About Us

The National Society of Arts and Letters is a nonprofit organization that offers support to young artists.  It was founded in 1944, and the Saint Louis Chapter was founded in 1953.  Its members include people who have achieved a professional level of training or competence in art, dance, drama, literature, music, or musical theater, and/or are patrons of the arts. 

The NSAL sponsors annual competitions with prizes at the chapter and national levels, including the National Annual Awards, with prizes up to $12,000; the Winston Scholarships in Two-Dimensional Art and Classical Voice, each one of which gives a total of $12,000 in scholarships; the Dorothy Lincoln Smith Classical Voice Award Competition, with prizes up to $5,000; and scholarships for study at CalArts and the Iowa Young Writers' Studio.  The Saint Louis Chapter also grants Artist Support Awards for up to $1,000.

Members meet five times per year, to report on Chapter committee activities and share information about local events related to the arts.  Each meeting includes a presentation or performance by a noted arts professional, and every spring there is a performance and presentation by the Chapter Winners in the Annual Competitions and Scholarships.  Meetings are followed by a luncheon and friendship hour. 

Information about the history, regional chapters, and funding sponsored by the National Society of Arts and Letters may be found on the national website, www.arts-nsal.org.  For more information about the Saint Louis Chapter, contact the Chapter President, Dr. Christine Knoblauch-O'Neal, by email at cknoblauchoneal@gmail.com.  Our Chapter also welcomes new members at any time, and you can download the Membership Form below.