Fair weather is on order for the Skinker-DeBaliviere Art Fair on Mother’s Day, May 8 this year. After postponements because of the bad weather, members of Art Fair committees met in mid-January to start “thinking Art Fair” and getting organized by confirming committee chairmanships, discussing general purposes and policies governing the Art Fair, and making some specific decisions about the 1977 fair and house tour.
General co-chairmen of the Art FairHouse Tour this year are Sam Green and Rich Lake. They are being supported by experienced hands such as Dee Vossmeyer and Karen Bynum on the Artists Committee and “new-comers” Mary Jo Consiglio, Roberta Nehring, and Janie Cablish on the House Tour Committee, the result of each having had a home on the 1976 House Tour. House sitters are being recruited and trained by Cherie McKee. Other committees and their chairmen are: Publicity— Sandy Rothschild, Eric Friedman; Neighborhood Fund Raisers — Lois Schoemehl; Traffic — Jeff Shelton; Children’s Art – Ingrid Wasserbach; Fencing — Brad Weir; Information Booth — Jo Ann and Neville Vatcha; Sanitation and Banner — Karen and George Brown.
The purpose of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Art Fair and House Tour over the past ten years has changed very little: .to provide an exhibition of local artists’ works, to promote the neighborhood – its houses and its residents, and to raise funds for neighborhood groups as a side benefit of providing services for the Fairgoers. Keeping these ‘general purposes in mind, Fair organizers have established several policies or guidelines in making decisions .
Since the artists’ displays are a main attraction, and represent an investment in time and money on artist’s part, every effort is made to promote and protect the displays. So, dogs and bicycles are prohibited from the Fair area and fund raisers are situated to serve the Fair-goers without detracting from the displays. Certain criteria have been developed over the years to maintain the quality of work displayed: graphic art work must be original. Copies are not permitted. Factory or commercially-made sculpture and craft items are not permitted. All items must be the production of the exhibitor. If an item contains factory or commercially-made components, there must be substantial synthesis of those components or the work is not permitted. And the Art Fair Board has worked hard to enforce those standards.
Fund-raisers do just that for neighborhood organizations but they are encouraged, too, to provide services such as food or something for the kids. Representation from neighborhood organizations is an important part of telling others about Skinker-DeBaliviere and the diversity of people who live here. However, a strict rule of “no causes” is also observed. This means that regardless of whatever political, moral, economic or other type of issue an organization is concerned with it is not permitted to promote that cause at the Fair.
The House Tour is planned to show the diversity of housing stock in the neighborhood and, when possible, houses are selected to reflect a range of size, decorating styles, and location within the neighborhood. Although vacant houses or houses which are for sale have been on the tour in the past, selling a particular house is never the purpose of the tour and members of the selection committee are asked to remove themselves from the selection process if they have a monetary or personal interest in any house which is under consideration.
Some specific decisions about this year’s fair were made at the meeting. The artists’ fee has been raised from $3 to $5. This entrance fee is used for artists’ awards and is considerably less than that paid at other fairs.
Purchase of a new banner to be stretched across Skinker near Waterman is being investigated. After nine years the beautiful patchwork banner we have had can no longer be patched by Betty Newsham and Co. and we need another to withstand the wind and rain.
Expansion for the fair physically has been discussed for some time, with the most feasible direction being into the 6000 block of Kingsbury. After much discussion about additional requirements for volunteers and fencing and traffic patterns which have been or can be worked out, it was decided not to expand this year, primarily because construction of the Four Corners Project at Kingsbury and Des Peres will be under way at that time, eliminating the use of the vacant lot next to the Council office.
Finally, the Art Fair Co-chairmen have been notified that the Boy Scouts will not be having their Garden Cafe this year. It is time for the Benders and others to take a break and take in the, Fair for a change. However, the Scouts hot dogs and polish sausage have been a major attraction as a food service on the 6100 block of Kingsbury and as a congenial place to sit down for a bit — a definite asset to the atmosphere of the Fair as well as a money-maker for the Boy Scouts. As an encouragement to other organizations to consider the possibilities, neighborhood organizations are being informed about the Scouts’ decision and asked to present proposals for an alternative, including type of food and a definite committment of a locations,
As always, the Art Fair Committees are looking for volunteers to work in planning and on the day of the Fair and they welcome questions about the whys and wherefores of how the Fair and House Tour are managed and how they can be improved. If you have asked yourself at some time, “why don’t they…?” ask! We may have the answer, and then again, the question may never have occurred to anyone before and deserves consideration.
Originally published in The Paper, March 1977.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed committment of a locations retained.
Original source: SD_Times1977_03.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 8; PDF page(s) 1, 8.
