RFT’s Inaugural Art A’Fair Grows With New Additions to the Lineup | Arts Stories & Interviews | St. Louis | St. Louis News and Events

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DRE’CO

Hip-hop artist Dre’Co joins several prominent St. Louis area artists and musicians for RFT’s Art A’Fair on Thursday, June 23 on Cherokee Street.

Last month we formally announced RFT Art A’Fair , a live celebration of St. Louis’ arts and music community, taking place at the Golden Record (2720 Cherokee) and four more venues on Cherokee Street on Thursday, June 23. The initial lineup reveal included Alexis Tucci, Maxi Glamour and the Knuckles to name a few — but we also teased a future announcement. Today we make good on that promise with several new additions to the show including actors, poets, musicians and even an aerial performer. 

Presented by Ascend Cannabis and in collaboration with the Cherokee Street CID, Art A’Fair will offer attendees an experience with art in myriad forms including live music, dance, theater, live painting, body art and so much more. You can call it sensory overload, but we like to think of Art’Fair as a full on arts and music gala — without the stuffy dress code, of course. Grab your early bird tickets at a discount until June 11 right here.

While Art A’Fair features music and performance art, the event also honors the winners of the ChangeMaker Awards, which spotlights four local emerging artists and awards them with a no-strings-attached check as a thank you for their contributions to the local arts and music community. We’re not quite ready to reveal the winners just yet, but we can happily share with you the latest additions to Art A’Fair. 

ART A’FAIR POETRY EXHIBITION | featuring Kristen Harris “K Money the Poet,” Gregory Maurice, Bobby “Phree” Williams, Ardimus Caldwell, Tracy “T-Spirit” Stanton, Leethal the Poet, Hobie Wolff, Shy the Poet, Rachel “Ray Lay Down the Truth,” Louis Conphliction

BRIELLE | Electro Pop / Indie / House 

DRE’CO | Hip-hop & Rap

CHEROKEE STREET THEATER COMPANY | An Excerpt From their Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 Live Parody

SAMUEL P | Surreal Hip-hop 

SUN WOMAN CIRQUE ART  | Multi Talented Circus Performer 

Since our last announcement was weeks ago and this whole affair is a lot to take in, let’s go through the full list with a fine-toothed comb. 

Hosted by Maxi Glamour, the inaugural edition of Art A’Fair offers live music by St. Louis’ own Alexis Tucci, Dre’Co, Dubb Nubb, Justin Ra, The Knuckles, DJ Limewire.Prime, Mammoth Piano, Samuel P, Stllegend, Umami and Brielle. That’s a mix of house, hip-hop, folk, pop and rock bands, not to mention a few of the city’s more hype DJs. 

Performance art is a major part of the show, and the lineup features “Speak,” an Afro Diasporic dance experience by Amara Arts, an excerpt of Cherokee Street Theater Company’s live parody of Kill Bill, fire art by Ignited Arts and an aerial performance by Sun Woman Cirque.

The stage isn’t the only place art will go down either. Visual artists will be stationed throughout the venues with live painting by Art Dimensions and Chris & Rebecca Sabatino just to name a few. Look out for body painting by Jessica Dana & Davide Weaver, live video projections by Blake Butler and an immersive video environment by Chizmo.TV.

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COURTESY PHOTO

K Money the Poet brings the heat on Thursday, June 23 for the Art A’Fair Poetry Exhibition.

Kristen Harris “K Money the Poet” leads the Art A’Fair Poetry Exhibition with a list of prominent poets and wordsmiths including Gregory Maurice, Bobby “Phree” Williams, Ardimus Caldwell, Tracy “T-Spirit” Stanton, Leethal the Poet, Hobie Wolff, Shy the Poet, Rachel “Ray Lay Down the Truth” and Louis Conphliction.

During Art A’Fair, guests will have exclusive access to several Cherokee Street venues hosting live-art entertainment including The Golden Record, Impossible Sensing, Earthbound Beer, Art Monster and The Luminary on Thursday, June 23, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

How do you expect we’ll fit all this (and more) into a four hour block? Keep an eye on the Riverfront Times in the coming weeks for an update on the schedule and any last minute additions or changes. In other words, stay tuned. For now, grab your tickets and secure your spot at the most colorful kick-off to the summer!