Make the river present encourages creative engagement with the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Although St. Louis is physically bordered by these rivers—the two longest in the US which come together at the confluence a few miles north of downtown—their presence is often obscured by industrialization, urban planning, and erasure of Indigenous culture.

Make the river present invites visitors to strengthen our connections to these enduring waterways through works of art, resources, and activities. The exhibition highlights present-day and ancestral stewardship of the rivers and surrounding environments, especially focusing on Indigenous and African American perspectives.

This interactive exhibition provides a physical space to explore contributions of artists and cultural stewards whose work respects and engages rivers—Black Heritage Water Trail, Allena Brazier, Dail Chambers, Galen Gritts (Cherokee), Native Women’s Care Circle, Monique Verdin (Houma), and other authors and contributors whose writings are included.