History Of The Saint Louis Art Fair
The Saint Louis Art Fair (SLAF) is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive artistic community, as it is through art that we are able to express culture, emotions, and ideas. SLAF welcomes all participants, including artists, volunteers, staff, sponsors and festival attendees; regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, physical or mental ability, or perspective, to learn about and celebrate the diversity of art. SLAF’s innovation, inclusivity and high level of integrity have sparked collaboration with some of the best creatives around the world. We strive for an environment of acceptance and authenticity to create an experience that inspires and engages the entire community around exceptional art.
"When you buy from an independent artist you are buying more than just a painting or a novel or a song. You are buying hundreds of hours of experimentation and thousands of failures. You are buying days, weeks, months, years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You are buying nights of worry about paying the rent, having enough money to eat, having enough money to feed the children, the birds, the dog. You aren't just buying a thing, you are buying a piece of heart, part of a soul, a private moment in someone's life. Most importantly, you are buying that artist more time to do something they are truly passionate about; something that makes all of the above worth the fear and the doubt; something that puts the life into the living."
Our Story
In 2009, the Cultural Festivals board of directors decided to focus their efforts on producing festivals and events that were free and open to the public. Thus, they made the decision to withdraw the Jazz Festival from the Cultural Festivals schedule of events and are in constant pursuit of the next great cultural event for the Greater St. Louis area.
In 2010 at the Strategic Retreat the Board developed a tool kit to assess current and future events. After completing the metrix of the toolkit assessment of Big Read Festival the Board made a decision to discontinue the Big Read Festival in its current business model.
Due to the pandemic, the organization produced its first ever Virtual Saint Louis Art Fair in 2020 and served as a model for other national organizations. In 2021, Cultural Festivals returned the Saint Louis Art Fair on the streets of Downtown Clayton in compliance with national and local health and safety directives.
In 2023 the organization celebrated its 30th Saint Louis Art Fair and in 2024, with a vision towards the future, the Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan to guide the organization moving forward.
The Saint Louis Art Fair is an annual celebration of the visual and performing arts featuring renowned artists from across North America and abroad. The event provides the public with the unique opportunity for interaction with art and artists and to become more educated about both the visual and performing arts. While the event naturally draws the traditional arts audience, one of the principal objectives for this event has been to develop a broader audience for the arts through diverse visual and performing arts offerings.
Over the last 30 years, the Saint Louis Art Fair has collaborated with over 260 non-profit arts organizations, provided over $290,000 to non-profit concession partners, utilized over 27,000 volunteers, employed over 780 performers, provided exhibit space for over 4,700 artists and makes an estimated annual economic impact of $10,000,000.