CRAFTBOSTON Holiday 2017
December 15, 2016 to December 17, 2017
Boston, MA
Application Dates
Jun 17 to Sep 19 '16
Application Fee
$40.00
(see prospectus for details)
Notification Date
Oct 26, 2016

Prospectus

CraftBoston is a biannual show and sale of fine contemporary craft and design. Both CraftBoston Spring and CraftBoston Holiday unite talented makers with passionate and knowledgeable shoppers throughout a weekend-long event. The shows are produced by the Society of Arts + Crafts, America’s oldest non-profit craft organization. The Society’s mission is to support excellence in crafts by encouraging the creation, collection, and conservation of the work of craft artists, and by educating and promoting public appreciation of fine craftsmanship. The Society’s mission is the heart of CraftBoston, where the artists’ success and an educational experience for attendees are paramount.

There is only one application, deadline, and fee to apply to both CraftBoston Spring 2017 and CraftBoston Holiday 2017

Application Deadline: September 19, 2016

More info at www.craftboston.org

About CraftBoston Holiday 2017

175 exhibitors are included in CraftBoston Holiday, a highly regarded, must-attend event for artists, collectors, and craft enthusiasts. Presented at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s affluent Back Bay neighborhood, CraftBoston Holiday is conveniently located in a concentrated shopping district during the busiest shopping weekend of the year. The holiday season and show’s location, coupled with highly concentrated marketing efforts ensure a strong audience of buyers at CraftBoston Holiday. Special programming, including themed booths, a lecture series, mentor program, awards, and craft tours, create a sophisticated atmosphere for shoppers to learn about contemporary craft.

Show Dates: December 15 – 17, 2017

Move In Dates: December 13 & December 14

Preview Party: December 14

Booth Package Includes:

  • 8’ high black pipe and drape
  • booth signage
  • storage
  • discounted hotel room block across the street from convention center complex
  • dedicated webpage featuring five images and preferred contact information
  • two listings in the show program guide
  • free digital and print marketing materials
  • exhibitor and exhibitor assistant badges
  • discounted guest tickets
  • additional on-site and pre-show marketing opportunities

Booth Sizes and Pricing:

8’ x 10’ - $900
10’ x 10’ - $1,125
10’ x 15’ - $1,680
10’ x 20’ - $2,250

Corner booths are an additional $300

Awards

Between 7 and 10 artists exhibiting exemplary work in their respective fields will receive a cash awards ranging from $250 - $500 at CraftBoston Holiday. An independent juror will select the award recipients from varying media categories. Each award winner will be granted automatic entry into the following year’s shows.

Application Process

Applicant Eligibility

CraftBoston welcomes applications from both established and emerging artists making original work that shows exemplary execution of design, quality craftsmanship, creative use of materials, and superb aesthetic qualities. Artists that are new to CraftBoston will receive recognition in the show program guide and signage on the show floor.

Media Categories

Accepted media categories include: baskets, ceramics, decorative fiber, wearable fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, and wood.

Acceptance Criteria

  1. All work must fit within one of the following accepted media categories: baskets, ceramics, decorative fiber, wearable fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, and wood. Categories not included: calligraphy, painting, photography, lithography, etc., except when incorporated into an otherwise acceptable craft category. All work must be original and made by hand or with the use of appropriate tools. CraftBoston encourages one-of-a-kind and limited edition work.
  2. No commercial reproductions of any kind are allowed. This includes embellished commercially made objects and works assembled (wholly or in part) from commercially available kits.
  3. Artists that are accepted for participation must be in attendance at their booth during the entire show. No agent, dealer, or representative may attend in place of the artist.
  4. Collaborating artists are permitted, however, any representation other than a true, hands on artistic collaboration is not permitted.
  5. Artists may only show work in categories selected by the jury. All work exhibited must be of the same body, quality, and category of work that was juried through digital images

How to Apply

There is only one application and one fee to apply to one or both 2017 shows. This application is available online only. To complete an application:

  • Submit five digital images to the jury via the online application platform, Juried Art Services (www.juriedartservices.com) by 11:59pm on September 12, 2016.
  • Artists are encouraged to submit high-quality professional photographs; returning applicants are encouraged to submit new images of their work.
  • Check the box next to the show that you would like to apply for.
  • Submit the $40 application fee.

Application Fees

  • There is one application fee of $40 to apply to one or both shows.
  • Late applications will not be accepted; therefore, there is no late application fee.

Preparing Images

Please consider the following when preparing images for your application:

  • Professional quality, high-resolution product shots read best
  • White backgrounds are preferred and favored for marketing purposes.
  • Images should be provided at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. This allows us use images in print. Sending us small files of images prevents the use the images in print advertisements.
  • Once accepted, artists are invited to send additional high-resolution product shots to be considered for marketing materials.

Multiple Applications

If an individual artist or collaborating team wishes to apply in two different media categories, two separate applications and application fees must be submitted. If only one application is accepted, at least two-thirds of the exhibitor’s booth must contain the accepted media category.

Shared Booths

Shared booths are not encouraged and will be considered on a case-by-case basis if both artists have been accepted to the show.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of their application status via email AND via Juried Art Services by late October. Accepted artists will be required to submit a show contract and deposit towards their booth fee(s) by Friday, October 28, 2016.

Waitlist

Waitlisted artists are queued based on their application score within their media category. To ensure that the shows are as balanced as possible across the media categories, artists are pulled from the waitlist as space becomes available in their specific media category. For this reason, artists will not receive a waitlist number, and will continue to be pulled from the waitlist until the show dates.

Jury Process/Jurors

A qualified panel of three independent jurors is assembled each year to score the CraftBoston Spring and Holiday applications simultaneously. CraftBoston jurors are selected for their extensive knowledge and expertise in varying craft media and their contributions to the contemporary craft community.

Invitations

The CraftBoston jurors will invite up to 15% of participating exhibitors.

Marketing

CraftBoston’s marketing team is dedicated to attracting collectors while developing new support for the craft community in New England. CraftBoston is publicized both regionally and nationally and targeted to a wide and varying demographic via the following:

  • Dedicated webpage with images and contact information for every artist
  • Free digital and print marketing materials for artists
  • Direct print and e-news campaign
  • Radio advertisements
  • Extensive free and discounted ticket offers
  • Boston Globe, Metro, and WGBH partnerships
  • Advertising in national craft and design magazines
  • Extensive social media campaigns

Inquires

Please direct all correspondence and inquires to craftboston@societyofcrafts.org