St. Louis’ artist communities and art districts are getting nationally recognized, and homegrown foundations have uplifted the arts for decades. Yet, there are still artists that fall through the cracks and struggle to connect with the greater St. Louis art scene.

Instead of waiting for a seat at the table, multidisciplinary artist and St. Louis native Brock Seals decided to build his own. He told St. Louis on the Air that his event Art, Mimosas and Pancakes — also known as AMP — was created to combine some of his favorite food and showcase his own art. “[Art, Mimosas and Pancakes] started out of the need for me to want to show my work outside of social media. When I was in college … I had a lot of friends who were artists, and I had a lot of friends who just loved going to events and needed something to do.”

The event’s name says it all. The art is everywhere — paintings, photography, mixed media, sculptures and crafts. The musical performances cross genres from hip-hop to afrobeats, R&B and djing. Art is in the pancakes as well. The team behind Dancakes and the Joy of Pancakes creates portraits and still-life using pancake batter. And, of course, there are mimosas to wash it all down.

In the last nine years (there was a year hiatus during the pandemic) AMP has grown to include more than 50 artists, increased food options and a larger venue — the Hawthorn. In recent years, AMP has seen more than 1,000 guests. “Every year we just grow,” Seals said. “Last year, and the year before that, we were at capacity. Over capacity, honestly … so it was a blessing to find a bigger space.”

For a preview of the performances at Art, Mimosas and Pancakes — including Brock Seals’ song “HIM” — and how Seals brings St. Louis with him when performing across the country, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or Stitcher or by clicking the play button below.

Related Event
What: Art, Pancakes and Mimosas
When: Saturday, July 8
Where: The Hawthorn (2231 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103)

“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.