Belleville's ART on the SQUARE has been ranked the #1 fine arts show in the nation by The Art Fair Source Book of Portland, Oregon.  This prominent, international, arts publication considered over 600 fine arts fairs in a pool that has grown to several thousand annually held in America.

Begun in 2002, ART on the SQUARE has been a meteor in the vast sky of fine arts venues. In 2004 it was named the Best Small Town Art Fair in America and by 2006 it had climbed into the list of the top ten shows in America. In this rarefied atmosphere it is the youngest and smallest of the top tiered shows. With its most recent #1 ranking, Belleville's ART on the SQUARE is truly the "Mouse that Roared".

Founded by Patty Gregory, ART on the SQUARE is produced by a sea of hundreds of dedicated volunteers. No one receives a salary and all maintain their appointed tasks with passion. Their mission is clear. They are involved in a movement that brings a wide ranging cultural event to downtown Belleville. In the process the community is enriched, pride is increased and the physical and emotional landscape of the area is being revitalized. Artists have commented on the sense that this is a town that is being pushed by its art fair.

Each year about 1,000 artists apply to Art on the Square. Through a blind jurying process, 105 are chosen to participate. During the fair, a panel of judges considers the exhibited work and $27,000 of prize money is awarded. Also, prior to the show about $75,000 of pre-purchase art cash is sold. This cash is used by patrons to purchase art at the fair. For the past several years, more than $1,000,000 of art has been purchased and participating artists are very pleased with their experiences. Several refer to Art on the Square as a “gem of a show where they do everything right”.

Our Mission

Art on the Square is intended to foster the appreciation of the visual and performing arts to a diverse public by presenting an exhibit and sale of fine art, providing educational and enjoyable workshops for children and promoting the importance of the creative process.

This commitment includes providing these goals free of charge, not only for entertainment, but also to educate the residents of Southwestern Illinois and the surrounding community.