RIVERBEND - Community members have the opportunity to engage with local artists in their studios as part of ARTEAST.
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From 12–6 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 23, 2025, you can travel throughout the Riverbend region to visit almost 50 artists and view their work. Sponsored by the Edwardsville Arts Center and partners, the ARTEAST experience aims to connect artists and community members and inspire creation.
“We are an art stronghold. That was the whole goal behind bringing ARTEAST back,” said Beth Browne, executive director of the Edwardsville Arts Center. “It’s wonderful to see it continue to grow, and we have great expectations for it to really take off and be a staple in not only our programming, but for the communities across the Metro East area. We’re excited to see all these people get elevated and celebrated and also to give them resources and opportunities to connect with their community.”
Using the interactive map provided by the Edwardsville Arts Center and Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, you can take the tour to artists’ studios across the region. Many artists will be providing demonstrations and selling work while also sharing their passion for art.
Ana Sumner, a fiber artist based at 1334 Richetta Drive in Edwardsville, noted that ARTEAST is an opportunity for her to engage with the community.
“This is my second ARTEAST. I was there last year, and it was a wonderful experience,” Sumner said. “I look forward to this year because I get to meet my neighbors. I’ve only lived in this area for nine years, and ARTEAST was a wonderful connection for me to connect to my community. As artists, we love showing our art and for you to come out and enjoy the beauty that comes out of each one of us.”
Suzanne Oberholtzer, located at 111 Carrington Court in Edwardsville, echoed Sumner. Oberholtzer took a workshop on handmade paper in the 1980s, and now she devotes all her free time to creating paper art sculptures.
“I really enjoy it because I’m kind of in partnership with the material. I can kind of tell it what I want it to do, but at a certain point, it’s going to do what it is going to do,” she explained, adding that ARTEAST is “a wonderful opportunity to get to meet local artists. Local artists need support. It’s just so wonderful to see who’s in the area. There are a lot of very talented people. It’s a real treat.”
Vincent Fleming at 518 E. 6th Street in Alton creates original oil paintings and prints. Fleming began painting at night while he worked as an engineer at McDonnell Douglas. He and his wife, Lois, have traveled across the country to art shows. At age 90, Fleming is still excited to share his paintings with the community.
Similarly, Jon Ross-Mooneyham creates art in between appointments as a professional psychic and tarot card reader. His photography and wood prints will be on display at Mooneyham Art in Alton.
Christina MacMorran’s studio at 112 W. Market Street in Troy will also hold the artwork of several artists. A painter, MacMorran is excited to share her work and to show people that art can be a fun, unintimidating experience for all to enjoy.
“Everybody knows artists are out there,” she said. “To see their art is one thing. To see where they make their art and how they make their art is completely different, and to see that it’s accessible. That’s my main goal with classes, to say, ‘Look, art is not a capital letter. You can come in and sit down and have fun. Remember how much fun it was when you were a kid? It’s still that much fun, and I clean up after you.’ The accessibility of art is increased when you bring people into private studios.”
All of the artists are excited to share their work and talk about their experiences during ARTEAST. You can also stop by local galleries and organizations, including the Edwardsville Arts Center, Jacoby Arts Center, the Macoupin County Art Collective, The Gogh-Getters, and SIUE to see more artists and hear about the work of these organizations.
After a 12-year hiatus, Browne is eager to see ARTEAST’s revival. She believes it’s a great opportunity to connect artists and the public. She shared that the Edwardsville Arts Center hopes to continue growing the program so they can engage with more artists across the region.
“We’re building the template for this so that it can be shared with other communities,” she said. “Really, our goal is to help elevate all of the artists that are in the Metro East area, and so that people recognize we have so much talent over here that needs to be celebrated just as much as St. Louis does…It is really cool to get people to come into your space and also create camaraderie between the artists in the area.”
For more information about ARTEAST, visit the official webpage.
