Q&A with Alexia Leek

Briefly describe your fellowship project. What part of St. Louis was the project and what was the goal of the project? What was your portion of it?
My fellowship with H3 Studio was a projection art event project located in the East Loop called Vibrance. The goal of the project is to create a yearly event that gives the less-traveled parts of Delmar Boulevard more foot traffic and interest. The secondary purpose of the project is to utilize Delmar to better join the adjacent neighborhoods, as many were affected by the May 16 tornado. The event hopes to build a sense of community and unity by bringing local artists and youth together to create art for the event. My portion of this project was to provide three primary phases of the event, research possible funding sources, research how to create a successful event, and communicate with all stakeholders involved with the help of my mentor.

How did you connect with the community stakeholders working on this project? How did that impact your work?
I connected with the community via in-person meetings and volunteer work. Meeting with everyone to get their ideas and input helped solidify an originally abstract idea. I also loved volunteering with the community as it helped me understand what people were looking for in this sort of event.

Did your project evolve throughout the summer? Did it have to be adjusted after the May 16 tornado?
The project has evolved over the summer, especially after the tornado. Firstly, the entire project was put on hold as many stakeholders were affected by the tornado. The shift in schedule gave me more time to research how other cities recover from tornadoes. This helped steer the project to a much more community-driven one than it might have been previously. Now the focus of the project is to help build a stronger St. Louis community, while also trying to help those in less economically advantaged areas.

Was there anyone early in life who had a big influence on your creativity?
My biggest influence on my creativity is my grandfather, who is also the reason I fell in love with architecture in the first place. My grandfather immigrated to the United States over 40 years ago and worked in the lettuce fields of California for about 10 years. He then moved to my hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., and started working in construction. From there, he drew houses that he worked on and others that he wanted to live in one day. He started his own business and now designs many houses, along with little things for around the house and garden. My favorite is a small gazebo he designed for my late grandmother on their anniversary.

Why did you choose to go to WashU?
I chose WashU because it was the only school that had every single thing that I wanted out of a school. From when I was a high school freshman, I knew I wanted to be an architect, but when application time came around, I had no idea which schools had good programs. Thankfully, I had a college advisor who helped me take a test that matched you with the major you would most likely get along with, plus schools with that major and how well you would fit them. Funnily enough, my first encounter with WashU was during a Route 66 trip I was on with my dad. When we saw the school, we had to walk around, and I completely fell in love with the architecture and the atmosphere. Sure enough, the number one result on that list with my college advisor was WashU. I wouldn’t change a thing, and I am honored to have met all the amazing people that I have.