Art Trail Home Page

Welcome to the greatriverroad.com art trail. While researching the Great River Road area around St. Louis the editors of greatriverroad.com came across a surprisingly large number of festivals, galleries, museums, shops, and studios that involved the visual or performing arts. So much so that the decision was made to create a new section devoted to the art community of the Middle Mississippi River Valley. Most of the attractions and events on the greatriverroad.com art trail are within an hour's drive from downtown St. Louis making an interesting way to spend an afternoon. The area covered is too large to spend exploring in one day so we suggest that you choose a region to concentrate on.

French Colonial Country
The area south of St. Louis has its roots from the French settlers who came to this region in the early 18th century. Visitors can view unique French Creole architecture in the towns of Ste. Genevieve and Cahokia. Ste. Genevieve was once home to an art colony during the Depression era and local artists are keeping the tradition alive with annual art events. The region is the home of Roscoe Misselhorn, considered the Norman Rockwell of the Midwest, and galleries in Ste. Genevieve and Sparta showcase his work. The newly opened Schmidt Art Center (photo right) in Belleville features rotating exhibits featuring local artists as well as their collection of fine art and also an outdoor sculpture exhibit.  

Meeting of the Great Rivers
Scenic Byway Area
Hundreds of artists make their home in the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area and their showcase event of the year is ArtEast, the Alton and Edwardsville Studio Tour held every year in October. During this event the artists open their studios (photo right) and display their work in the studios or other venues. The newly opened Jacoby Arts Center in Alton has special exhibits featuring local artists as well as providing classes and workspace. There are private galleries in Alton and don’t forget the drive up the scenic Great River Road to view the 19th century architecture of scenic Elsah and to visit Grafton and its galleries and art shops.

Historic St. Charles, Missouri
Historic Main Street in downtown St. Charles features 14 blocks with shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Art related events are held throughout the year including the Festival of the Little Hills in August and MOsaics in September. MOsaics is an event where approximately 125 artists are invited to exhibit and sell their original art work. The new Foundry Art Centre, which is located on the banks of the Missouri River, features the studios of over twenty selected artists (photo right) , three galleries for rotating exhibits, and a Grand Hall for the performing arts.  

Hannibal, Missouri & the Little Dixie Scenic Byway
The art scene is growing along the banks of the Mississippi River north of St. Louis in the historic river towns of Hannibal, Louisiana, Clarksville. The Clarksville and Louisiana area is becoming a refuge for artists, many who have shops in the downtown districts and Hannibal has a number of studios and galleries. The premier art event is the 50 Miles of Art adventure where professional artists and artisans in Hannibal, Louisiana, Clarksville, and surrounding communities open their studios, galleries, and retail spaces to the public. Louisiana features a mural project with over 20 outdoor scenes painted by local artists (photo right) and the Henry Lay Sculpture Garden of St. Louis University where visitors can see works by nationally and internationally known sculptors.