Photo courtesy Art on the Square
One of the country’s top juried art fairs is this weekend, May 13-15, and it’s happening just across the river in Belleville, Illinois.
Art on the Square—now in its 15th year—has been ranked for the past nine years as the nation’s No. 1 or No. 2 art fair by Greg Lawler’s Art Fair Source Book, and competition is fierce among artists wanting to secure a spot. Out of the 800 to 1,000 applications received each year, only 105 artists are chosen to participate.
This year’s artists will exhibit artwork across 12 different mediums, such as sculpture, jewelry, oil painting, and digital art.
Art on the Square also features the Living with Art: Interior Design Stage, sponsored by St. Louis At Home, to help attendees learn how to incorporate art into their home décor.
On Saturday, Meg Caswell, HGTV Design Star season 6 winner and host of Meg’s Great Rooms, will appear on the design stage at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. to offer tips on how to display artwork in the home. During her presentation, she’ll use artwork available at Art on the Square as examples.
“We’ll show how to use art in interior design,” says design stage organizer Carole Hiatt of Carole Hiatt Design Associates. “I bought it, I love it, now how do I use it? [Caswell] is going to do this by showcasing the artists there.”
On Sunday, three local celebrities will appear on the design stage to share insights into their own styles. Fox 2 News in the Morning co-anchor John Pertzborn will speak at noon, KMOX’s Carol Daniel will appear at 1:15 p.m., and Y98 producer and host Courtney Landrum and her mother, Karen Landrum, will speak at 2 p.m.
The 3-day event also includes local food and drink, entertainment, and interactive activities for kids.
Art on the Square’s hours are Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free and shuttle service is available to the show from the MetroLink’s Belleville Scheel Street location.
