Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24
Times: Saturday, 10am – 8pm and Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Art & Craft Demonstrations
It’s ALIVE! Stop by our Arts and Crafts Demonstration Pavillion where artisans of a variety of mediums ply their talents for your enjoyment and edification. Painters and potters, wood carvers and sculptors, jewelry designers, felters, weavers and much more. Featuring the talented members of the Gateway East Artists Guild, the Artisan Guild of Southern Illinois, the Midwest Woodcarvers, joined by students, teachers and a mixture of other local artisans, see “behind the curtain” of creativity. Be inspired. Learn a new skill. Support local arts in the making.
All day Saturday and Sunday in the Arts and Crafts Demonstration Pavilion.
Artisan Guild of Southern Illinois
The Artisan Guild of Southern Illinois is a non-profit organization formed to further the understanding of and appreciation for all arts and fine crafts with special emphasis in the arts and crafts of our heritage (fibers, fabrics, smithing, pottery, basketry, weaving, leathercraft, woodworking, homestead life, and more). The Guild accomplishes this through the conduct and support of workshops, classes, demonstrations, displays, meetings, lectures, and sales. Meetings are open to the public. (We love to make things!) Visit the Artisan Guild of Southern Illinois website for additional information, www.artisansil.org.
Gateway East Artist Guild
A non-profit organization of art enthusiasts, GEAG encourages self-expression through the visual arts, and fosters awareness, appreciation, and artistic development through educational programs throughout the St Louis Metro-East community. GEAG members are from a wide variety artistic backgrounds and skill levels, from professional, nationally recognized artists, to those just starting out. Meetings are open to the public. Visit the GEAG website for additional information, www.geag.net.
Midwest Woodcarvers
The Midwest Woodcarvers club celebrates 60 years of providing woodcarving training, inspiration, and creative expressions to the greater St Louis area. With a membership numbering some 100 artisans, the Woodcarvers club represents all varieties of wood carving methods. Meetings are open to the public. Visit the Woodcarvers club Facebook page for additional information.
Uncommon Collaboration: An Exploration in Contemporary Sculpture
One of the art festival’s unique experiences, curated by ArtVillage Fairview Heights and acclaimed artist Catharine Magel, coincides with the Salute. Now in its 3rd year, Uncommon Collaboration: An Exploration in Contemporary Sculpture, a temporary exhibit, goes up a short time before the arts festival and comes down shortly after, making a visit to the Midwest Salute to the Arts the perfect time to interact with this one-of-a-kind curated presentation of art pieces. Last year’s sculpture exhibit featured seventeen sculptures, providing an up-close and personal journey for visitors to explore themes of self-discovery through large sculptures made of various materials and metals. This year’s exhibit “Uncommon Collaboration: An Exploration in Contemporary Sculpture,” once again curated by ArtVillage and Magel, will feature a new slate of sculptures from 19 artists, including a special showcase from the Webster University Ceramics Students. This is guaranteed to stir attendees’ imagination.
This temporary sculpture exhibit, within the Midwest Salute to the Arts festival, works like a self-guided outdoor museum tour. Attendees can immerse themselves in innovative and collaborative works reflective of uncommon collaborations that push the boundaries of traditional sculpture. Some sculptures feature interactive elements, inviting visitors to engage directly with the art. Festival goers can stroll through the self-guided tour and vote on their favorite sculpture, to win the 2025’s People’s Choice Award, announced at the end of the art festival with the winning artist receiving a $500 prize.
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