Crowd of 1,000 anticipated at UMSL first weekend in May as growing print fair enters second decade

UMSL Daily

In addition to drawing 35 top-tier dealers from around the country, the 11th annual St. Louis Fine Print, Rare Book and Paper Arts Fair set for May 5 to 7 will feature local artists including R.H. Dick. Several of his sculptures are on display at UMSL’s St. Louis Mercantile Library. (Photos by Evie Hemphill)
While every visit to the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri–St. Louis has a tendency to lead to new discoveries, the possibilities were especially endless one recent morning during a gathering of local artists and dealers.
On the final afternoon of the fair (May 7), St. Charles, Missouri, resident Juliette Travous will give a demonstration of her artistic process when it comes to pastel landscapes – and particularly clouds, which have always fascinated her.
In one corner stood a prized watercolor by Missouri native and major American artist Thomas Hart Benton. Across the way, two striking photographs – one taken in California and another in Iceland – invited closer inspection.
Seated nearby was R.H. Dick, a local painter, author and sculptor who grew up on the very street where Benton lived later in life.
“I’d bump into him on his evening walks,” said Dick, who recalls visiting the late master’s studio as a teenager.
The fascinating assortment of art and people on hand at the library that day offered just a glimpse of a much larger gathering in the works: the 11th annual St. Louis Fine Print, Rare Book and Paper Arts Fair.
Set for May 5 to 7, the campus event is a highlight of the year for those invested in the St. Louis region’s cultural scene, and it draws dealers from as far away as New York, Colorado and Arizona. Last year’s 10th iteration was a record success, and this year organizers expect about 1,000 art and rare book collectors to pack UMSL’ ...

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