St. Louis Art Fair is Back in Person - Top Tips for Applicants
When the Laumeier Sculpture Park 35th Annual Art Fair takes place in May, it will be the first time the event is held in person since 2019.
“With it being our 35th annual art fair, obviously there’s some excitement around that milestone in general,” said Scott Layne, the park’s director of special events. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring this iconic event back to the park.”
He said the milestone is being overshadowed a bit by the excitement about being in person again. Protocols were in place in 2020 and 2021 that prevented the St. Louis festival from gathering in the thousands, Layne said. The nonprofit moved both shows entirely online.
“While we are unlikely to continue the show completely online, there were aspects that will carry over to our in-person art fairs,” he said. “For example, the online format broadened our artist base as a whole and made the fair accessible to artists that may not have been able to participate when it was live. We welcomed many new artists in 2020 and 2021 that we hope to continue to see moving forward.”
He said the last two years taught them to “stay flexible, focus on the goals, and be willing to adapt to new ideas to meet those goals.”
Photo courtesy of Jamie Vishwanat
Layne said they will monitor recent changes and impacts. “One outcome of the previous two years that is already obvious is the artists, vendors, patrons, and everyone else involved in Laumeier’s Annual Art Fair are eager to get back to the park in 2022,” he said.
The art fair is the sculpture park’s biggest fundraiser of the year and showcases artists from the St. Louis community and throughout the country, Layne said. “Laumeier is a place where you can buy fine art and functional art at the same show,” he said.
A Mother’s Day weekend tradition for decades, this year’s event is May 6-8. “Set against the extensive and beautiful backdrop of Laumeier’s 105 acres, the fair is completely outdoors, immersed within the 70+ sculptures in Laumeier’s collection,” Layne said. “The fair also features local food and beverage vendors, hands-on art making activities, and live music all weekend.”
It has a variety of art and mediums from a diverse group of artists. “One of the reasons the annual art fair is so popular in the St. Louis community is because there is artwork that is accessible to all,” Layne said. “Whether someone’s budget is $25 or $2,500, their style is contemporary or classic, or they are looking for a painting or a necklace, there is something for every art enthusiast and shopper.”
The application process is entirely online using ZAPPlication. He said artists may apply in more than one category but not more than once in a category.
“Artists are juried by a panel of respected fine art and craft professionals, freshly selected every year by Laumeier Sculpture Park from local and regional museums, universities, and galleries. All applicants are juried anonymously, with the artists scoring the highest being invited to the fair,” Layne said.
The jurying process includes factoring in a balance of mediums. A maximum of 150 artists are accepted each year.
Fifteen cash prizes and up to five awards with other benefits are presented to artists. All awards include an automatic invitation to next year’s art fair, he said.
Attendance is typically around 15,000, with Layne “cautiously optimistic” it will be higher this year due to the excitement associated with returning to an in-person event.
Photo courtesy of Laumeier Sculpture Park
For Laumeier Sculpture Park, digital marketing makes the most impact today, and he said that is especially true of organic outlets, such as social media.
“In the world of art fairs, word of mouth has always been key amongst artists. So, thank you so much to all the artists out there that share such nice words about Laumeier,” Layne said. “In the St. Louis region, word of mouth is also a key driver of public promotions. So, social media tends to serve that purpose for our annual art fair. With 150 artists, and so many other vendors and partners involved in the art fair, social media gives us a fun and interesting way to promote those involved and interact with everyone, too.”
Scott Layne’s Advice for Artists
Do not be afraid to apply. “Since this fair has been around for 35 years, it can be intimidating for some first-time applicants. But I’ve seen so many new (to the fair) artists win awards in their first year or experience their best show to date in terms of sales. Laumeier has such an enthusiastic audience ready to support new artists at every art fair,” he said.
Apply if it’s been a while. His message to former vendors is “we miss them and would be thrilled to see them at the park again. Our patrons have incredible memories, and we field questions year-round from attendees trying to track down past art fair artists.”
Send great photos. When applying, make sure photos are clear and in the highest resolution possible. Booth images should be as wide as possible, so jurors can see everything an artist brings to a show.
Be active on social media and have a website. The sculpture park highlights its artists on social media.