Rules for 2023

If you are new to this show, we encourage you to first read our FAQs .

By entering the Yarmouth Art Festival, an artist agrees to abide by the following rules and procedures.

Important upcoming dates and times for the 2023 event (more detail below).  Dates may change if necessary for technical reasons. Any changes will be posted here and elsewhere on the website.:

mid-August    – Entries open ( “call for entries”)  is  announced on this site, via the email list, and on Facebook)

Sept. 9, 6 p.m. – Entries close. Artist logins are disabled.

by Oct. 8 – Show Catalog is posted on this site. The catalog is the official notification to artists of accepted works. Purchases are not available until show opens at 10am Oct. 18.

Oct.15, 1-3 pm – Artists deliver accepted artwork to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine, according to the following schedule by last-name initial (to avoid long lines):

1 to 1:45 pm    A to H
1:45 to 2:15 pm      I to O
2:15-3 pm        P to Z

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME FOR ARTWORK DROPOFF.

Oct. 18-21 – In-person show and sale is open at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine.

Oct. 21, 3-5 pm: Artists pick up unsold artwork, buyers pick up purchased artwork.

Oct. 22, 12-2pm Additional time for artists to pick up unsold artwork, buyers pick up purchased artwork. THESE ARE THE ONLY TIMES FOR ARTWORK PICKUP.

Oct. 21 (3pm) –  Nov.4 (6pm): Online show and sale.

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Full rules and instructions for artists

Thank you for your interest in the 15th annual Yarmouth Art Festival, Oct. 18-21, 2023 (with additional online show/sale Oct. 21-Nov.4), sponsored by St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Yarmouth. 

This juried event will showcase a wide range of artists from around Maine. All net proceeds from entry fees and sale commissions will go entirely to local community service organizations, which will be selected and named before the show date.

Entries close at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9.

Please read the following instructions and rules carefully before entering.

How to enter: Entering is easy. Prepare by gathering information about yourself, digital images of the pieces you want to enter, and information about each image (dimensions, medium, title, description). Click on “Enter artwork” at the top of any page. The system walks you through the steps: information about yourself (name, hometown, biography/statement, etc.), then information and image for each piece of art you are submitting. You will have the option to pay entry fees by credit card (preferred) or check. Important: after paying the entry fee, you cannot change the number of pieces you’re entering.  After submitting, you will receive an email confirming your submission and giving instructions on how to log in and edit your entries. You can return until the entry deadline to edit your entries and profile information.

Entry fees:   $20 for the first piece, $10 for the second, and $5 for each additional piece.

A note for entrants about pricing
After 14 very successful years of the Yarmouth Art Festival, we can see some trends that might help you select pieces to submit. Generally, about 160 pieces have been selected for the show each year, of which about 75 are sold. The average price of artwork sold each year has been fairly consistent at $250-350.
For example, here is a list of the number of pieces sold in each price range at the 2022 event:
$0 – $99  1 piece
$100 – $199 12
$200 – $299  24
$300 – $399  18
$400 – $499  13
$500 – $599  5
$600+           4

We encourage artists to submit their best work at any price, and we offer this information simply to help your choices.

Entry Rules for artists are below.

We’ve kept the rules short and the process simple. We hope you’ll submit your best work and that you’ll benefit from the exposure and the sales. Good luck!

Eligibility: The Yarmouth Art Festival is open to any artist age 18 years and older who maintains a residence in Maine.

Size, medium: Both 2D and 3D works are welcome. 2D works may include photography, painting, etching (or other limited printmaking), digital media and other fine artwork intended to be hung. Pieces may not exceed 40 inches on any dimension. Works must be prepared with weight-appropriate hanging wire (not single eyehooks, for example), and ready to hang. Framing is optional, but in all cases, pieces must be ready to hang. No wet paint. No prints (except photography) unless limited edition/numbered/signed, with number listed in the description. 3D pieces (e.g. sculpture) may not exceed 60 inches in any direction or weigh more than 100 pounds. During the show: Framing failure or other problems (artwork falling out of its frame, for example) will result in the piece being removed from display until the artist can repair it.

Digital image format: In the submission process, please use only JPEG or JPG file formats, 10mb or smaller. Our online submission system resizes images so they fit on the screen, so no need to adjust resolution or pixel sizes. Only one image may be submitted per entry.

Artwork in multiple pieces:  An artwork in multiple pieces (e.g. a triptych) that is intended to be viewed and sold as a set must be submitted as one entry, with one submitted image of the group.

About your submitted digital photo: It is very important that the digital image captures the quality of your artwork.  Occasionally, the jurors have been frustrated that they had to pass over artworks because of a poor digital image, when a good image might have made the difference. Be sure the image is sharp, not tilted or angled, and well lit. Compare the digital image to the original artwork and try again if it’s not a very good representation.

About dimensions: When submitting your artwork, you will be asked the dimensions of the piece. Please provide the unframed dimensions of the artwork itself. If the piece is framed, describe the frame and provide the overall dimensions in the text description of the piece. (Again, maximum length of 40 inches on any dimension)

About descriptions:  Description is optional. The description you provide will be printed onto a small card displayed next to the piece, as well as shown in the online Show Catalog. There is a 300-character limit to fit the cards we use. Some artists use the description to explain their inspiration, the location, the subject, or other background. Again, this is optional.

All submitted works must be for sale. All work will be for sale at prices set by the artist. Artists may edit their entries – including price – up to the submission deadline. No changes may be made after the deadline.

Commission: St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church will retain a commission of 30% of sale price (sales tax is the responsibility of the artist). Payment to the artist will be mailed within 2 weeks of the close of the online show, assuming proceeds have been received from sales. (For 2023, that should be mid-November). If a work is sold by the artist before the show as a result of the buyer seeing the work in the Show Catalog, the artist agrees to pay St. Bartholomew’s a commission of 10%, and exhibit the work as “sold.” In the event of a direct or private sale by the artist within 30 days after the close of the show to a buyer who visited the exhibit during the show, the artist will pay St. Bartholomew’s a commission of 10% All net commissions and fees from the 2023 show will go to local community services, which will be selected and named before the show.

W-9 required for sales over $600:  If your sales total $600 or more, the IRS requires that we file a 1099. If you fall into this category, you must provide us with a completed W-9, before we can mail your commission check.  A form and instructions are available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf    The completed form may be emailed to:  info@yarmouthartfestival.com   or mailed to: St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, ME 04096

Submission fees: Each artist submitting work for consideration will pay a nonrefundable fee of $20 for the first work submitted, $10 for the second, and $5 for each additional work. You may submit up to 10 pieces for consideration, but remember this is a juried show so there is no guarantee that your work will be accepted. (see FAQs if you are not familiar with juried shows). The online submission form includes a secure credit-card payment system, which is preferred. Alternately, you may pay by check, made out to St. Bartholomew’s. Be sure to write  “Art Show” on the check memo.  Checks must be postmarked by the submission deadline for your entry to be valid. Mail to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church: 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine, 04096.

Submission process: Submission deadline is 6pm Sept. 9! All works must be submitted for consideration online on a form available at https://yarmouthartfestival.com/  The entry form appears on the site when entries open, and it is removed when entries close. The online entry form includes a process for uploading a digital image of each artwork, along with the artist’s name, resume/biography, title of the work, sale price of the work, dimensions, medium, and brief commentary (300 characters max) about the work. If you are willing to provide shipping (at the buyer’s expense)  include the words “Shipping available” in the description of the artwork. (See below for more info on shipping) (Please note that even if you submitted entries last year,  you will need to create a new submission with your bio, etc. because all such information and accounts are deleted.)

About submitted images: If the artwork is framed, include the frame so online viewers can see it. One digital image of your artwork will be the sole basis for the jurors’ decision, so take care in preparing the image. Try taking multiple images, with different lighting, and pick the best one. Zoom in on your image to check for blurriness and reshoot if necessary.  The jurors have expressed concern in the past that a particular image may not be a good representation of the artwork, as they declined to include it. Don’t let that happen to your artwork.

You will receive an email confirming your submission, and explaining how to revisit your entry to confirm or revise. You may make changes to your entry text and images – except changes in the number of entries – until the deadline.

Selection process: The jury will review all submissions, and the show catalog will display their selections by Oct. 8. All artists will receive an email when the show catalog is online; the catalog is the official notification of the jury’s decisions.  All works accepted into the event are juried in on their own merit, and no substitutions will accepted.

Insurance: The artist is responsible for insuring his/her own works. All reasonable care will be taken with accepted art, but it is clearly understood by the artist that St. Bartholomew’s does not assume responsibility and shall not be held responsible for any damage of any kind caused by or occurring as part of the show.

Delivering accepted artwork:  Accepted artwork must be delivered between 1 – 3 pm Oct. 15  at St. Bartholomew’s, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth. To avoid long lines, please arrive on the following schedule of last initials if possible:

1 to 1:45 pm    A to H
1:45 to 2:15 pm      I to O
2:15-3 pm        P to Z

There are no exceptions to the Oct. 15 drop.  If you cannot come at that time, please find a friend or other artist to help.

Ready to hang: Artwork need not be framed but it must be “ready to hang” with a proper hanging wire on the back. Eye-hooks, toothed bars etc. do not work with the hooks we use on our panels. Artwork that is not ready to hang will not be accepted. Artwork that is damaged or altered from the submitted image will not be accepted. Please contact us before the delivery date if you have any questions about this: info@yarmouthartfestival.com

Picking up unsold artwork:  Artists can pick up unsold artwork, and buyers can pick up purchases, on Oct. 21 from 3 to 5 pm and Oct. 22 from noon to 2pm. All artwork must be picked up, whether or not it will be included in the Oct. 22-Nov.5 online show/sale.  THESE ARE THE ONLY PICKUP TIMES. You will need to find someone to pick up your artwork if you are not able. Friends or fellow artists are usually able to do this if needed.

About the online show/sale, Oct. 21-Nov.4:

Immediately following the traditional in-person Yarmouth Art Festival, Oct. 18-21, the online Show Catalog of accepted artwork will include an e-commerce function, and buyers can purchase online until Nov. 4. Yarmouth Art Festival will handle the purchase transaction, and the artist will arrange with the buyer for delivery — either direct pickup, or shipping. Any shipping costs must be worked out between the artist and buyer, and are not included in the purchase transaction.

Artists participating in the Yarmouth Art Festival are NOT required to participate in the Oct. 21-Nov.4   online show and sale. Simply make a note on your entry submission, or email info@yarmouthartfestival.com that you do not want to participate. If you do participate in the online show/sale, you agree to handle delivery of the artwork to the buyer. Artists can withdraw from the online show/sale at any point (until their artwork is sold), and reminders will be part of regular communications from the Festival organizers to artists. Important: If you sell a piece yourself that is in the online sale, notify us ASAP so we can mark the item “sold.”

Shipping available?:  If you (the artist) are willing to provide shipping, include the words “Shipping Available” in the description of the artwork. You and the buyer will work out all arrangements, including how the packing and shipping charges will be paid. Please be prepared to handle all arrangements to ship the artwork expeditiously. If a buyer will require shipping, we encourage them  to contact artists to discuss shipping before making a purchase. Neither Yarmouth Art Festival nor St. Bart’s will be involved in these arrangements. Artists who provide shipping will need to provide evidence of successful delivery before the show provides payment for their sale.

Questions? Email info@yarmouthartfestival.com