The Foundry Art Centre
With a mission “to connect people with the arts through exhibitions, studio artists, performances and education, the Foundry Art Centre raises awareness and appreciation of the arts throughout the region. Located at 315-321 South Main Street in St. Charles in a former train car factory, the Foundry Art Centre offers visitors the opportunity to check out art exhibits, take an art class, meet local artists and learn about the arts in the St. Charles County community.
The Foundry Art Centre includes 5,200 square feet of state-of-the-art exhibition space to host international exhibitions, and the space is also available to rent for special events. Throughout the year, six to eight special exhibitions involving a variety of media, curated exhibits, and traveling exhibitions are displayed in the galleries. The Ameristar Gallery features the Foundry's Emerging Artist Series where new artists can display their work to introduce their style to the art community.
The Grand Hall provides a stage and space for local productions, touring performance groups, and community concerts. Visitors can also interact with artists at work on the mezzanine level of the building. More than a dozen local artists create their masterpieces in a variety of media—from oil paintings and photography to wheel-thrown ceramics, sculpture, and fibers.
Each Studio Artist at the Foundry Art Centre was juried into their studio, and many of the artists teach classes or lessons out of their studios. In addition, classrooms and creative areas are located on both the upper and lower levels of the building to provide space for learning opportunities. Both adult and children’s workshops and classes are offered throughout the year, as well as summer camps. These classes and camps are taught by professors and instructors well-known in local and national art communities. Artists in residence at the Foundry Art Centre offer a variety of art classes this winter, from painting and drawing to felting and pottery-making. Sign-ups are available online at FoundryArtCentre.org
Missouri Artists on Main
Located at 315-321 S. Main Street in Historic St. Charles, Missouri Artists on Main offers the opportunity to view high quality artwork from local artists. Nearly 40 artists display and sell their media in the juried artists gallery. The shop features a variety of media from oil and watercolor paintings to fiber works to sculptures.
“When you visit, you will meet one of our artists, who can tell you about their work as well as the other artists’ work,” says Owner Jean McCullen. Missouri Artists on Main also offers a variety of classes and workshops taught by the artists. Classes include everything from painting and drawing to jewelry making and sculpture. Every two months, the gallery hosts two new guest artists and their works. The gallery is also available to host a variety of events. For more information about classes or to sign up, visit maomgallery.com.
MOSAICS Fine Art Festival
The MOSAICS Fine Art Festival Committee and the City of St. Charles will be celebrating the 26th Annual MOSAICS Festival on September 18-20, 2020 along several blocks of North Main Street in Historic St. Charles. “The MOSAICS Fine Art Festival brings art appreciation, enjoyment, awareness and education, free-of-charge, to the St. Charles/St. Louis region,” says Denise Wulff, president of the MOSAICS Fine Art Festival.
“Festival participants will have the opportunity to interact directly with artists and is a fun weekend event for the entire family” The MOSAICS Fine Art Festival features approximately 90 juried artists from across the state, region and country who exhibit, discuss, and sell artwork. The media on display ranges from paintings, sculptures, and photography to glass, jewelry, metal and woodworking. Participating artists compete for $5,000 in cash prizes, and juried artists will also be considered for the Inaugural “Founder’s Award.” This award will be selected and presented in memory of Board Member Joyce Rosen, the original Festival Founder and a longtime supporter, inspiration and catalyst for artists, arts organizations, venues and events across the St. Louis area. The annual free Arts Festival features activities for all ages including fantastic art, great entertainment and the opportunity for children to create their own artwork.
The Children’s Village tent provides hands-on art experiences for children ages 14 and younger. Children will work with instructors to create their own unique memento of the Festival. Community arts organization Art Unleashed will provide the art instruction. The Art for Youth Gallery – funded through donations raised by the St. Louis Community Foundation’s annual GiveSTLDay.org initiative – returns to the MOSAICS Festival again this year. This special gallery allows children to purchase professional art at a nominal fee, fostering art appreciation among children.
The event will also feature food trucks and booths from Sarah's Cake Shop, Steve "The Hot Dog Guy", plus the popular MOSAICS Wine Bar area, and a variety of local restaurants located along Historic Main Street.
“The basic goal of the festival to be a community-wide fine art festival has remained unchanged. Our approach to involving and educating children has remained important,” says Denise. For more information, visit StCharlesMosaics.org.
St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre
The St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre, located at the west end of St. Peters City Hall, has something artistic happening year-round. From six art shows and competitions every year to regular art, theater and music classes and camps, the Cultural Arts Centre has an artistic opportunity for all types of art-lovers. “The Cultural Arts Centre is a great spot to view artwork by professional and amateur artists. It’s very inclusive; you don’t have to be a resident of St. Peters or a Cultural Arts Centre member to enter a show. Artwork is always displayed on the wall and is available to purchase,” says David Wilhelm, with the City of St. Peters.
The Performing Arts Theatre hosts Act Two Theatre, concerts and other City events throughout the year. Activity rooms are available to rent for wedding receptions, meetings and concerts. The Cultural Arts Centre has classes and workshops available for art-lovers to learn in a variety of media, from watercolors and acrylics to oils to pastels. For more information about art classes, check out StPetersMo.net/art-class-information.aspx.
The St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre will host six art shows and competitions in 2020. Amateur and professional artists are welcome to enter their work. The first art show of the new year is “Songbird,” which is currently on display through March 1. Cash prizes are awarded in each category (drawing/painting, photography and mixed media). All artists are encouraged to sell their artwork while on display. The next art show and competition is Made In The Shade: March 5-April 26. For more information, call 636-397-6903, ext. 1624, or visit StPetersMo.net/arts-center.aspx