A beloved summertime tradition soon returns! The 33rd annual Saint Louis Art Fair (SLAF) will fill the streets of downtown Clayton September 18-20.
Over 1,000 artists submit their best work for a chance to take part in this prestigious show. After the selection process, the best of the best from across the country converge in the heart of Clayton. With 233 artists occupying a few city blocks, there’s no shortage of beautiful works to enjoy. Find over a dozen types of visual art: ceramics, digital art, drawing & pastels, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and wood. There’s art for everyone!
Over the years, HEC Media has partnered with the Sait Louis Art Fair to promote the event and its artists. HEC continues this relationship as a media sponsor, highlighting some of the participating artists with short introductory videos. Check out the 2026 playlist.
One such artist is Rebekah Chauvin. An acrylic painter based in St. Louis, Chauvin draws inspiration from nature and specializes in outdoor scenes. Her post-impressionistic style is full of color and wonder.
After attending many juried shows, Chauvin says the best part of being an artist is when a patron enters her booth and is moved by her work. “I know at that point, they have seen something beautiful that maybe they haven’t seen before or it’s unlocking a memory that is triggering these deep emotions.”
Nicholas Barnes is another exhibiting artist at the 2026 Saint Louis Art Fair. Calling Virginia home, he works with wood and credits family for his love of the craft and his knowledge of it. While spending lots of quality time in his grandfather’s workshop, Barnes learned wood turning and other techniques.
His process of turning a wood base and then inlaying small metal-wrapped pieces is called “wood cloisonne.” The wrapped pieces could be various types of wood, copper, aluminum, deer antler, walnut shells, or other materials. Barnes says he uses much material from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, adding, “I have a real joy from using recycled and upcycled materials.”
A digital artist from Chattanooga, TN, Kenneth Kudulus is one more featured favorite at the Saint Louis Art Fair. His current body of work features bright, vibrant animal figures over backgrounds with intricate patterns. He starts with composition, then moves to layering, shading, and highlighting.
The animal figure always comes first, and currently Kudulus is often working in a whimsical cowboy theme. “So I was like, what if I took a natural-looking animal and then had kind of a cartooned aesthetic cowboy look? I just love that look and whole vibe. It’s just a lot of fun.”
Meet these featured artists and the 200+ others soon to be at the Saint Louis Art Fair in downtown Clayton from September 18-20. HEC is proud to return as an official media sponsor.
