Artist Selection:
The Kentuck Festival of the Arts is a juried festival nationally recognized for its quality, diversity, and celebration of artistic style ranging from folk to contemporary arts and traditional crafts. Artists who apply are numerically scored by a jury panel of arts professionals on the basis of Kentuck's standards of quality, originality, and creativity. Kentuck's jurors change yearly to maintain the anonymity of the jury process and to ensure a balanced breadth of artwork to keep our patrons coming back every year.
A limited number of artists per category are accepted to provide a diverse and balanced show. A score-based waiting list is maintained in each medium, and cancellations are filled with the highest scoring artists in that medium. Artists will find out their jury status on July 3, 2023 by 5:00pm. Jurors have the option to leave comments on applications, and we can share them upon request. We cannot guarantee that jurors will leave comments on applications.
The Kentuck Staff has no influence on jury scoring or artist selection. Regardless of how many times you have exhibited in the past, all artists* must apply and jury into the ~250 available spots at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts.
*Exceptions to the Jury Process and Fee:
1. Guest Artists - Notable folk, traditional, and contemporary craft artists who would otherwise not exhibit at a festival without receiving an invitation. These artists are not eligible to receive a Kentuck Festival award because they didn't go through the jury process and were curated by Kentuck. Artists may opt to pay the jury fee and go through the jury process. Jurying in makes them eligible for judging in the Kentuck Festival award program.
2. Demonstrating Artists - Artists demonstrating their process at the Festival, in their booth space. If you are interested in participating as a Kentuck Demonstrating Artist, please indicate this in appropriate application question. These artists are not eligible to receive a Kentuck Festival award because they didn't go through the jury process. Artists may opt to pay the jury fee and go through the jury process. Jurying in makes them eligible for judging in the Kentuck Festival award program.
3. Kentuck Artists in the Schools - Artists who spend Friday morning before the Festival in an area school providing workshops, demonstrations, or presentations to students. In return, artists receive a $100 stipend for supplies, lunch on Friday, and may check-in early. This program is transitioning to juried artists only.
4. Back by Special Invitation Awards - Members of the Kentuck Board of Directors who have purchased a VIP Benefactor ticket have the privilege of inviting an artist of their choice to attend the next Festival without going through the jury process.
5. Award Winning Artists from 2022 Festival (listed below). These artists will not be eligible to receive a Kentuck Festival award because they didn't go through the jury process. Artists may opt to pay the jury fee and go through the jury process. Jurying in makes them eligible for judging in the Kentuck Festival award program.
2022 Festival Award Winners:
$7000 total was awarded by last year’s judges Claudia Dreifus from New York, New York, and Jeannine Taylor from Samford, Florida. These winners are automatically invited to the 2023 Festival.
Again, congratulations!
Best of Show:
Athlone Clarke, Mixed Media
Award of Distinction:
Luis E Gutierrez, Clay
Kendra Bennett, Mixed Media
Merit Award:
Caleb Barnaby, Jewelry
Brinda Cockburn, Fiber
Joe Engel, Mixed Media
Brenda Gordon, Fiber
Jackie Haliburton, Two-Dimensional
Tom Henry, Wood
Joachim Knill, Two-Dimensional
Don McWhorter, Clay
Valton Murray, Mixed Media
Guadalupe Lanning Robinson, Clay
Lukuise Swanigan, Fiber
Tim Whitten, Clay
Categories:
Artists wishing to enter in more than one medium must submit separate applications, fees, and images in each category. If only one application is accepted, only work in that medium may be exhibited. Artists may enter in no more than three categories.
If you sell jewelry, you may apply in a category other than Jewelry if 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.
Clay: Original clay and porcelain work, functional or sculptural.
Fiber: Includes wearable and non-wearable. No machine-tooled, machine-screen printing, or other forms of mass production are accepted. Machine stitching is permissible.
Glass: Functional and sculptural work is accepted. Kiln forming, blowing, molding, or casting, as well as all cold working processes are permitted.
Jewelry: Only those artists accepted in the jewelry category will be able to display jewelry in more than 10% of their booth. 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.
Metal: Sculptural or decorative work made from metal. No jewelry will be accepted in this category.
Mixed Media: Work which combines materials from two or more mediums in one piece.
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.
Photography: Includes traditional film photography, hand-colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography. Only artist’s original source material is acceptable.
Printmaking: Only hand-pulled original prints are allowed. Prints must be in limited editions, signed, and numbered.
Sculpture: Three-dimensional work using additive or subtractive processes in a single medium.
Two-Dimensional: Drawing, painting, and digital works. Reproduction prints are not allowed.
Wood: Original works that are hand tooled, machine-worked, turned or carved.
Artist amenities include:
• Awards increase for 2023: $12,200 in awards: Best of Show ($2,000), 2 Awards of Distinction ($1,500 each), and 12 Merit Awards ($600 each). Award winners are automatically invited to the 2024 Festival.
• A new jury panel every year. Jurors are selected from arts educators, museum curators, art business executives, collectors, and artists not applying to the Festival. The jury panel is anonymous.
• Qualified buyers. Admission per day is $15, with children 12 and under free with a ticketed adult.
• Booth sitters. Text the number in your artist packet to request a booth sitter.
• Bottled water available at check-in.
• An artists' hospitality tent at the Festival. Fresh doughnuts and hot coffee are available at 7:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday morning. Drinks and snacks are served throughout the Festival. Hours for Artist Hospitality are 7 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.
• Drive up unload/load.
• Overnight and security during the Festival is provided by City of Northport Police Department.
• Flat booth rate (no commission).
• ATM on site. Credit card processing is also available for a 6% processing fee at the Information Building. (Taxes are NOT charged by Kentuck while processing credit cards. Any artist processing a credit card at the Information Building will need to include taxes in the price given to the customer for processing, and the artist is responsible for paying taxes to the City of Northport and Tuscaloosa County.)
• VIP program featuring pre-paid Kentuck Bucks that can only be used to purchase art from artists at the Festival.
• An artists' party with dinner and live music Saturday night at Kentuck Art Center located just down the street from the Festival park. Judges are introduced, and awards are announced.
Becoming a Member at Kentuck Art Center:
Membership supports funding for the Festival and the year-round arts programming of the Kentuck Art Center including art education, free exhibitions, workshops, a community clay studio, artist studios, a gallery shop, and free monthly art nights. We encourage Festival artists to consider becoming members of Kentuck, but membership is not a requirement for inclusion in the Festival, nor do members receive any discount on Festival fees. You can learn more about Kentuck’s year-round operations and sign up online for memberships at kentuck.org.
Publicity:
Kentuck spends more than $60,000 annually on publicity and advertising (print, radio, TV, social media, and digital) for the Festival.
Accommodations:
This is a home game weekend for the University of Alabama football team. There are numerous hotels/motels in the area; however, they fill up quickly. We strongly recommend that you book a room if you are accepted. Hotel recommendations: https://www.kentuck.org/visitkentuck.
If you can't find or can't afford a hotel, Kentuck will attempt to find host families in the area. To apply to the Kentuck Festival Host Program, please apply here > https://www.eventeny.com/events/vendor/?id=8234
The Kentuck Festival Family:
If you are one of our new artists this year, we welcome you with open arms and wish you great success. But don’t just come to sell your work -- seek out our returning Festival artists and learn from their experience and passion for quality art and craft. Their wisdom, experience, creativity, and craftsmanship are invaluable.
Rules and Regulations:
Festival Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 14*
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 15
*Participants in the Festival VIP Program at the Benefactor level have early bird shopping privileges from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. on Saturday. The park opens to the public at 9 a.m.
All artists are required to open their booth and be on site at 8 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. All artists are required to keep their booths open until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and until 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Juried 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 weather causes the Festival to close early, staff will inform all artists that they may leave early.
Business License Required:
A Northport Transient Business License ($20) and a combined license from Tuscaloosa County and the State of Alabama ($35) are required. Information will be sent to participating artists at a later date.
Sales Tax:
10% sales tax on all sales at the Festival are due before you leave the Festival. Tax forms and envelopes for city, county, and state taxes will be in the packet you receive at check-in. The tax folks will be onsite from 3:00-5:00 PM. Sunday, October 15 behind the Artist Hospitality Tent to collect taxes. They do not give change or accept credit cards so tax payments must be made in exact change or by three separate checks. Artists who are delinquent in sales taxes will not be allowed to exhibit at the Festival.
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. All works must have the year they were created. 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 work, designed and executed by the exhibiting artist(s). Representatives of Kentuck review displays throughout the Festival; we reserve the right to require removal of any work that differs from the images submitted, as well as any inappropriate work or display. Failure to remove such work or abide by other rules set forth may result in applicant’s removal from the Festival and/or applicant being prohibited from future application.
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 Executive Director. Your booth must be filled with your original work.
If you have any questions about whether a work may be displayed, please check with the Kentuck staff for clarification. In the case of ambiguity, the decision of the Executive Director is final.
• Kentuck assumes no responsibility for damage or loss while at the Festival. Artists must be prepared to adequately secure their work and personal property.
Booth Sitters:
Volunteers are available to watch your booth so you can take a break. You can request a booth sitter by texting the number provided in your artist packet. Booth sitting is provided by the students of Booker T. Washington Magnet School in Montgomery, AL.
Art Vehicles:
Space in the Festival grounds is extremely limited, but we love art cars! Please contact the Kentuck Executive Director at 205-758-1257 by August 1 if you wish to have a vehicle considered for parking in the booths area. All vehicles not authorized to stay by the director are required to be out of the park by 7:00 a.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday for the safety of all.
NoNos of the Festival:
To keep the aural environment uncluttered, personal/individual music may not be played on Festival grounds.
No smoking is allowed in the park by order of the City of Northport and the Parks and Recreation Authority.
No alcohol is permitted, other than the craft beer sold at the Festival.
No firearms or weapons are allowed in the park.
No pets of any kind are allowed in the park during the days of the Festival. If you need information on local kennels, please let us know prior to Festival weekend. Service dogs require a separate check-in process.
BE NICE OR LEAVE: No profanity or unkind behavior is allowed. Respect everybody, celebrate and see everybody, and help us live up to our founder Georgine Clarke’s intentions that Kentuck is a Heaven of a Place.
Booth Sharing/Collaborative Work:
Artists working together may apply as one if they collaborate on every piece of work. All co-artists must describe the collaboration. In this case, only one booth fee will be charged. Other artists must pay the full fee even if they choose to share a booth with another artist.
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 Kentuck Museum Association including but not limited to brochure, print, billboards, television advertisements, and internet display. Kentuck will keep all images of accepted work for publicity and Festival archival files.
2. Pay the non-refundable application fee.
$35 for "early bird" applications submitted before 11:59 PM CDT May 15.
$50 for applications submitted from May 16 to June 1.
Entry Deadline & Acceptance Notification:
Entries must be received by 11:59 PM on the night of June 1, 2023. Artists will be notified of their jury status July 3, 2023.
Cancellations:
Cancellations must be made in writing and received prior to August 1. Email to kentuck@kentuck.org with the subject line ATTN: FESTIVAL CANCELLATION. No phone calls, please. On and after August 1, 2023, booth fees will not be refunded.
We look forward to having many of our long-time artists and many "undiscovered" artists exhibiting in 2023!
BOOTH INFORMATION:
Booth Fees:
$275 for a single booth 10’ x 12'
$335 for a corner booth
$460 for a double deep booth 10' x 24'.
$550 for a double wide booth 20' x 12'. Double wide booths are not available on the main path.
$50 additional fee for a single booth space or double deep space along the main, paved path.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will be informed of your booth space, the type of space, and the booth fee due a couple of days after you receive your acceptance e-mail.
At that time, you may pay for your booth:
• By sending a check payable to Kentuck to: Kentuck Art Center, 503 Main Avenue, Northport, AL 35476. If sending by mail, payments must be postmarked by the deadline date. Please call and reserve a double wide, corner or double deep booth BEFORE paying. If none are available and you send in your payment without reserving one first, you will not be refunded the difference.
• By calling Kentuck at 205-758-1257 during regular business hours with your payment information.
• Through EVENTENY.
Please do not pay for your booth before receiving your assignment. If you pay for a booth type that is not the type of booth you were assigned, you may not be refunded the difference. When paying online through Eventeny, you will be charged a convenience fee automatically added by the processing agent.
All requests may not be honored but we do our best to place artists in their requested space. Requests for particular booth spaces are processed by time of application, first-come first-served.
Booth fees must be paid by August 1, 2023.
Equipment may be available to rent through Kentuck at a later date, but there are no guarantees that we will have tents, tables, and chairs for rent available in 2023. We recommend all artists plan on providing their own equipment.
Booth Particulars:
• Limited storage space behind booth.
• Limited number of double & corner booths available; booth assignments and requests are based on time of application.
• Drive-up unloading, off-site parking in adjacent lot. All vehicles must be off the grounds by 7:00 a.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday, unless you have special permission from the Executive Director.
• Number of Booths: 250+
• Exhibitors must provide their own booth structures, which should be flexible to accommodate trees and irregularities in the park's 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!
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