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Impact through purposeful action

The promises we keep today lay the foundation for tomorrow — the journey starts now.

latest impact posts

Supporting Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson

Shawn and I love Chicago. We have deep roots and headquarters here, and we are always looking for the next step of innovation to make our communities stronger and safer. We pledge our best effort and goodwill to Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson. The ME won a tough election and has one of the most important jobs in the United States. It’s a well-deserved nomination and offers great potential for the city of Chicago.

Clayco Supports Counterpublic’s Second Civic Exhibition

Being raised in Bridgeton, Missouri, on the outskirts of St. Louis, I have always felt strongly connected to the St. Louis community. Since establishing Clayco, it has been one of our main focuses to give back to the neighborhoods where we operate and ensure that our positive impact extends beyond the walls of our structures and doesn’t end once a project is completed. To continually inspire innovation and bridge the gap between underserved demographics and the resources they require to succeed, our team supports various community-centered initiatives, including Counterpublic. Counterpublic is a civic exhibition that weaves contemporary art into the Life of St. Louis for a three-month display every three years, running this year from April 15 to July 15! The exhibition aims to reimagine civic infrastructures toward generational change with a vision to facilitate conversations on the role of contemporary art and become a beacon of creative thinking and community engagement. Our Clayco team works best with talent that shares a similar philosophy as we pursue “the Art & Science of Building.” This mantra drives our love for art and, like Counterpublic, allows for more inclusive platforms and spaces that expand social, political, and civic horizons.

Mickalene Thomas Claims Her Space Within the Frame

There's something really special and different about Mickalene Thomas’s art. An African-American contemporary artist and filmmaker from New Jersey, she studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000, and later received her Master of Fine Arts from the Yale University School of Art in 2002. Mickalene’s work encompasses a range of mediums, including painting, photography, and video installations. She explores issues of identity, representation, and gender, and draws on popular culture and art history. She is best known for her large-scale paintings that feature complex, multi-layered compositions and include bold patterns, bright colors, and glitter.

Recognizing Rare Disease Day

Every year on February 28th, individuals and institutions worldwide amplify their efforts to raise awareness for Rare Disease Day. 400 million people worldwide live with a rare disease, and far more are impacted daily by them. By some estimates, rare disease affects 3.5% – 5.9% of the population, and many of those affected are lacking the support that they need. My late wife Ellen passed away after a rare disease diagnosis in 2010. Since then, I’ve done what I can to invoke sustainable change to better the lives of patients, families, and carers. The Clayco Foundation is committed to supporting meaningful research to find treatments and a cure for Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy (RVCL), a rare genetic disease, year-round.

Deconstruction to Reveal What Lies Beneath with Derrick Adams

A person whose work I truly admire is Derrick Adams, a multidisciplinary New York-based artist. His installations include painting, collage, sculpture, performance, video, and sound. Through his art, he looks at how popular culture influences people’s views of themselves. Derrick has an MFA from Columbia University and a BFA from Pratt Institute. He is also an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Space Program.

Supporting Black Communities with Clayco Initiatives

Black History Month is a powerful reminder of Black Americans’ critical contributions to creating America as we know it – and the unjust, widespread adversity they still face despite it. Understanding and celebrating Black history is critical to the unification and healing that our country so deeply needs. It’s essential to take time this month to recognize that Black history and culture are the same as all of America’s and uplift the voices of members of the Black community to share their stories and truths.

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The key choices we make in this life

Some of the key choices that we get to make in this life are the things we prioritize, both with our finances and with our energy and efforts.

Over the course of my life, my priorities have shifted immensely, and I now spend a large amount of my time focusing on the work that our foundation is doing, as well as being engaged in impactful community efforts. The majority of the work that we are a part of is aimed at issues directly affecting my family and the Clayco community.