that interests him every time we visit the park. Not just the subject matter, but how did they make it?” she said.

So far Chambers, who held fundraising positions at the Saint Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri-St. Louis and holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Missouri, said that everyone is very kind and welcoming, and she enjoys the office window view into the park.

“Even when it was really cold, there were some diehards out there running around with their kids,” she said. “It’s a very energetic place to be.” 

With Chambers’ help, the park plans on holding on to signature events and planning new ones, such as a Valentine's Day event, Mother’s Day and a return of last year's and “Yappy Hour” in July and August. The park even has a dog membership for those with four-legged friends. This summer’s exhibition, Camp Out: Finding Home in an Unstable World, will explore topics such as community, housing, gardening and sustainability.

Mike Venso, director of Laumeier communications, echoed Chambers’ community sentiments.

“We are looking to partner more with the City of Sunset Hills,” he said. “We are looking at the role we’ve played in the community over the years and what it might look like in the future.”