Prospectus

The Westport Downtown Merchants Association in conjunction with The Westport Arts Center Presents The 39th Annual Fine Arts Festival

Location: Parker Harding Plaza & Gorham Island, Downtown Westport, Ct.

Saturday July 21st

10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Sunday July 22nd

10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

*Set up begins Friday July 20th at 7:00 pm until dark, and Saturday July 21st from

6:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.

Westport's annual Fine Arts Festival is held in one of the most affluent communities in Fairfield County, Ct. Located along the picturesque Saugatuck River the show is located in the quaint, downtown commercial district with some of the finest shopping & dining establishments within a commutable distance to New York City. Your work will be viewed by tens of thousands of shoppers who reside in Westport year round as well as many summer residents who call this upscale beach community home during the month of July. With a long standing tradition as an artistic community, The Westport Fine Arts Festival remains a highlight on the calendars of collectors from New England & Manhattan each year.

MEDIA CATEGORIES INCLUDE

• Painting (oils & acrylics)
• Watercolor
• Photography
• Sculpture
• Drawing (pastels, pencil, ink)
• Printmaking
• Mixed Media
• Glass
• Ceramics
• Fiber
• Jewelry
• Wood
• Digital Art

ARTIST AWARDS

Judging will take place Saturday morning by a panel of judges provided by the Westport Arts Center, $500 will be awarded to the artist judged "Best In Festival" and $250 will be awarded to an artist judged "Best in Media Category".

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DIGITAL IMAGES

Each artist must complete an on line application with only 1 artist per entry. Each application must include a jury fee and its own set of images. Applicants must submit five (5) professional quality digital images. Four images should show individual pieces representative of current work. The fifth image must be of the display that will be used at the show with the full range of work displayed, this fifth image is mandatory. If an artist wishes to apply in more than one category a separate application, jury fee and set of images must be submitted for each category. No artist may apply twice in the same category. Artists may exhibit artwork only in the category in which he/she was accepted.

All entries must be received by Monday March 19th, 2012.

Entries submitted during the Late Deadline period from March 20th until March 26th will have an additional $50 late fee.

Exhibitors will be chosen by a jury of experienced artists, working professionals, and local community members. Judging will take place by media category. Notification of decisions will be sent by e-mail May 4th, 2012. Booth assignments will be available after July 2^nd on the website.

NOTE TO ARTISTS WHO WON IN THEIR MEDIA CATEGORY AT THE 2011 SHOW:

You are automatically accepted into the 2012 show, though you must still send in fees and an application with all the deadlines and stipulations outlined in this application.

EXHIBITOR'S STANDARDS

No dealers, reps or sit-ins are permitted. All work must be of original design, executed and signed by the exhibiting artist. The work must match the quality and style of work as represented in the submitted images. The festival directors reserve the right to remove during the show, any art or any exhibitor whose work varies widely from his or her digital images. A maximum of 40% of all displayed artwork may be reproductions of original work. All reproductions must be so marked. No artwork from kits, molds or other commercial methods is allowed. Ready made objects which have been painted, embellished or decorated are not allowed. No posters, postcards, t-shirts or personal merchandise can be sold at the festival. All artists are required to be present for the entirety of the show and any artist who breaks down displays or departs prior to closing time will not be allowed to return to future festivals. Breakdown is handled by show promoters in conjunction with local police and all artists must follow specific breakdown directions in order to safely and efficiently exit the show.

CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

· Painting -creation of a still life, portrait, landscape, abstract or other image on a flat surface, such as a canvas by using oil and or acrylic paints.

· Watercolor – creation of a still life, portrait, landscape, abstract or other image on a flat surface by using watercolor paints.

· Photography – photographic prints made from the original negative that have been processed by the artist.

· Sculpture – three dimensional work done in any medium

· Drawing (pastels, pencil, ink) – works created using dry media including charcoal, chalk pencil, pastels or from a fluid medium of inks and washes applied by pen or brush.

· Printmaking – printed works for which the artists hand manipulated plates, stones or screens and which have been signed and numbered.

· Mixed Media – works that incorporate more than one type of physical material in their production.

· Glass – works that are functional or decorative by design and have been handcrafted by glass blowing, molding or casting. Works may be etched or engraved. No forms of mass production are admitted.

· Ceramics – original clay and porcelain work other than jewelry. Each piece must be signed, no machine made or mass produced work is permitted.

· Fiber – all work crafted from fibers, including basketry, embroidery, weaving, tapestry and papermaking. No machine tooled, machine patterned or any forms of mass production are permitted.

· Jewelry works created through the forging and fabricating of various metals and other materials. Any jewelry made of any material that falls into another category must apply in this category. No commercial casts, molds or production studio work is allowed.

· Wood – original works that are hand tooled, machine worked, turned or carved. Embellished or painted, store bought furniture is not accepted.

· Digital Art – Images made with the assistance of a computer. All digital images must be signed and limited to a numbered edition of no more than 200. Exhibitors in this category must disclose and display their creative and printing process in their festival booth.

BOOTH SPACES

One space of 10'X10' will be assigned per artist. Double booths or booths of unusual shapes may be requested at the time of application. Requests for specific booth locations will not be honored.
ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE. Designated fire lanes must be left open at all times. Exhibitor must furnish all necessary display equipment, maintain and attend his/her exhibit area and is responsible for removal of artwork overnight. Booths may be left onsite Saturday evening. Any artwork left must be enclosed and is at the discretion of the artist. Unloading and loading is next to your booth. Parking after unloading will be in a designated lot which will not be adjacent to your booth.

APPLICATION & BOOTH FEES**

There is a NON-REFUNDABLE APPLICATION FEE of $40 payable by check or Paypal.

The Booth Fee is $450 payable by check only. Booths are assigned by lottery after the completion of the jury process. No application will be accepted until both payments are received. The Booth Fee will be deposited upon your acceptance to the Festival. If you are not accepted, this check will be destroyed . No commissions will be charged on sales. If you cannot participate in the show after being accepted, please e-mail by May10th or we will assume you will be participating and all checks will be cashed and no further refunds will be made.

wdmaadmin@gmail.com or call 203-505-8716.

Checks should be made payable to:

Westport DMA

and sent to:

WDMA FAF, 159 Main St. Westport Ct. 06880.

**NOTE: No application will be accepted until both APPLICATION AND BOOTH payments are received.**

SECURITY, LIABILITY & TAXES

The Fine Arts Festival will provide 24 hour Westport Police Security Saturday morning through Sunday night. However, each artist exhibits at his/her own risk. Neither the Fine Art Festival, its Director and staff, The Westport Downtown Merchant's Association, or The Town of Westport is responsible for any damage, theft or loss of an artist's work. Each artist is responsible for charging and collecting applicable sales taxes. To obtain details. Contact the State of Connecticut, Department of Revenue Services at 860-297-5962.