Art on the Square in Belleville canceled because of coronavirus pandemic
This year’s 19th annual Art on the Square in Belleville has been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois and across the country.
The nationally recognized art show, which annually takes over Public Square and surrounding streets in downtown Belleville, had been scheduled for May 15-17.
“After much discussion and carefully considering the responses from so many of our artists, we felt we had no choice,” Patty Gregory, the event’s founder and director, said in a message on the event’s site. “Continuing with our May date was just too risky and going to an alternate date would have unfairly infringed on other shows well established in their traditional time slots.”
Gregory said rescheduling the event on an alternate date would have unfairly infringed on other shows well established in traditional time slots.
“These are difficult times for us all and we are sorry for the losses our artists are experiencing with the cancellation of so many shows. However, we believe this is the best decision for our artists, our attendees and our volunteers,” Gregory said.
Any artists that were invited to attend Art on the Square this year will get an “automatic invitation” to the 2021 show, and a 100% refund on artists’ booth fees will be returned, Gregory said.
Art on the Square is honored year after year as one of the best shows in the nation. It is an iconic event for Belleville, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
The 2019 show was ranked fourth nationwide in exhibitor sales reported to Art Fair SourceBook.
It has been ranked No. 1 in sales six times between 2006 and 2017 but the 2018 show slipped down in the rankings, which organizers attributed to the rainy weather during that show.
Artists’ sales rebounded in 2019.
Greg Lawler, editor and publisher of Art Fair SourcBook, wrote earlier this year artists at Art on the Square enjoy the hospitality provided to them by the 600 or so volunteers who “feed and pamper the artists and BUY from them.”
Artists sold an average of $8,824 worth of fine art during the 2019 Art on the Square.
Lawler said Art on the Square’s Art Cash program also contributes to the fair’s ranking. Art Cash is sold in $50 increments and then used like normal currency to purchase works of art during the fair.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 3:49 PM.