Artist Application info

36th Vail Arts Festival Artist Info

Artist Prospectus & Application
Vail, Colorado
Friday, Saturday and Sunday June 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2021

Reminder: Commitment to show and booth fee due upon acceptance

You are invited to apply to be among a group of 60 juried exhibitors to participate in the 2021 Vail Arts Festival, Vail's longest-running arts festival, celebrating its 36th anniversary in 2021! Our goal is to provide the public and our selected exhibitors with a unique show in a picturesque mountain resort setting.

This Artist Prospectus and Exhibitor Application includes essential details on exhibitor participation and should be read carefully prior to application. NOTE: Please focus on Image Requirements before applying to show here.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Vail Arts Festival organization is to create access to a broad array of arts experiences, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms.

General Information

The Vail Arts Festival is a three-day outdoor celebration of the visual arts, located in the heart of Lionshead Village at the Arrabelle at Vail Square. The primary focus of the event is the juried exhibition of gallery quality fine art and fine crafts, giving our audience the rare opportunity to meet, interact with, view the works of and purchase art from the individuals who have created it.

Attendance

• The show takes place during one of the busiest times of the summer season and on the kickoff weekend of the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, which draws thousands to Town each year.
• 2017 attendance to the Festival site was estimated at 18,156, according to visitor survey information.
• 58% of the visitors purchased art from an Arts Festival exhibitor
• 48% had attended the Festival in the past
• 64% were Extremely Likely to return
• 48% were first-time visitors to the Vail Arts Festival
• 31% were from the local market, which included second homeowners
• 69% were guests visiting from other places in Colorado and from out of state
• The Arts Festival’s marketing budget is spent on local and regional newspaper, print and radio advertising plus in the Denver metro area newspaper advertising.
• The event is included in listings published by the Town of Vail Commission on Special Events and Vail summer marketing.
• Our goal is to appeal to a diverse audience of individuals likely to be interested in the visual arts.

Application, Jury, and Notification Timeline

1. 60 juried artists will receive an invitation to exhibit.
2. Artists who advanced to the final round of jurying but were not invited to exhibit are considered alternates and will be notified of their alternate status.

Jury Procedure

Approximately 60 artists will exhibit at this year's event. Images are reviewed by a panel comprised of Vail residents/business owners in a blind jury process. The identities of artists are not disclosed to jurors. The jury will view each artist's set of five images shown simultaneously in a horizontal grouping. The process, materials, dimensions for each image and artist information statements will also be made available to the jury upon request. Artistic excellence is the sole criteria for selection of exhibitors. The top 60 receive invitations; the balance of artists in the final round is retained to comprise a waiting list of alternates. Decisions of the jury panel are final.

Booth Space

Applications will be date stamped upon receipt. Artists having specific space needs, will be assigned spaces on a first-come, first served basis from the date their application is received. The Arts Festival does not guarantee corner spaces or specific space requests. Each exhibitor will be provided a space measuring 11' deep by 11' wide. Artists are to provide their own display booth, racks and/or tables in order to display their work in an outdoor environment. The majority of the show is located on concrete or brick pavers. Show load-in and load-out may require hand-carrying as some of the spaces are not accessible via vehicles. The Arts Festival will have staff available to assist artists with load-in. Electricity is not available.

Sales

Artists retain all revenue from the sale of their work with no commission on sales due to the Arts Festival. However, artists will be asked to submit a refundable deposit of $150, returned immediately upon submission of Town of Vail sales tax remittance form at the show’s conclusion.

Applications

Artists must submit separate applications, unless applying as a team. Artists wishing to exhibit work produced in more than one media category must apply with separate online user id’s, set of digital images and jury fee for each category. Only one application may be submitted per body of work represented. Multiple applications must represent either work in different media categories or distinctly separate bodies of work within one category. No advantage is gained by submitting multiple applications for the same body of work in multiple categories.

Application Fees

Each application must be accompanied by the $30 jury fee payment. Applicants may choose to pay online with their Visa or Master Card, or they may pay by a check made payable to the Vail Arts Festival (mailed to PO Box 6499 Vail, CO 81658). The non-refundable jury fee check will be deposited on receipt.

Acceptance of Offer to Exhibit

An artist who is selected by the jury and accepts our invitation to exhibit, must return the signed contract, booth fee, and sales tax deposit to the Arts Festival by May 31, 2018. Failure to respond by the deadline may result in revocation of the invitation and immediate invitation of an alternate from the waiting list. The applicant is responsible to keep the Arts Festival advised of effective mailing addresses.

Exhibit Fee

*Please do not send an exhibitor fee with your application.
$450.00 for a single booth.

Digital Images

Five (5) images are to be submitted for each individual media category entered by the artist. Four (4) images, numbered respectively #1 - #4, must be of individual pieces of work. Image number #5, must be of a display of the artist's work, showing overall continuity and presentation of your current body of work. The fifth image is mandatory. If a booth image per se is not available, submit an image taken of a grouping of works representative of the works to be exhibited at the show. The purpose of the booth image is to ensure the artist has a complete body of work which is represented both in the first 4 images and also within image #5. It also helps identify the scale of the artist's work. Note: this is a blind jury process, please avoid submitting booth images with any identifiable sign, or photo of the artist themselves.

Images must be in 1920 pixel horizontal x 1920 pixel vertical format and no larger than 1.8MB, for more information access imaging tips here.
Images must accurately represent the body of the artist's work to be exhibited at the Arts Festival.

Rules of the Show

1. All work must be original, handcrafted work. Artist guarantees the accuracy of the description of the works presented and the authenticity of the work as the creation of their own hands.
2. Work done by a production studio is not acceptable. All work must be designed and executed by the accepted artist.
3. No more than two artists may collaborate on work. Both must be included on and sign the application. Both must be present at the Arts Festival.
4. Artists must be present with their work for the entire three days of the Arts Festival. Representatives may not attend in place of the artist. The Arts Festival requires photo identification at check-in to ensure compliance.
5. Artists may only show work in categories and body of work selected by the Jury. All work exhibited must be of the quality, category and body of work of that shown in the images juried.
6. Absolutely no reproductions are allowed (see special notes per media category).