During the Art Fair when I walked down Central between Forsyth and Carondelet, I came across a curious crowd in front of a booth.  Curiously, I decided to check out the scene. What I found was a fimilar piece of art that I remembered from previous years.  It was the three dimensional mechanical devices and kinetic sculptures with different marbles moving through.  The person responsible for creating such art was Jeffrey Zachmann.  The different sculputures were amazing to watch because it was obvious that such hard work went into the final product.  When I asked him how long one took to make, he responded with from anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.  He said it was due to the fact that he has been creating sculptures like that for many years.    The booth was by far my favorite since it was one of a kind art.

In spite of the stormy weather at the beginning of the weekend, the Clayton Art Fair was a great success.The event, which drew artists from all over the midwest, featured amazing fine art, free entertainment and childrens’ activities in the Creative Castle. The art this year ranged from jewelry to wooden sculptures, and even included interactive art.

The Creative Castle was the kids’ area and offered fun activities for all, including shooting a guy with different colored paints, blowing up a punching balloon, and creating a hat out of a paper Schnucks bag. Despite these great activities, there still just didn’t seem to be enough activities or booths.

The free entertainment by the stages attracted many fair goers, including the one and only Dancer of Life. Each year she makes her presence known by the Forsyth Stage. She carried a couple of suitcases filled with her different props, which included paper fans and umbrellas.  While the band played in the background, she danced close to stage while video taping her self. Her dance moves were always one of a kind and can put a smile on anyones face. There were even different spectators videotaping her.

In past years, one of the best features of the fair was the food. Not so this year.  As I ventured to Brentwood for some food I found that there were fewer vendors compared to previous years. There was still the Mandarin House, Manhattan Cafe, and Hank’s Cheesecake. A couple of years ago I remember there being a Pasta House booth and a pizza truck.  It would have been a nice touch if there were more Clayton based restaurants represented.  

Overall, I thought that this years Clayton Art Fair was memorable. Each year there tend to be different changes, which keeps people like me coming back for more.