Prospectus

 

1st Annual Wilmette Art Fair 

August 5 - 6, 2023
Wilmette, Illinois
100% Outdoors

Please Note: This is a "late application". Invitations are determined on space and jury score at the time of the submitted application. Amdur Productions will notify you directly via email within 10 days of application date received. Your status will not be posted on Juried Art Services.

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Fine Art and Fine Craft Show Details

 

Amdur Productions proudly announces the launch of the Annual Wilmette Art Fair.  The Wilmette Art Fair takes place in the lovely, bustling North Shore community of Wilmette, Illinois on the shore of Lake Michigan, just 14 miles north of Chicago.  The median home value in Wilmette is nearly $900,000. The average household income in Wilmette is over $200,000 making this an extremely wealthy community of educated arts lovers.  

This fair is situated on the streets of this quaint downtown among upscale retail shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants. This fair will feature about 100 juried artists.  The Wilmette Art Fair will feature artwork of all mediums including: ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, fiber, photography and wood.

The Wilmette Art Fair is a free admission event and open to the public. Artists will have the opportunity to interact with the public through art demos and booth chats. Live music, great food and fun activities for kids make the fair a perfect family experience. 

About Amdur Productions

For 40 years, Amdur Productions, a nationally acclaimed arts fair production company, has organized and directed many of the Midwest’s most prestigious juried art fairs. Many of Amdur’s fairs have been rated in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s top 100 with several appearing in the top 50. Recent top-rated shows include: Port Clinton Art fair, Art at the Glen Town Center, Gold Coast Art Fair, Millennium Art fair, and Barrington Art fair. 

Key Facts

• Personal load-in and load out assistance available (fee)

• Easy drive up and set up

• Rental of weights, tents, and panels available (fee)

• Suburban show

Fair Information

• Artist Sales: Artists keep all their sales income from the show.

• Exhibitor Spaces: About 100 spaces   

• Staff Support: Amdur Productions staff is present on site throughout the entire fair to assist artists from load in to load out. 

• Load-in: Artists will be able to drive up to or very close to their booth space and unload their vehicle.

• Booth Sitting: Amdur Productions staff is available to booth sit for artists throughout the entire fair

• Artist Parking: Amdur Productions gives best efforts to reserve day and overnight parking for artists

• Tent Rental: Tents, weights, tables, and chairs are available for rent.

• Pro Panel Rental: We have limited “pro-panel” walls available for artists. Rental is on a first come/first served basis, quantity is limited. $300 = 9 panels fully set up, $250 = 9 panels without set up.

• Set Up/Take Down Help: Booth set up and take down assistance is available on a scheduled pre-reserved time. $45 per 30 minutes.

• Hotel Rooms: Amdur Productions works to provide discounts at local hotels for each fair.

• Awards: Bestowed at the fair.

• Marketing: A large multi-layered marketing plan supports this show with ads running in newspapers, advertisements, on radio, posters, street banners, social media, and through direct mail postcards. A professional public relations team ensures high visibility for this fair. Over $500,000 is spent on marketing for the fair season.

• Security: Overnight security is provided. 

Jury and Exhibit Space Fees

Jury Fee (non-refundable): $35

12’ Wide by 10’ Deep Exhibit Space Fee: $425

Double Deal 20’ Wide by 10’ Deep Exhibit Space Fee: $715

Festival Eligibility

1. All artwork submitted to jury, displayed and presented for sale at fairs must be created, designed and made or made under the direct supervision of the accepted artist(s). All artwork shown must be for sale. 

2. An artist may apply in more than one category, but not twice in the same category. 

3. Jewelry created through fabrication and casting is allowed if the original casts are made by the artist. 

4. No commercial casts/molds allowed in production. 

5. Photography/Digital art: Original work made by the hands of the photographer is allowed. All printing of images must be done by the photographer or under their supervision.

6. The Artist certifies that jury images submitted represent their current original work and represent the category and body of art that will be displayed at the fair.

7. Art collaborators (up to two artists in total) producing a single body of work qualify as an exhibitor. A collaborator is not an employee or helper. If artists enter as a collaboration, it must be clearly noted on the application and art shown must be signed by both. 

8. No work made solely by apprentices or employees is allowed. All artwork must be made in the country the artist resides in. 

9. “Buy/sell” items are strictly prohibited from all or part of an artist’s booth. Buy/Sell is any art or object that is purchased from a manufacturer or maker other than the artist and sold at a fair as “original” work. The restriction of buy/sell work is in ALL categories of art at ALL shows. 

10. Multiples: Limited editions of work in which the artist hand manipulates plates, stones, or screens numbered and signed in editions up to 500 are allowed and are an artist’s original body of work. Reproductions by mechanical techniques including “giclee” and “iris” prints must be signed and numbered (up to 500). Artists may display reproductions on up to 10 linear feet of their booth, and at the Port Clinton Art fair in a single bin only.

11. The fair Committee reserves the right to change any requirements for the betterment of the fair as a whole.

Festival Policies

1. Misconduct from an artist or on behalf of an artist such as: swearing, physical intimidation or sexual harassment toward any Amdur Productions’ staff member, another artist, or participating vendor will not be tolerated. 

2. Acceptance is non-transferable. Booths cannot be split without the expressed consent from the fair Committee.

3. All fairs are drug-free. No smoking or vaping is allowed in or near artists’ booths. 

4. Accepted artists must be present during all fair hours. No agents, representatives, family members or friends are permitted as a substitute for the accepted artists’ attendance, unless express exception is granted in special circumstances.

5. Any artist closing the booth prior to the end of the show without permission might not be permitted to return the next day or in future years. 

6. Only artwork in the category accepted through the jury process is allowed. It is the exclusive right of the fair Committee to direct removal of work at the show that is not in compliance with fair rules. Non-complying artists will be asked to leave the show immediately and no refund will be given. 

7. Discount/sales signs, and ribbons from other shows are not allowed.

8. Each exhibitor is responsible for collecting and remitting local sales tax to the State’s Department of Revenue as required by law.

9. White tents only.

10. Double and corner spaces may be requested but not guaranteed and are awarded at the sole discretion of the fair Committee. Double spaces must be occupied by two 10’ x 10’ tents or one 10’ x 20’ tent.

Reproduction and Limited Edition Prints Policy

Fine art reproductions must be clearly and individually labeled as a limited edition which is signed and numbered on the front of each piece. The method of reproduction and brief process description must be on the back. Browse bins may be used, but reproductions may not be mixed with originals. Framed reproductions may be hung on one wall not to exceed a total of ten linear feet, except for the Port Clinton Art fair, where originals are only accepted. No laser prints or photo copies permitted.

Limited Edition Prints are printed works for which the artist hand manipulates the plates, stones or screens and which have been properly signed and numbered as a limited edition. These hand-pulled prints are considered to be originals. Printmakers are encouraged to identify their process.

Application Process

Applications will be processed online through Juried Art Services (JAS) at www.juriedartservices.com. If you have any questions about the process of applying to our fairs, contact support@jurying.net.

When applying in two categories, work in each must be substantially different. Four images of the work and one image of the display must be submitted for each category. A separate jury fee is required for each category.

Online jury payments are processed directly by Amdur Productions through a secure payment system. Email confirmation of your payment will be sent. Please follow online payment instructions if paying your jury fee with a credit card. Your jury fee payment will be posted to JAS within three days after you submit your application. All questions or concerns regarding the payment of your fees should be directed to the office at 847-926-4300 or email info@amdurproductions.com. 

Exhibit Space

In most fests, spaces are 12’ wide X 10’ deep and work must be contained within the assigned space. You may not infringe on another space physically or audibly. This includes but is not limited to: sitting in front of the tent, extending an obstruction in front of your tent, etc. Exhibitors must have a white tent. All tables must be skirted to the ground. Only one artist’s work or the work of two approved collaborating artists may be displayed per booth. Artists must keep their area clean and orderly. Double and corner spaces may be requested but are not guaranteed and are awarded at the sole discretion of the fair Committee. Double spaces must be occupied by two 10’ x 10’ tents or one 10’ x 20’ tent, unless approved by the fair Committee prior to the fest. 

An artist requesting a corner must either have the corner wall open or use the outside wall to display art. Corners are defined as a space having the ability to show on the outside wall and has at least 6’ clear on one side of the space. Corner spaces do not mean artists can spread into that empty space.

Special booth space and special needs requests will be accepted (including corner space and double space requests) but are not guaranteed. We will make every effort to meet all special requests on a first come, first served basis. Additional charges may apply. If invited into a show, please include all booth requests on that show’s registration form. Requests received after spaces are assigned are difficult to accommodate and not guaranteed.

During the fair, all exhibits will be visited by a fair representative to ensure that they are in compliance with our fair policies. It is the exclusive right the fair Staff to call for the removal of work that is not in compliance with the fair policies and requirements. Non-compliance may result in expulsion from the fair or refusal of future fair participation. 

Requirements for Exhibiting Artists

All canopies are required to be white and able to withstand winds and rain and be properly weighted. Properly weighting requires AT LEAST 50 pounds per leg (more in windy weather). Tents must be connected to weights with rope or straps, not bungee cords. Weights may not include cinder blocks or water jugs as they do not meet the 50-pound requirement.

Jury and Selection Process

The artistic work submitted by each artist is juried based on the criteria listed below:

• Body of Work: How well the images represent a point of view

• Artistic Theme: design, vision, creativity

• Technical Competence: technique, skill, degree of difficulty, mastery of materials used

• Originality

Notification and Booth Fee Payment

Credit card payments are processed directly by Amdur Productions.  All questions or concerns regarding the payment of your fees should be directed to Annette in our accounting office at Annette@amdurproductions.com. 

If paying with a check or money order (US Currency only) please send via US mail on or before the registration due date. If we do not receive the check on or before the registration due date, you will be put on the waitlist. Include the artist's name and name of the fair on your check.

All checks are to be made payable to “Amdur Productions” and sent to:

Amdur Productions
PO Box 550
Highland Park, IL 60035

If you have any questions regarding status notification or our payment process, please contact us.

Categories - All artists must apply to a category

2D – Original two-dimensional work including graphite, charcoal, chalk, pastels, wax crayon, inks, and washes. All work must be framed and/or presented in a finished format. 2D Artists must show work vertically in your booth. Matted work must be shown in bins only and not on display walls.

3D Functional – Dimensional work that has a function – such as wearable fiber or wood furniture. 

3D Non-Functional – Art that serves an aesthetic not functional purpose. Generally, “sculptures.”

Painting – Original, two-dimensional work created with pigment, including oils, acrylics, watercolor, egg tempura, etc.

Photography – Signed prints created by the artist from his/her own original negative or digital files that have been “taken” and processed by that artist or under the artist’s direct supervision.

Jewelry – No buy/sell or buy/sell fill-in allowed.

Sub-categories – All artists must select a sub-category 

Ceramics – Original shaped and fired clay (including earthenware, porcelain, stoneware and terracotta) 

Fiber – Original work created by the artist from fibers/fabric or leather including batik, basketry, weaving, and quilt-making. No factory produced items are permitted. 

Furniture – Original work in any material which is functional as a piece of functional furniture or home accessory. 

Glass – Original work created in glass by the artist including blown glass, fused glass or stained glass. 

Printmaking - Prints manually created by the artist using plates, stones or screens which have been signed and numbered.

Metal – Original work created by the artist without use of a production studio. 

Mixed Media – Includes collage and handmade paper; incorporates more than one type of material. Generally flat, wall hung art.

Wood – Original hand-tooled, machine worked, built-up, turned or carved work in wood. 

Acrylic Paint – Applied to a surface in any way

Acrylic Resin – Applied to a surface in any way

Batik – Technique used on fabric

Collage – Variety of materials applied to a surface

Drawing – Charcoal, graphite, and color pencils applied to a surface

Egg Tempera – Applied to a surface in any way

Gold and/or Silver – Precious metal or precious metal clay used in jewelry

Leather – Primary material used

Oil Paint – Applied to a surface in any way

Paper – Handmade

Pastel – Dry pigments applied to a surface

Photo – Black & white, color, black and white & color, hand color, digital. Select the area the majority of your work is in

Stone – Carved

Watercolor – Applied in any way

Other - If your category is not represented, you may add your own

Artist Statement

An Artist Statement describing the technique, materials, and processes used in the creation of your entire body of work must be included with each Juried Art Services entry. Co-artists must describe the collaboration. Your Artist Statement may be used in the promotion of the fair through public relations efforts.

Wait List Policy

A wait list is selected from the jury's scores in each category, and wait listed artists are invited into the show as cancellations occur in that particular category. Wait list artists can resubmit art images and/or a booth image for reconsideration on their overall jury score. Wait list artists can be accepted up to and on the day of the show and will be notified by phone and/or email when a booth becomes available. 

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be made in written form and submitted by mail, fax, or email. Emails should be sent to the Director of Artist Relations, Caitlin, at Caitlin@AmdurProductions.com.

If an artist cancels a show on or before April 1, 2023, they will be given a refund for the amount they have paid towards the booth, less $50 processing fee. Application fees, credit card processing fees, and permit fees are non-refundable. NO REFUNDS AFTER APRIL 1, 2023.

Artists that cancel after April 1, 2023 can have the amount that they have paid toward their booth fee transferred to another 2023 Amdur Productions’ fair balance. The fee to transfer is $125. Permit fees, credit card processing fees, and application fees are non-transferable between fairs. Credit transfer will not be accepted if an artist cancels within a week from the fair start date. Credits from a cancelled show can only be transferred once.

No Show Policy

Artists who have not checked in and/or notified Amdur Productions with a message via fair phone (TBD), office phone (847-926-4300), or email (info@amdurproductions.com) by 7:30 am on the first day of fair, will be considered a NO SHOW and the assigned space will be forfeited with no refund. 

Artist Agreement

By applying to this fair, I hereby certify that these images represent my original work, and that the work has been made by me. I also agree to follow all fair rules as outlined in the prospectus. In partnership situations, we declare that our combined efforts made every individual piece of work we would exhibit, if accepted. I/We also agree to allow images of my/our work to be used in publicity and or materials.