Prospectus

CRAFTBOSTON 2021

Now both shows at the Cyclorama
Application Dates: July 16, 2020 - Sept. 25, 2020 • Application Fee: $10.00

Each year, two CraftBoston events are produced by the Society of Arts + Crafts. The mission of the Society of Arts and Crafts is to support and celebrate craft makers and their creativity. The Society believes that craft improves our lives by uniting us through culture and creativity, engaging us with multiple perspectives, and engendering an understanding of ourselves through the makers’ stories. 

This mission is at the heart of the CraftBoston Spring and Holiday shows, which are weekend-long opportunities to unite creative, talented makers with curious, passionate collectors and appreciators, thereby contributing to the success of artists and to the cultural enrichment of attendees.

There is only one application, deadline, and fee to apply to both CraftBoston Spring 2021 and CraftBoston Holiday 2021.

Application Deadline
September 25, 2020
More info at www.craftboston.org
 

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 19thcentury brick building in-the-round, the Cyclorama is a wellloved 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: May 14 - 16, 2021
• MOVE IN DATES: May 12 + 13
• OPENING NIGHT PARTY: May 13 (subject to change)

BOOTH PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• 8’ high black pipe and drape
• electricity
• booth signage
• storage
• dedicated webpage featuring five images, website, City/ST
• two listings in the show program guide
• free digital and print marketing materials
• exhibitor and exhibitor assistant badges
• free 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’ x 15’ - $2,100
• 10’x20’ - $2,760

Corners booths are an additional $300.
 

100 exhibitors are included in CraftBoston Holiday, a highly regarded, must-attend event for artists, collectors, and craft enthusiasts. This year we will be in the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts for the busiest shopping weekend of the year. The timing during the holiday season, coupled with strong marketing efforts, ensures a plentiful audience of buyers at CraftBoston Holiday. Special programming, including workshops, artist collectives, awards, and craft tours, create a sophisticated atmosphere for shoppers to learn about contemporary craft.
 

• SHOW DATES: December 10-12, 2021
• MOVE IN DATES: December 8 + 9
• OPENING NIGHT PARTY: December 9, 2021 (subject to change)

BOOTH PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• 8’ high black pipe and drape
• electricity
• booth signage
• storage
• dedicated webpage featuring five images, website, City/ST
• two listings in the show program guide
• free digital and print marketing materials
• exhibitor and exhibitor assistant badges
• free 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’ x 15’ - $2,100
• 10’x20’ - $2,760

Corners booths are an additional $300.

AWARDS
Between 7 and 10 artists exhibiting exemplary work will receive a cash awards ranging from $250 - $500 at CraftBoston Holiday. An independent juror will select the award recipients. 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, or 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 2021 shows. This application is available online only.

To complete an application:

• Submit five digital images plus a booth shot to the jury via the online application platform, Juried Art Services (www. juriedartservices.com) by 11:59pm on September 25, 2020.
   
• 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 $10 application fee for one or both shows.
   

APPLICATION FEES
In recognition of the difficult year behind us, and the rapidly changing environment ahead, we are reducing the application fee to $10 this  year, for 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. 
   
• White backgrounds are preferred and favored for marketing purposes. 
   
• Images should be provided at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. This allows us to 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 a possibility and will be considered on a case-by-case basis; both artists must apply together and be accepted to the show. The smallest a shared booth will be is 10’x10’. Please contact CB Manager to discuss options.

NEW ARTISTS
We have made more booths in smaller sizes available this year and will give priority selection to new artists. The beginning of an artists’ career can be expensive and we want to help you build a sustainable business with more affordable booth options.

ARTIST COLLECTIVES AND COMMUNITIES
We are now accepting applications for artist collectives and communities to present their organizations and sell their work in large booths (booth sizes range from 10x25 to 8x18).

If you are interested please email craftboston@societyofcrafts.org the following criteria:

• A list of participating artists along with their websites.
   
• 10 high res images of work that will be shown in the  booth.
   
• A 250 word paragraph telling us about your group and why showing at CraftBoston is important to you. Are you a part of an artist collective or community that would be interested in participating in CraftBoston with a larger.

NOTIFICATION
Applicants will be notified of their application status via email AND via Juried Art Services by late November 2020. Accepted artists will be required to submit a show contract and deposit towards their booth fee(s) by Friday, January 8, 2021.

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. Jurors are selected for their extensive knowledge and expertise in varying craft media and their contributions to the contemporary craft community.

The CraftBoston 2020 jurors are:

Alice Simpson is an Illustartor, AD, graphics & package designer, sculptor, curator, and maker of hand painted books about dance, purchased by more than forty international collections including: Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, UCLA, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Carrie Weinstein has a background in residential interior design, practicing in New York City for many years before moving to the Boston area. She most recently managed the retail gallery at Society of Arts and Crafts where she worked closely with many local and national fine craft people and in the process, fell in love with the craft community. In addition to her work in fine craft, she is a fiber crafter and yarn buyer for a locally owned yarn shop in Boston.

Sandra Zilker is an artist/metalsmith/educator and administrator. Following the pursuit of a BFA from the University of Houston and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of art, she started teaching at Glassell 43 years ago. She is Department Head of Jewelry/Enamel and Associate Dean of Student Activities. 

INVITATIONS
The CraftBoston jurors will invite up to 15% of participating exhibitors. The Director may also, if necessary, invite a limited number of artists to ensure a balance of media while maintaining a high standard of quality at the event.

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
   

INQUIRIES
Please direct all correspondence and inquiries to craftboston@societyofcrafts.org.

CraftBoston is produced by the Society of Arts +Crafts, a 122year old nonprofit organization. The mission of the Society of Arts and Crafts is to support and celebrate craft makers and their creativity. The Society believes that craft improves our lives by uniting us through culture and creativity, engaging us with multiple  perspectives, and engendering an understanding of ourselves through the makers’ stories. Incorporated in 1897, SA+C has been at the forefront of the American craft movement for over 100 years.