About St James Court Art Show
Since 1957, St James Court Art Show has been held on the first full weekend in October. What started out as a way to pay the bills has grown into a fall tradition where hundreds of thousands of people come to see and buy original art from talented artists. Malcolm Bird, president of the St. James Court Association, established St James Court Art Show on October 12, 1957. In 1957, the St. James Court Association had no money in the bank, was in debt for recent fountain repairs, and needed money right away. The Art Show appeared to be the ideal way to meet residents and pay bills. The Art Show got off to an easy start. It was initially intended to be a purely artistic exhibit, but it is now open to all visitors. In her history of St. James Court in Retrospect, published in 1966, Marguerite Gifford wrote, "The pictures were hung on a clothesline extending from tree to tree.