Prospectus

CRAFTBOSTON SPRING 2016 SHOW 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 and Crafts, America’s oldest non-profit craft organization. SAC’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. SAC’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 2016 and CraftBoston Holiday 2016.

Application Deadline: September 12, 2015

More info at www.craftboston.org

About CraftBoston

CraftBoston Spring 2016

CraftBoston Spring is an intimate gathering of just 90 artists with thousands of knowledgeable shoppers in the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. A charming 19^th-century brick building in-the-round, the Cyclorama is a well-loved venue, and known in Boston as the premier location of arts and culture events. CraftBoston Spring is a unique and personable showing experience seeking both established and emerging artists of the highest caliber.

Show Dates: April 29 – May 1, 2016

Move In Dates: April 27 & 28

Opening Night Party: April 27

Booth Package Includes:

• 8’ high black pipe and drape
• electricity
• booth signage
• storage
• dedicated webpage with five color images, contact information, and website
• two listings in the show program guide
• free full-color 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:

Booth sizes and fees at CraftBoston Spring vary greatly due to the venue’s round floor plan. Below is a small sample of booth sizes and fees:

6’x8’  -  $780
8’x10’ - $1,180
10’x10’ - $1,430
10’x20’ - $2,760

Corners 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 2016 shows. To complete an application:

• Submit five digital images to the jury via the online application platform, Juried Art Services by 11:59pm on September 12, 2015.
• 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.
• A paper application can be submitted for a fee of $30 in addition to the application fee. Please contact the CraftBoston Director at show@craftboston.org for a paper application.

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
• Gradated and white backgrounds are preferred.
• Images should be provided at a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
• 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 on October 15, 2015. Accepted artists will be required to submit a show contract and deposit towards their booth fee(s) by October 26, 2015.

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. The CraftBoston 2016 jurors were selected for their extensive knowledge and expertise in varying craft media and their contributions to the contemporary craft community. The CraftBoston 2016 jurors are:

Craig Bloodgood, Contemorary Curator, The Art Complex Museum

Francine Ozereko, Ceramic Artist

Ellen-Deane Cummins, Honorary Life Trustee, The Society of Arts and Crafts

Invitations

The CraftBoston 2016 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 show@craftboston.org.