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The St. James Court Art Show is one of the best in the US

This fall art show in Derby City ranked No. 3 on Sunshine Artist magazine’s “200 Best.”

Water fountain with a wrought iron fence.

This year marks the 68th annual St. James Court Art Show.

Photo provided by St. James Court Art Show

Good, better, best. St. James never rests.

Every October, the St. James Court Art Show transforms Old Louisville into an outdoor art gallery — and according to Sunshine Artist, it’s one of the best fine art and design show in the country.

While we already know our autumn tradition — colloquially known as “St. James” — has been the best since 1957, the magazine’s 2024 “200 Best” list backs up our claim to St. Fame for another year running.

Man wearing colorful beaded necklaces and a red top hat stands in front of paintings.

The juried art show features over 600 artists from around the US.

Photo by St. James Court Art Show

As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Sunshine Artist’s art show rankings are based on the revenue reported by attending artists from across the US.

It uses revenue as the deciding factor because it’s the most objective way to look at an art show’s future success versus subjective data, like artist treatment, attendance levels, and management.

LOUtoday_St James

The art show sets up among Old Louisville’s famous collection of Victorian homes.

Photo by St. James Court Art Fair

The St. James Court Art Show has been in the top three of Sunshine Artist’s list for the past five years, and took the No. 1 spot in 2019 and 2023. In 2020, it won an even higher distinction — The No. 1 fine art fair of the last 10 years. Not bad for a show that’s been running since the 1950s.

St. James draws in roughly 250K people annually over the course of three days and has an ~$5 million impact on Derby City every year. The 2024 art show will take place from Friday, Oct. 4 to Sunday, Oct. 6.

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