Commerce Bank’s St. Louis Art Fair Preview

Commerce Bank of St. Louis hosted its annual Saint Louis Art Fair Preview Party at the Clayton branch lobby, Friday, September 5, 2014. The Bank comprises a valued sponsor of the Saint Louis Art Fair, and this event officially kicked off the Fair. Prominent bank clients, art fair supporters, sponsors and political dignataries mixed and mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeurvres provided by Butler’s Pantry.

Jack Schreiber, president and chief operating officer of Commerce Bank of St. Louis, welcomed the guests and then turned the brief program over to Doug Nieder, board chair of Cultural Festivals.

The art fair featured the works of over 190 artists from around the U.S., Europe, and Canada, including several notable metropolitan St. Louis area artists. Juried artists’ creations were exhibited and offered for sale in outdoor booths. Different nonprofit organizations also participated with several running the Cultural Information Booths.

Unfortunately, outside the hot, humid temperatures earlier in the week caused some storm activity that forced the cancellation of Friday’s evening fair. Pleasant weather Saturday and Sunday allowed thousands of people to enjoy the thirty-two performances on three stages, various street performers, artists demonstrations, performance art demonstrations, and children’s activities, as well as sampling dishes prepared by fifteen of St. Louis’ top restaurants.

Commerce Bank traces its roots back to 1865 when Francis Reid Long came to Kansas City with $10,000 capital and started a bank, the Kansas City Savings Association. By 1890, the bank, then named the National Bank of Commerce, became the largest bank west of Chicago.

Today, Commerce Bank, a Missouri-based company with headquarters in Kansas City and St. Louis, operates over 374 locations in five states: Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Colorado. With over $22 billion in assets, it provides financial services for businesses and individuals, using a variety of delivery platforms such as an expansive ATM network, full-featured Online Banking and a central contact center.

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. operates as a super-community bank offering an array of sophisticated financial products delivered with high-quality, personal customer service. The Company’s customer promise – We ask, listen and solve – reflects not just its brand, but also its corporate focus. With this platform, Commerce continually is building its long-term franchise while paying strict attention to asset quality and expense management. Commerce offers a full range of financial products to consumer and commercial customers including: lending, payment processing, trust, brokerage and capital markets services.