2025 Loop Music and Art Festival - Artist Application

Welcome to the 4th Annual Loop Music & Art Festival artist application! The Festival is now a two-day festival! It will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 4 pm - 8 pm, and on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10 am - 8 pm in Downtown Dothan, Alabama. Browse through our application and let us know if you have any questions. Only ORIGINAL ART is accepted or exhibited at The Loop. 
Artists may apply in up to three categories and be accepted in only one category. You must submit a separate application for each category - paying a non-refundable application fee for each application. If only one application is accepted, only work in that medium may be exhibited. Artist Application and Booth Fees:$25 Early Bird Discount - Deadline: 9/30/24 11:59 PM CT
$35 Regular Application - Deadline: 12/30/24 11:59 PM CT$45 "Better Late Than Never" Application - Deadline: 01/05/23 11:59 PM CT $75 for all booth fees - Deadline: 2/1/25 The Loop Festival has eight visual art categories: Two-Dimensional (drawing, painting, and digital), Three-Dimensional/Sculpture (wood, clay, metal, glass, etc.), Mixed Media, Jewelry, Fiber, Photography, Printmaking (letterpress, art books, etc.), and Natural Materials (basketweaving, furniture, etc.). Artists may apply in up to 3 categories. You must submit a separate application for each category. If you sell jewelry, you may apply in a category other than Jewelry if the jewelry is less than 10% of your items for sale. Otherwise, you must apply in Jewelry. All work displayed in the booth must be for sale. Categories:Two-dimensional: 2D works include drawings, paintings, and digital works. Reproduction prints are not allowed. Three-dimensional/Sculpture: This category encompasses original sculpture that is functional, decorative, or non-functional in clay, porcelain, glass, wood, or metal mediums, using additive or subtractive processes in a single medium. Kiln forming, blowing, molding, or casting, as well as all cold working processes, are permitted. Only wooden works that are hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned, or carved will be accepted. *no jewelry will be accepted in this category. Mixed Media: Work that combines materials from two or more mediums in one piece. Jewelry: Only those artists accepted in the jewelry category may display or sell jewelry. Items made from commercial parts may not be exhibited. If artists are found to be exhibiting items made from commercial parts, they will be asked to leave the Festival. Fiber: Includes wearable and non-wearable. Machine-tooling, machine-screen printing, and other forms of mass production are not accepted. Machine stitching is permissible. Photography: Includes traditional film photography, hand-colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography. Only the artist’s original source material is acceptable. Printmaking: Only hand-pulled original prints are allowed. Prints must be in limited editions, signed, and numbered.  Natural Materials: This includes basket weaving, chair caning, brooms, gourds, and other works made from materials found in nature. Leather items should be submitted under the fiber category. *Please direct all inquiries to theloopfestival@gmail.com 

Artist Check-In and Set-Up:
Friday, April 11th, from 11 am until 2 pm. *artists must be set up by 2 pm. *In case of inclement weather, set-up time will be re-evaluated and communicated 24 hours before check-in.
 
Important Dates:

• September 1, 2024 – Application available at Eventeny.com. Applications will only be accepted through EVENTENY.
• September 30, 2024 – Early Bird Deadline for discounted fee ends at 11:59 PM CDT.
• December 30, 2024 – The deadline for regular applications is 11:59 PM CDT.
• January 5, 2025 – The "Better Late Than Never" application deadline ends at 11:59 PM CDT. 
• January 15, 2025 – Notifications of acceptance/declination emailed.
• February 1, 2025 – Deadline for booth fee payments ($75). No refund will be given to artists who cancel on or after February 15, 2025.
• April 11, 2025 (Day 1)
  • 11 am - 2 pm: Artist check-in
  • 4 pm: Gates open, Judges begin to Loop
  • 8 pm: Festival day one ends; close up booths for overnight
• April 12th, 2025 (Day 2)
  • 9 am - artists must be on site
  • 10 am - Gates open, awards given to artist winners
  • 7 pm - Artist booth clean up, patron buck payment, and sales tax exchange
  • 8p - Festival day two ends

The Loop Music and Art Festival is a two-day free annual event with live music performances and exhibiting visual artists in Downtown Dothan, Alabama. Hours: Friday, April 11, 2025, 4pm-8pm and Saturday, April 12, 2025, 10am-8pm The Festival is a fine art festival with over 50 exhibiting and demonstrating artists with all all-day music performances by regional musicians.

Artist Selection:
The Loop Music and Art Festival is a fine arts festival. Artists who apply are numerically scored based on The Loop's standards of quality, originality, and creativity. The artist selection process is based on standards determined by the Loop's administration. A limited number of artists per category are accepted to provide a diverse and balanced show. Also, a score-based waiting list is maintained in each medium, and cancellations are filled with the highest-scoring artists in that medium. Artists will be notified of their acceptance status by 5:00pm. on January 15, 2025. The Loop administrators have the option to leave comments on applications, which we can share upon request. However, we cannot guarantee that there will be comments on all applications.
 
Regardless of how many times you have exhibited in the past, all artists must apply, as booth space is limited. Exceptions to the Application Process and Fees: Demonstrating Artists - Artists demonstrating their process at the Festival in their booth space. If you are interested in participating as a Demonstrating Artist, please indicate this in the application #11 question. 

• Artist Amenities:
• $2,100 in awards: Best of Show ($500), 2 Awards of Distinction ($350 each), and 6 Merit Awards ($150 each). Award winners are automatically invited to the 2026 Festival.
• Booth sitters
• A private artists' hospitality area with restrooms, beverages, Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Flat booth rate (no commission).
• A Patron Program featuring a pre-paid Loop Loot that can only be used to purchase art from artists at the Festival.
• The Loop Festival administrators will work tirelessly on publicity and advertising (print, radio, TV, social media, and digital) for the Festival.

Operating Hours and Regulations:
The Festival opens to the public at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025 (Day 1). All artists are required to check in between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and be open and onsite by 3 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025. All artists are required to keep their booths open until 8 p.m. All artist booths must be completely closed overnight, as your booths will remain intact overnight. The Loop will provide overnight security. On Saturday, April 12, 2025, all artists must open their booth and be on-site by 9 a.m. All artists are required to keep their booths on Saturday, April 12th (Day 2) open until 7:00 PM. Exhibiting artists must be on-site for the duration of the show. Artist Assistants and booth sitters are only allowed as support staff. If you open late, close early, or leave early, you will be banned from participation in future Festivals. If the weather causes the Festival to close early, staff will inform all artists that they may leave early. Personal/individual music may not be played on Festival grounds.
 
Restrictions on Work That You May Display:
Up to 10% of your work may differ from what you sent for jurying. The remainder must be representative of what you sent in for jurying. Commercially manufactured items or items made from commercial molds or parts may not be exhibited. All items exhibited and/or offered for sale must be original works designed and executed by the exhibiting artist(s). Representatives of the Loop review displays throughout the Festival; we reserve the right to require the removal of any work that differs from the images submitted and any inappropriate work or display. Failure to remove such work or abide by other rules set forth may result in the applicant’s removal from the Festival and/or the applicant's prohibition from future applications.
 
Reproductions of your original work may ONLY be displayed in a portfolio, with clear distinctions between originals and reproductions. Postcards and notecards bearing photo-offset reproductions of your work may be displayed and sold but not as primary items of display. T-shirts may not be displayed or sold except with prior approval by the Loop Administrators -- please email theloopfestival@gmail.com for approval. Your booth must be filled with your original work. If you have any questions about whether a work may be displayed, please check with us for clarification. Art in Public Places and Live at the Opera assume no responsibility for damage or loss during the Festival. Artists must be prepared to adequately secure their work and personal property.
 
Booth Sitters:
Volunteers are available to watch your booth while you take a break. Text the number provided to request a booth sitter.
 
Collaborative Work:
Artists working together may apply as one if they collaborate on every piece of work. All co-artists must describe the collaboration.
 
Application Requirements:
1.  Fill out the online application completely. *By submitting this application, you consent to and authorize the use of any and/or all images of works in promotional literature and other promotional endeavors by the Loop Music and Art Festival, including but not limited to brochures, print, billboards, television advertisements, and internet display. We will keep all images of accepted work for publicity and Festival archival files.
2.  Pay the non-refundable application fee: $25 for "early bird" applications submitted before 11:59 PM CT on September 30, 2024, and $35 for applications submitted from November 1 to December 30, 2024.
 
Entry Deadline & Acceptance Notification:
Entries must be received by 11:59 PM on the night of December 30, 2024. Artists will be notified of their acceptance status on January 15, 2025.
 
Cancellations:
Cancellations must be made in writing. Email theloopfestival@gmail.com with the subject line ATTN: FESTIVAL CANCELLATION. Please do not call. Booth fees will not be refunded after February 15, 2025.
 
BOOTH INFORMATION
Booth Fees are a flat rate of $75 per booth fee plus processing fees. If you require two booth spaces, please make a request. Do you prefer to be indoors? We have limited indoor space for those with special needs and requirements. Others may request space inside, given at the discretion of the Loop Administrators. Please email theloopfestival@gmail.com for special booth requests.
 
Artists may pay their booth fee of $75 through eventeny.com at the time of acceptance. All payments must be made by February 1, 2025. If you need special booth fee financial assistance, like a payment plan or extension, please email theloopfestival@gmail.com.
All artists should plan on providing their own equipment.
 
Booth Particulars:
•  Limited storage space behind the booth.
•  Exhibitors must provide their own booth structures, which should be flexible to accommodate trees and irregularities in the terrain and must be properly anchored. We recommend 40 pounds of weight per leg. If the ground is wet, a stake will not hold. If the ground is dry, it's too hard for stakes. Please make sure your tent or display is secure. Safety first! *This is an electronic agreement, and by selecting, you are validating and approving this agreement electronically.