THE HISTORY OF THE ARTBAZAAR
A Local Artisans Co-op
In the fall of 2006 Mary Ann Hall helped the Downtown Business Association decorate windows with children's art for the Harvest Fest. After the Halloween art was taken down, empty store fronts returned to just being dark again. Empty windows are a sad thing in our lovely business district and a waste of potential display area to promote community events and exhibit local art.
Mary Ann thought empty windows in the 100 block of E. High Street could be used for the upcoming holiday season. She contacted a business owner about displaying some art work in his empty window. Standing inside the empty building with the owner, Mary Ann looked around at more potential space and asked him to consider allowing several artists to set up booths inside for the two days of the Living Windows and the Christmas parade.
Mary Ann was given a key to the building to start setting up and decorating a couple of weeks before Living Windows.
Art friends of a variety of mediums were contacted to determine their availability and interest in taking part in this new idea. They were thrilled with an opportunity at very little expense other than sharing advertising costs. Thus the ARTBazaar was born. The first year was a great success with 100's of people going through the space, discovering the work of local artists and purchasing Christmas gifts.
In 2007 a different building was made available. The space was more of a challenge for artists and flow of the crowds but they made it work. The ARTBazaar was well received again, and artists were looking forward to the next year, wherever it might end up being held.
This same year another empty window further down the street was used to display chairs painted for the Capital Arts, Take a Seat Auction by students from the Alternative High School. After that event was over and the window was empty again, Mary Ann approached the owner with the same question: Could the window be used to display work of a local artist at little or no cost?
Since he had no plans to use the space, he agreed to allow an artist to set up a display area. Mary Ann had seen the unique work of a newcomer to town and inquired of her interest to set up her studio in the window area. Thus, in January 2008, the ArtVenture Studio opened three days a week. The artist became acquainted with comings and goings of downtown and changed her open hours to accommodate potential customers. As her business expanded, walls and floor space filled up. Sometimes it was lonely sitting there several hours with nothing to do but read or rearrange her pieces in the window.
Two unoccupied offices behind the art studio offered more potential. The space needed work as remodeling efforts had been halted. The idea of starting a small co-op to renovate the space and include more artists was compelling. Jewell Patek (the owner of the building) had no plans to use the empty offices and gave permission to expand. Work started in July to haul out trash, move old furniture, patch and paint walls and a 14 foot ceiling, repair and paint the floor, rehang lights and revamp the HVAC ducts. Artists were contacted and display pieces were created. To brighten the front entrance, Mary Ann painted the original front door of this historic building at 112 E. High.
Having seen how well the bazaar idea worked for just two days in December the ARTBazaar opened earlier in September 2008 for the Tour of Missouri bicycle races with twelve artists exhibiting.
It has continued to remain and grow ever since.