For 27 years, the Saint Louis Art Fair, under the direction of Cultural Festivals, has delivered fantastic annual art fairs to the heart of Clayton, showcasing both visual and performing artists for everyone to enjoy throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Ranked as one of the top 10 shows in the nation by Art Fair Source Book, the Saint Louis Art Fair plays an integral role in showcasing the importance of art in everyone’s daily lives -- whether through their educational programs, creative workshops or from the exposure to fine art that those in attendance receive at the Fair each year.
Last year was another fabulous year for the Saint Louis Art Fair, as Executive Director Sarah Umlauf, and her staff managed to create an unforgettable venue filled with the exquisite artwork of 180-plus artists, plus the exceptional music performances that happened all weekend long.
“It was such a wonderful weekend as the first show under my direction. I was grateful to have been a part of the Saint Louis Art Fair for so many years as a volunteer, spearheading one of their committees. And now, having the opportunity to take the Art Fair into the future, has become truly rewarding. It’s such a team effort putting on a show of this magnitude, and I was happy to lead my staff and all of our volunteers into making everything perfect for our artists, patrons, musicians, food vendors, sponsors, and our non-profit community partners. When you add in how beautifully the weather cooperated last year, it just made for the perfect weekend for everyone to enjoy,” recalls Sarah.
After such a fabulous 2019 show, Sarah and her staff were already months into preparing for this year’s event when St. Louis and the rest of the nation were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sarah says, “When you put on an event that is attended by more than 100,000 people each year, you want to do everything in your power to make sure that each Fair is better than the last. But we know that the safety of our patrons, artists, and volunteers attending the Fair is the top priority. And as we evaluated all the scenarios of what would be best for everyone involved, our board of directors and I decided that this year’s Art Fair would be best suited to becoming a virtual show. Other local art venues, like the Laumeier Art Fair and the Webster Arts Fair, have already gone virtual this year, providing a roadmap to help the 2020 Virtual Saint Louis Art Fair be a success. A virtual show gives artists another platform to sell their fine art by allowing patrons to browse galleries of artwork online."
In addition, she says they are sharing the Enterprise Mainstage entertainment via their website, allowing everyone to hear some incredible musicians throughout the weekend. They also will add components from their creative castle. Children can participate in virtual arts and craft lessons, so families won’t miss experiencing this popular tradition of the Saint Louis Art Fair.
“As we put the finishing touches on our virtual show, we are so grateful to our corporate partners who continue to support our organization through this journey, as they are a crucial component in the production of the Saint Louis Art Fair,” adds Sarah.
To access the Saint Louis Art Fair’s virtual show this year, visit SaintLouisArtFair.com on Sept. 11-13 to enjoy all of the fine art, music and fun that's in store, all from the comfort of one's very own home.