The 21st Webster Arts Fair takes over Eden Theological Seminary’s campus on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Nearly 100 carefully selected artists will offer jewelry, photography, painting, woodwork, ceramics, printmaking, and more for sale.
It’s a party, too, with food, music, and community in abundance. “I really love having a way to connect our community with how broad ‘the arts’ is,” says Heather Sparkman, communications and marketing director for Webster Arts. “There are some amazing organizations in our community. The more, the merrier!”
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
The Studio Area will host a variety of art projects for kids and adults, courtesy of Webster Arts, as well as ways to interact with community partners such as Music Folk, the Weavers Guild of St. Louis, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Gateway Center for the Performing Arts, and Friends of Webster Groves Public Library.
Head for the Community Hub to check in with age- and ability-inclusive Artists First, St. Louis Dance Company, and arts-focused older adult enrichment organization Oasis Institute. Artists from Third Degree Glass Factory will be onsite Friday evening to sell ‘storm ornaments’ to help raise funds for Third Degree’s building, damaged in last month’s tornado.
Two stages will feature bands all weekend long, with Miss Jubilee headlining on Saturday at the Lockwood Stage.
The Youth Maker’s Market will return for its third year, featuring artists ages 6–18. They go through essentially the same applications process as the adult artists, though the criteria might not be quite as strict. Select young artists will be vending Sunday from noon–4 p.m. in the Studios area.
“We’re trying to give them a sense of what it is like to do something as a businessperson, to understand that art can be a viable career—it’s not something that is a pipe dream,” Sparkman says. “It takes a lot of work, but it is something they could actually pursue.”
Another returning newish event is the fair’s partnership with the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis. The organization will be on hand Saturday night for a concert in Eden Theological Seminary’s quad. Bring a chair for the 6:30 p.m. performance.
New this year, 10 pieces of art will be raffled off. You can’t buy a ticket in the traditional sense, though—a receipt for an art purchase of $50 or more is the only way to enter. “We tried to pick a threshold at $50 that wasn’t necessarily prohibitive,” Sparkman says. “The goal is to encourage people to purchase form our artists.”
The fair runs 6–10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday, and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
