ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Storytelling Festival awarded MU Extension the inaugural Nancy and Ken Kranzberg Spirit of St. Louis Storytelling Award. Founded in 1980, the festival brings regional and nationally recognized storytellers to St. Louis for workshops, presentations and free storytelling events.

Since 2015 the festival has partnered with MU Extension’s Community Arts Program, which promotes and fosters community and economic development through the arts. The award was presented May 2 to Urban East Regional Director Jody Squires, pictured, second from left, by festival co-founder Ron Turner, left, and philanthropists Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, right, who support the arts in St. Louis through the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.