Photo by Phillip Hamer
Print Bazaar
The Print Bazaar on Cherokee Street returns for its 15th event this Saturday, featuring more than 160 local artists and printmakers—almost double the amount seen in previous years. The artists will gather in 49 storefronts, bars, and venues along Cherokee Street from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Typically, in the past, we’ve had about 100 artists, sometimes just a little bit more, and sometimes less,” says Emily Thenhaus, director of the Cherokee Street Foundation, which hosts the event each year. “I think [the increase] is partly due to us having more businesses to house folks, an overwhelming demand for artists to participate, and growing excitement about the event.”
The Print Bazaar is one of the largest holiday print markets in the Midwest, housing artists local to St. Louis and the surrounding area. The bazaar stretches for about a miles, with two hub venues at the Golden Record and the Bomb Door.
Print Bazaar vendors will sell gifts such as posters and prints, screen prints, printed fabric, photography, and greeting cards. A full list of participating artists can be found online.
“Essentially, this is just a massive vendor market, but it’s also spread between Cherokee Street businesses, where I think a lot of people will be able to get their holiday shopping done in one day,” Thenhaus says.
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Courtesy of Nicholas Holman
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Courtesy of Artist Sweet Honey
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Courtesy of Louis Bicycle
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Courtesy of Cydney Cherepak
Visitors to Cherokee Street will have a few options to get their shopping done this weekend. Beyond the bazaar, Antique Row will also host their 37th annual Cookie Spree on Saturday, with a festive trolley connecting the street throughout the day, offering free transportation to shops and events. Flowers and Weeds is also hosting their holiday market on December 3 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.
While not all participating Print Bazaar artists are from Cherokee Street, Thenhaus says there is a “good amount” of participants who call the surrounding community their home. This year, the event has a spread of both new artists and veterans, some of whom have participated all 15 years.
“This event has taken place for so many years, I think it has grown in prominence, especially among the printmaking community,” Thenhaus adds. “It’s become well-known, and we do an open call for artists in the fall.”
Thenhaus believes the art offered on Cherokee Street is special, and because this is the 15th annual event, she thinks this year it’s an especially big year for the community. To her, the gathering of artists shows just how much the community has grown and how welcoming Cherokee Street is for local art in St. Louis.
“I think the future of the event is bright,” she says. “I hope the event continues to grow both in supporting local artists in St. Louis and in supporting the Cherokee Street business district.”
