Emerging artists and those who have spent decades honing their craft will all have the chance to share their talents with the community this weekend when the Flowering Artists Festival takes root in the Delmar Loop.
An expansion of last year’s Budding Artist Event, the new fest will see more than 80 artists set up tables and tents across The Loop on May 16 from 1-8 p.m.
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“[The Budding Artist Event] was successful, but it was clear that we really could grow the concept,” says festival organizer and owner of Artisans in THE LOOP Renau Bozarth. “We liked the idea of being able to have different price points and different levels of experience. So we decided to change it and move it to the Flowering Artist Festival—we have the budding, the blooming, and the flowering artists.”
Roughly sorted into artists with less than five years of experience, five to 10 years of experience, and more than 10 years of experience, these three categories will offer different price points for collectors, as well as a chance for younger and newer creators to share their wares. According to Bozarth, many newer artists lack the full body of work that juried art fairs require for consideration. Flowering Artist Festival organizers hope to be a more accessible vehicle for artists to showcase their work and reach potential customers.
In addition to artists, the event will also host vendors offering floral arrangements and floral hair designs, nail art, and food and drink. Live art demonstrations (including artist Janessa Williams putting the finishing touches on a new mural behind Fitz’s) and entertainment are planned throughout the day, with stages located at the Tivoli and the UCity Market space. The lineup includes musical artists such as Red and Black Brass Band and The Mighty Pines, as well as performances from St. Louis Story Stitchers, Ballet 314, and The Black Rep. Near the Tivoli stage, nonprofits and community organizations will offer information and ways to support the community, including a tornado relief fundraiser hosted by MADE Makerspace in honor of the one-year anniversary of the May 16 tornado that devastated parts of the region.
“It’s a lot of different experiences spread all over the place so people can really move about and enjoy a lot of different elements,” Bozarth says.
The event is also suitable for all ages and will include a Kids Corner with interactive activities facilitated by Stay Good Studios and Magic House MADE for Kids. Ambitious families can also participate in a festival-wide scavenger hunt for the opportunity to win a $50 gift card to Artisans in THE LOOP. But whether you win or not, the hope is that you walk away from this festival with something you find beautiful.
“[Flowering Artist Festival] is a celebration of people at different levels in their career and in their work so that people can feel like they can come in not just see different levels of work, but have the opportunity maybe to purchase work,” Bozarth says. “It’s not necessarily just a high-end art venue. It’s really more of an expression of art in general…We’re just trying to go to the community. We really are. We are trying to make something that’s a little more inclusive.”
