Historic Shaw Art Fair to Showcase 130 Artists in St. Louis

JULY 14, 2005, St. Louis, Missouri … The 13th Annual Historic Shaw Art Fair will exhibit work from 130 artists showcasing creative work in virtually all artistic media the weekend of October 1-2, 2005 in St. Louis, the not-for-profit Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association (SNIA) announced.

Greg Gobberdiel, one of the event’s organizers, said, “Once again we had many entries to review, making this a very competitive show. The artistic quality is very high. I believe visitors to the Historic Shaw Art Fair will be pleased with this year’s exhibits.”

The Historic Shaw Art Fair is a nationally renowned juried exhibition featuring creative work in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, printmaking, glass, wood and mixed media.

This year’s event will occur along two blocks of Flora Place, a tree-lined boulevard between the world-famous Missouri Botanical Garden and Grand Boulevard. Live music, food, entertainment and children’s activities also will be featured.

The three-person jury consisted of metalsmith Peg Fetter, gallery director Martha Fogerty and Gobberdiel, who is a watercolorist. The jury selected the 130 exhibitors for this year’s event from more than 450 applications from artists across the nation.

Selections were made by reviewing color slides of each artist’s work, but no names or locations of applicants were revealed to the judges.

Mary Samuelson, SNIA president, said, “Last Year’s Historic Shaw Art Fair attracted more than 10,000 people. We expect the 2005 event to attract a larger audience due to new additions and changes that we believe will make the fair an even greater experience.

“More people are aware of the event’s artistic significance and family-friendly entertainment appeal – attendance has increased significantly since the fair’s inception in 1993,” Samuelson added.

This year, cash prizes totaling more than $6,000 will be awarded to artists whose work is selected by a panel of judges.

The Historic Shaw Art Fair is ranked among the top 25 art fairs in the U.S. by art publications and artists who attend different fairs. The event is organized by SNIA and neighborhood volunteers.

SNIA has served Shaw neighborhood residents since 1958. More than 7,500 people in 3,700 households live in the neighborhood, which is bounded by Grand Boulevard on the east, Tower Grove Park on the south, the Missouri Botanical Garden on the west and I-44 on the north. SNIA also promotes historic renovation, new construction, safety and neighborhood business development from offices at 2211 South 39th Street.

Each year, SNIA donates a portion of revenues generated by the Historic Shaw Art Fair to schools and non-profit organizations that serve the neighborhood.

“In addition to showcasing the diverse appeal of the Shaw neighborhood, which has experienced a tremendous renaissance and new development in recent years, we estimate that last year’s Historic Shaw Art Fair generated an economic impact of approximately $1 million in the city of St. Louis,” Samuelson said.

For information about the Historic Shaw Art Fair or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, call 314.771.3101 or visit the website www.ShawArtFair.com. Media contact: Jeff Dunlap @ PowerlinePR @ 314.721.5505.

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