Winter Expo Applications are Open!
The Evanston Art Center's Winter Arts & Crafts Expo is one of the largest and most celebrated shows in the Chicago area. The Annual Expo showcases arts and crafts by over 150 selected artisans, featuring original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed-media, and more.
Apply Here!
GENERAL INFORMATION
Application Deadline: October 6
General Shopping: Nov 22- Dec 20, 9am-6pm, Mondays – Fridays, 9 am - 4 pm Saturdays - Sundays (closed Thanksgiving)
Inventory Drop-off: Nov. 13, 14, and 15.
Inventory Pick-up: Dec 21, 22, and 23.
The Evanston Art Center’s Annual Winter Arts + Crafts Expo features original, handmade arts and crafts by over 150 selected artisans. We feature original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed-media, and more. This month-long event attracts visitors all over the Midwest region.
Categories
Jewelry, ceramics, wood, glass, metal, fiber, leather, wearable textile accessories, mixed media, small 3-D sculpture, and small 2-D works including printmaking, photography, and painting (must be ready to hang). Beautifully crafted ornaments or menorahs are deemed acceptable as long as the artistic quality is very high.
Not To Be Included:
Commercially oriented or mass produced holiday items. Please note: All work must be original and made by the artist within the last few years. Commercial items will not be accepted. The Expo Committee reserves the right to refuse exhibition of work not consistent with these guidelines.
Acceptance Information
Notification of the juror's decision will be emailed by mid-October. Upon acceptance to the Expo, an information packet containing inventory delivery and pick-up, pricing, volunteering, and other pertinent show details will be emailed to you. An inventory sheet will also be emailed to you to fill out and return by October 22nd. This means that you will need to plan ahead and know how many pieces will be available to sell before the start of the Expo. As a guideline from last year's show, ceramics, jewelry, glass, and small mixed media artists inventoried approximately 25-50 items. 2-D (Canvas or framed) and larger 3-D inventoried approximately 10 - 20 items. Small prints can have up to 50 pieces. We encourage each selected artist to price items from $20 to $400, with a greater quantity priced below $100 to encourage holiday gift purchases. Artists must drop off and pick up work in person unless special arrangements are made with EAC staff.
Visual Display
The Evanston Art Center has open gallery space available for this event. The Expo is a group show, and as such, there are no booth spaces. Each artist's inventory will be identified and displayed on an approximately 20x30-inch tabletop space or the equivalent area on the wall or floor. Extra inventory for each artist will be stored and then displayed as the merchandise is sold. The Expo staff will make all decisions regarding placement and display. Since this is not a booth show, artists will not be required to be present to conduct sales. The Expo relies on volunteers to run the show. We have found that the artists who are present during the show contribute greatly to the professional atmosphere of the galleries and increase the sales of their own work by being able to talk to customers about their craft and process. We encourage each participating artist (who lives in the area) to volunteer three 3-hour shifts during the show.