Business and Passion on the Streets of the Saint Louis Art Fair
As a company that works with business leaders and owners who are committed to living their personal and professional lives with passion and integrity, there are times that we step back in awe at the accomplishments that occur. Take, for instance, artists like Tony Cray (Glass), Jeff DeCamillis (Mixed Media), and Julie Seymour (Jewelry) all participating in the Saint Louis Art Fair this weekend and each one with an inspiring story about their works of art. While the artists are selling their work, the Art Fair mentors have guided Emerging Artists, who for the first time get an opportunity to show and sell their pieces of art while also learning about the business. Behind the scenes, there are interns from St. Louis University, Iowa State University and other universities that work side-by-side with seasoned Executive Director Cindy Lerick and Director of Operations Laura Miller. These energetic, hard-working interns leave the Saint Louis Art Fair with hands-on experience in marketing and event coordination from the leaders of one of the top ranked art fairs in the country. And, when a storm swept in one hour prior to the opening of the Saint Louis Art Fair the entire team promptly followed the emergency directives and within 45 minutes artists were notified and booths secured and streets closed. The community (bank employees and customers, residents, police, and fire fighters) stepped in to help the artists secure their work, find safety, and in the morning rebuild artists booths.
At 6:00 am Clayton Police opened the streets and volunteers and artists went to work…and the Art Fair reopened on schedule at 11:00 am Saturday. The news stations in St Louis provided coverage not just about the storm damage but focused on the community support and the art and activities of Art Fair. Volunteers worked with smiles on their faces for 24 hours helping artists, staffing booths, sharing art projects with children, selling beverages, and cleaning up at the end of day in preparation for the next day’s events.
Never underestimate the power of people working together – people willing to give of their time and resources for a common purpose. According to our CEL team that was onsite as public relations partner, the community of Clayton, Missouri and the Saint Louis Art Fair are to be recognized for their incredible support of art and education. The Saint Louis community’s extraordinary heart for art was evident on the streets and behind the scenes of the Saint Louis Art Fair.
Published on: September 10, 2012