Junior year has kicked off!! It’s crazy to think I’m already done with half of my WashU career, and will be spending the next semester at University of Edinburgh in Scotland! That leaves me with exactly three semesters (two and a half??!) to take full advantage of everything WashU and St. Louis has to offer. So I started it off by going to the Clayton Art Fair. I haven’t been to an art fair in years but dragged my roommate a few Sundays ago to see the fair that brought artists of varied disciplines to a few blocks west of Danforth campus.
I must mention first that the weather in St. Louis that past few weeks has been unreal! Apart from a few rain spells, we’ve been enjoying blue skies and 60-70 degree weather and I could not be happier that the day we decided to go to the fair was blessed with perfect skies and no rain on the forecast.
A view of some of the artist installations.
The fair itself was outdoor and spread out over a few blocks in Clayton, a suburb close to campus that is popular with students for its food options. It showcased a variety of artists from all over the country. I got to see beautiful photographs, paintings, multimedia pieces, fashion, and glasswork, and the fair even featured stalls set up by some of the top food places around St. Louis (the food trucks made an appearance!) and performances by local musicians.
Food!!
Can’t have a fair without food and music!
Some of the highlights included local fiber artists Qun Liu, Boston-based sculptor Amy Gillespie, and abstract painter (and WashU alum!) Marian Steen.
Marian Steen’s husband helping uninstall her exhibit at the end of the fair.
Designer Qun Liu with one of her creations.
The cultural and art scene around St. Louis is thriving, as evidenced by other events I’ve gone to such as the Balloon glow, Cinco de Mayo parade, movies put on by the St. Louis Art Museum, etc. I’m excited to explore these events more and report back to you guys over this semester!
