Countless kids have cut their teeth on the arts offerings at COCA. Scores of artists have had their works featured in the organization's Anheuser-Busch Gallery. Every year the dance company performs jazz, tap, ballet and modern dance at corporate and civic events throughout the bi-state area. The Family Theater Series ushered in its fifteenth year and Women CenterStage is in its eighth season. Founded in 1986, the nationally recognized institution receives funding from the Missouri Arts Council, the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. COCA's goal is to foster art appreciation in the community, and with all of the offerings to a wide range of citizens and in several different artistic areas, it has managed to become an indispensable community institution.