Delmar Loop Flowering Artist Festival 2026

This event, previously called "The Budding Artist" has been renamed the "Delmar Loop Flowering Artist Festival." The festival allows all levels of artists the opportunity to exhibit; i.e. the "Budding artist" -less than five years experience, the "Blooming artist"- five to ten years experience, and the "Flowering artist"- for those artists who have been refining their craft for over ten years.

This is a one day event, held on the iconic Delmar Loop, named one of the top ten streets to visit in the USA. The Delmar Loop is in University City, a suburb direclty adjacent to St. Louis City, and Clayton, MO. The areas exudes a vintage vibe with an eclectic collection of retro stores, restaurants, and music venues.

This event is paired with the annual Mural paintings of University City business structures, and the "Mannequin Project," with the addition of live music, food, and entertainment from local talent. 

Festival Date & Time: May 16, 2026, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., rain or shine.
This is a fine art fair. Art deemed "craft" will not be accepted. Work submitted must be designed and executed by the artist. Nothing commercially made (casts, molds, imported products, work from "kits," mechanically printed T-shirts) will be accepted.  No "Buy/Sell" items are allowed. Reproductions of orignal art are allowed, but must NOT reresent the majority of the work shown. NO work generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be accepted. 

Mediums Accepted:
Painting
Drawing/Pastels
Digital Work
Photography
2D mixed media
Fiber
Sculpture
Wood
Metal
Glass
Jewelery
Ceramics
3D mixed media

*Cash awards, up to $1000 will be given, with winners notified during the course of the event. 

Marketing
This event will be heavily marketed via local and regional media outlets including but not limited to local TV channels, radio, University City web site, Artisans in the Loop and St. Louis art community Facebook pages, extensive social media postings, STL Bucket List, STL Magazine, posters and yard signage.
Artists are encouraged to post the event on their personal FB pages and social media outlets.




 

• Exhibitors must comply with all local ordinances, regulations, and rules, including but not limited to prohibitions on firearms within the Fair boundaries and open flames in tents or other enclosed areas.
• Artist must be 18 years or older to participate.
• Designated fire lanes and fire breaks must remain free of storage or any other obstruction that blocks clear passage. All storage must be neatly concealed within the booth structure. Violations must be corrected immediately or the booth will be required to close until resolved.
• Sales are permitted only during Art Fair hours — 1:00pm-8:00pm. Early closing is not allowed except with prior approval or in an emergency. Each artist is responsible for recording all sales for Missouri sales-tax purposes.
• All exhibiting artists must maintain a high level of professionalism. Hawking, harassment, rude or obscene language, threats, physical restraint, or abuse toward staff, volunteers, artists, businesses, or the public are strictly prohibited. Any occurrance will result in Artist dismissal from the fair with no refund. 
• Booth structures and displays must not exceed the limits of assigned space or obstruct passage. Hazardous or interfering artwork must be removed upon request.
• Unless prior approval is granted, generators are not permitted within the boundaries of the Delmar Loop Flowering Artist Festival.
• No open flames of any kind are permitted anywhere on the Festival site.
• Booths must remain open for the Fair’s official hours unless artists receive an emergency notification from Fair organizers. Artists concerned for personal safety may close temporarily but must notify staff and reopen as soon as conditions permit. Illness or other personal need to leave the fair early reviewed on a case by case basis. 
• Works incorporating materials derived from the killing, hunting, trapping, or mutilation of endangered species, or using elephant or mammoth ivory (including fossilized ivory), are strictly prohibited.
• 2-D artisst may have reproductions, however they must be clearly labeled as reproductions to avoid any confusion by the buyer.
• All paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, digital art, and photographs must be framed or matted and displayed in suitable portfolios or stands.
• Ceramics must be handmade and individually designed. No works from commercial kits, molds, patterns, stencils, or prefabricated forms are permitted. 
• Jewelers may not use commercially fabricated forms or settings. Only artists accepted in the Jewelry category may display or sell jewelry.
• Leatherworks must not be produced using machine tooling, machine-screened patterns, or other mass-production methods.
• Artists must represent their own work and be present for the entire event. 
• A two-person partnership producing a single body of work qualifies as a single exhibitor.
• Artists leaving prior to the end of the show are subject to a suspension from future participation. Booths must remain open during all official hours.
• The Delmar Loop Flowering Artist Festival reserves the right to refuse any work not presented according to these guidelines and application materials.
• Signs advertising sales or markdowns are prohibited. 
• Barricades placed by Fair staff or emergency personnel may not be moved or altered under any circumstances. Doing so is a violation of City ordinance and subject to enforcement by the University City Police Department (UCPD), which monitors barricade compliance throughout the event.
• All tents must be removed the night of the event during move-out. 
• In an emergency, artists must follow directions of the City of University City Emergency Manager, Loop Special District Board Executive Director, and/or Fair Director. No refunds are issued due to weather or emergency conditions.