Beautiful, colorful and creative. The annual Historic Shaw Art Fair in St. Louis attracted thousands for the ninth year since its first launch. The crowd came out for a good dose of art from across the country.

The fair was held last weekend, while the neighboring Botanical Garden’s “Best of Missouri” market was going on. This pairing paved the way for even more people to visit the fair.

More than 100 artists gathered at Flora Place in the Shaw Neighborhood to participate in the juried show. They showcased an excellent selection of original paintings, sculptures, textiles, furniture, jewelry and colorful blown glass, among other mediums.

There were nifty wooden treasure boxes cut into puzzle pieces by Don Wood of Wisconsin, funky wire jewelry by Wendy Witchner from California, and surreal “Dreamscapes” photography by Ken Bailey from Indiana.

Some notable St. Louis artists included the striking landscape photography of Jeremy Hawkins, the unique furniture designs of David R. Weitz, Jr., and the beautiful nature-inspired photographs of Lori Purk was included.

But perhaps the most fascinating were the mixed-media portrait boxes by Susan Taylor-Glasgow of Columbia, Mo. Made with wood, paint and stained glass. The limited edition portrait boxes each have different faces and a different stories to tell. Taylor-Glasgow featured forest-inspired mirrors and hardwood candlesticks, as well. Her crafts were definitely some of the most creative and whimsical in the art fair.

There was also an exhibition of paintings from the local neighborhood schools and free hands-on activities for children. Aside from a delightful assortment of art, the crowd enjoyed the fine fall weather, the sandwiches and cool local jazz.

The great thing about the fair was that you could both look and buy stuff off the walls. Prices ranged from $10 for postcard prints to more than $1000 for paintings, ceramics and wooden crafts. But they were all worth it because of the great quality and uniqueness.

Every year, prize money is given for Best of Show. Other prizes awarded are selected from the two- and three- dimensional works.

The Historic Shaw Art Fair is one of the most popular art shows in the Midwest and ranked among the top 100 in the United States.

Fair proceeds go to the Shaw Neighborhood for its youth activities.

So if you want a unique art experience, the Historic Shaw Art Fair is something you’ll want to watch out for next year.