In 2003, the Philip Slein Gallery opened on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis by co-owners Philip Slein and Tom Bussmann. Philip and Tom share a wide range of interests centering on painting, and are committed to showing the best work regardless of style.

In 2011, the pair developed a partnership with the venerable art dealer Jim Schmidt of Schmidt Contemporary Art. The gallery moved to its current Central West End location in 2012. In 2014 the gallery was included in Steven Zevitas’ list of 40 Galleries You Should Know If You Love Paint, published in the Huffington Post.