December 06, 2006
Shopping the way it ought to be
Let me get all sappy for a second. For over twenty years I’ve gone Christmas shopping the first weekend of December with my mom, three aunts, and two cousins. We gather together in St. Louis from across the Midwest and tear up the town. For me, the camaraderie of this event is way more important than the actual shopping. We laugh and cry more than we buy, but I haven’t missed a shopping weekend with my family yet.
I also never miss an Independent Art Market, and one takes place this weekend at Shaw’s Gallery. This is where I really seriously shop for the holiday season. I’ve bought pottery, stationery, and cookies for in-laws, a silk-screened t-shirt for my brother, jewelry for friends, and I confess—I’ve treated myself to some pretty swank silk-screened tea towels. If you prefer high-quality, hand-made, unique, affordable gifts, there is no better place to drop your hard earned dollars than with local hard-working artists.
And to enhance your shopping experience, this year the Art Market team is offering a sake, sushi and fashion cocktail reception, a broad range of musical performances, poetry readings organized by Observable Books, and a variety show organized by 52nd City. (Yes that’s us—we’ve attended Art Markets of the past, so we were delighted to be invited to be a part of it this year’s event.)
The Independent Art Market proves that holiday shopping can be fun.
Get out of the malls and into the galleries this season!
What: Independent Art Market
Where: Shaw’s Gallery, 2 blocks east of the Botanical Garden (4065 Shaw Blvd. 63110)
When: Friday (6pm-midnight), Saturday (noon to midnight), and Sunday (noon-6pm)
Schedule of Events
Participating Artists