My wife and I went to the first day of the art fair when they first opened at 9 AM. Much to see! We…read moredid purchase a really nice piece of art. Once we decided to leave, it was extremely difficult getting out of that area because there's something going on at botanical Gardens and of course the Saturday farmers market at Tower Grove Park. So if you decide to go this weekend, I would suggest parking fairly far away. There were several food vendors and there was live music. Many different artists with different styles to see.

We went to the Historic Shaw Art Fair on Sunday, 10/6/24. It is always the same weekend as the Best…read moreof Missouri Market at the Botanical Garden. This event is well organized and there was a really nice selection. Obviously the houses around the Botanical Garden are also beautiful. There were food trucks in the middle of the event and plenty of portable restrooms. I have been here before and I will return!

The Fine Art Department at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park has an exceptional figurative…read moreart program and their Contemporary Art Gallery reflects that passion and dedication. Strong regional and national artists along with faculty and student shows make this a "don't miss" stop when in the Lou. The annual student show is always quite impressive.

This gallery sucks ass! I recently moved to St. Louis area from California. My wife and I collect…read morecontemporary art and like to go gallery hopping on the weekends. There's only one or two galleries that promote urban/hip artwork in St. Louis. We were excited to find out about phd gallery and decided to attend one of their openings. While looking for parking on the street, I could tell the gallery was jam packed. Most of the people were dressed up so when I walked in their with my t-shirt and jeans, people looked at me like I should be thrown out. You could hardly see any artwork as the small gallery was jam packed like can of sardines. I asked the receptionist if I could take a picture of one of the prints. She hesitated for a second but she said it was okay "if it was for my personal use". As soon as I approach the print, the owner pops out of nowhere and tells me "I would appreciate if you wouldn't do that". I wasn't planning to reproduce a reproduced work. For the next five minutes or so, the owner kept eyeballing me like I was going to rob him of his cheap art collection. I wanted to say few words to him but I did not want to make scene on his opening night. We decided to walk down few blocks and enjoyed some great Mexican food. The Mexican joint had much better decor and excellent service!

PHD is a collection art for the mature eye. If your looking for an objet d'art to take you out of…read moreyour daily routine, a well-made art piece by artists truly committed to their medium, PHD might be the spot for you. No, PHD doesn't have "idea art" by recent BFA or MFA graduates. Instead, the gallery presents work based on the talents and vision of the seasoned and (yet still-seeking) artist. If your looking for art as revolution, you'll find plenty of it on Cherokee street, but at PHD you'll find a something crafted with intention. For the superyoung it might be kitsch, but for the person wanting to invest in the mid-career artist and objects they make it's a wonderworld.

We had a very specific frame and matting style we needed for a piece of artwork. They were so…read moreamazing and took so much time and attention to detail to make sure it was perfect for us. And it seriously looks amazing!!! Definitely, definitely be using them again!

Located in Lafayette Square, Forrest Gallery is a jewel. The space is small but has an expansive…read morefeel, featuring stained glass details, a sparkling crystal chandelier, and an array of landscape paintings by the gallery's owner, Barbara Forrest. In addition to strikingly rendered landscapes, the gallery features jewelry and ceramic pieces, all invitingly exhibited and fairly priced. When I visited Barbara was not present but her husband was on site. I enjoyed hearing about the specific inspirations behind each of the artworks and plans for future work. Many of the landscapes are rooted to nature and the artist is currently at work on a variety of scenes of St. Louis to commemorate the city's 250th anniversary. One thing that I noticed upon entering the gallery is a book featuring prints of landmarks - The Gateway Arch, Fox Theatre, Forest Park, Busch Stadium, and many others - from which customers can select to build their own, customized triptychs. Prints are available in a variety of formats- from minis to larger prints and framed/matted or unframed. The primary medium is watercolor, although one of the paintings on display features special, Japanese paper that lends an almost quiltlike effect to the composition. The level of detail is striking, in some cases arresting, and invites the viewer to become immersed in the subject. I was drawn to a watercolor of Lafayette Square houses in a row. The frame and mat perfectly offset the painting and make it one-of-a-kind. For those unable to make it to the gallery, or who want to get a feel for the works on offer before visiting, I recommend the artist's web site as a good starting point.

Small store with beautiful art. Most pictures are of St. Louis locations. Very reasonably priced. I…read morebought a small framed piece here of Lafayette Square houses for about $26 or $28. Employees are always friendly and don't pressure.

My wife saw this beautiful custom handmade jewelry and asked for some as a gift. Christine, the…read moreowner, is very professional, courteous and a pleasure to do business with. We will definitely be back for more. The store is clean and inviting, nestled in downtown Kirkwood next to Spencers Grill.

How can one review the Great Gondo? Gondo is the grandfather of DIY galleries in St. Louis. Shows…read moreare not curated - this is art in the raw. Like the work or not, Gondo is out there keepin' it real. The best times to be here are when the neighboring galleries and shops open on the same night. The owner is an artist and true supporter of the arts. He lives upstairs and it's a labor of love. I just used a lot of cliches to describe a place that defies cliche.

fort gondo is one of saint louis's many alternative art spaces where emerging artists can show…read moretheir work. because there is little review of artists' work by the owner, the artwork can be hit or miss, but there's bound to be something of interest in one of the three galleries on the block.

Held on a Saturday in March, Green With Indie is a yearly eco-friendly indie craft show created by…read morethe STL Craft Mafia. It's actually a juried show, showcasing the most creative and earth-friendly independent art and designs in the Midwest. A requirement for application for this show is that whatever your product is, it has to be earth-friendly, salvaged, upcycled, recycled, home grown, home made, revamped, or refurbished. It's one of the more popular craft shows in St. Louis, and admission is always free. For the last several years, it's held at the gym at Webster University. And the products are pretty diverse...from vintage clothes to repurposed furniture to soaps. What I really like about this show is that it's a blend of old and new every year. There are some usual vendors, and then there are ones that I've never seen before. They also now include food, and this year they had local vendors with food stand food and chocolate and truffles to take home. They've also expanded the show to have some craft booths where you can do a Make-It-and-Take-It yourself to get into the crafting spirit, sponsored by UpCycle Exchange and Perennial, two indie groups that promote repurposing. I love the fact that they are also very organized. The vendors usually have business cards, and they are very enthused about their products. And if you forget to grab a card or if you didn't have a chance to stop by the show, the list of the vendors and their websites are always on the Green with Indie website. Local shopping 24/7! My favorites for 2013: *Beqi Clothing: http://beqiclothing.com/ - She's always been a favorite of mine! *Anna Ourth Jewelry: http://www.annaourthjewelry.com/ - Another oldie favorite; I love the simplicity of her designs. *Gather Studios: http://gatherstudios.com/index.html - I guess she usually does art stones, but she had a booth of vintage jewelry...it was just amazing, and I walked away with a couple of pieces for $10! *Red Door Furniture - http://www.reddoorfurnitureco.com/ *Souvenirs from Wonderland - http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarrieJeanHawkins - She takes old jewelry boxes and salvages them...they are so amazing. I'm going to buy one one day...but first I need to organize my stuff! *Sew Good and Trendy - http://www.sewgoodandtrendy.com/ - Another oldie, but her purses are so durable. *The Weaving Guys - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWeavingGuys - Guys who weave rugs out of old materials.

This was a great craft show. I try to get to the Rock 'n Roll craft show every year after…read moreThanksgiving and I like the blend of crafts that they have - well, I like this show even better. For one, everything is really spread out very well. The Webster Gym is a nice large location and you can easily get down the aisles and view all of the different wares without feeling crowded. The variety of vendors is nice. Sure there are $250 pieces of furniture but there are also $5 bars of soap and $2 chapstick holders. I was able to find some really cute items. I wish I'd known that food trucks were going to be there, I wouldn't have eaten in advance. My only suggestion for next year? Sell some tote bags at the door for a $1 and that way vendors don't have to use paper bags and people can buy a tote if they forget their own.