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Questions Prospective Exhibitors Ask
(If your question is not answered below, submit it to artistsliaison@franciscosfarm.org for a quick reply.)

Previous exhibitors:
Are previous exhibitors automatically accepted?
Are previous exhibitors given preference in booth location?
I exhibited at Francisco's Farm in previous years, so I don't need to send images of my work, right?
I applied and wasn't accepted last year - or some previous year. Why should I bother to apply this year?

Who can apply :
Do you accept any food vendors - funnel cakes, barbecue, etc?
Do I have to be a resident of Kentucky to apply?

Trouble with the application:
How can I save the application to my computer so I can fill it out there and print it?
Can I submit photographs or slides with my application?
What are the specifications on digital images?

How much money should I send with the application?

Eligibility of Art and Craft:
Are handcrafted soaps, bath products, cosmetics, and candles eligible?
How about food products that are not to be consumed on site - jams and jellies, sauces, mixes, etc?
I create beautiful, hand-painted silk scarves. Is my work ineligible because I purchase the scarves rather than make them myself?

Booth layout:
Is the booth layout going to be similar to last year?
Can two artists share one booth?

Marketing and Promotion:
Where do you market the event?
When will exhibitors receive promotional materials? What are they?

Lodging:
We're driving from a great distance. Can we stay on campus on Thursday and Sunday nights?


Are previous exhibitors automatically accepted?
There is no automatic acceptance to exhibit at Francisco's Farm. The organizers are committed to creating a new mix of exhibitors each year. This may not seem helpful or fair to artists who have exhibited in the past, as it isn't a show that an artist can continue to count on year to year. However, one of our primary goals is to increase the number of visitors who come and purchase art, and offering a new show each year helps to create a loyal following for the show - visitors who consider it a show they want to return to each year - a show with a reputation for excellence and freshness - a show that is lucrative for the artists.

Artistic excellence is the sole criteria for selection of exhibitors. The top applicants will be accepted, and Francisco's Farm Arts Festival establishes no quota or entitlement by media category.

Are previous exhibitors given preference in booth location?
The Festival will attempt to honor specific location requests, but can make no guarantees. Application postmarks are recorded. Accepted artists having specific space requests will be assigned spaces on a first-come, first served basis per their application postmark date.

I exhibited at Francisco's Farm in the past, so I don't need to send images of my work, right?
Every applicant (including those in the Emerging Artist category) needs to submit three images with his or her application every year. A new review panel is assembled each year, so some reviewers may have never seen your work before. You may also have created new work and the reviewers are always interested in seeing your most recent work.

I applied and wasn't accepted in previous years. Why should I bother to apply this year?
Check out the images of the artwork that was accepted last year. If your work is as good as, or better, than the work represented, perhaps the images you submitted did not provide us with a true picture of the quality of your work. Perhaps you are doing new work, but submitted images of your old work. Another possibility is that the competition was particularly tough in your media category. There are often more applicants in some categories - usually Jewelry and Wood - and that varies from year to year.

Please also read the answer to "Are previous exhibitors automatically accepted?", as it provides further information about our efforts to create a 'Not to Miss' show for visitors.

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Do you accept any food vendors - funnel cakes, barbecue, etc?
The food offered to Festival artists and visitors is provided by Midway College food service. No food vendors are permitted at the Festival. Downtown Midway is filled with wonderful restaurants, and visitors are encouraged to visit them for lunch or dinner during the Festival.

Do I have to be a resident of Kentucky to apply?
Artists from anywhere in the country are invited to apply. Most of our exhibiting artists have been from the southeastern United States, but our reputation for outstanding artist hospitality services is bringing applications from other parts of the country, as well.

How can I save the application to my computer so I can fill it out there and print it?
You can save the application to your computer either by right-clicking on the link to the application, then clicking 'Save As' and saving it somewhere you can find it later, OR opening the application and selecting 'File', 'Save As'. You can then open it later, fill it out, and print it. You just can't save a 'filled-out' application, so remember to print two copies and save one for your records.

Can I submit photographs with my application?
Photographs and slides are accepted, however, there is a $25 fee (in addition to the application fee) for processing photographs and slides into digital images. In return for this fee, we will provide you with your digital images on CD. Digital images are strongly preferred. As the industry is phasing out slide projectors, digital images will become the only acceptable submissions in future years, as they are now at many top quality art shows. Artists are encouraged to obtain professional quality digital images of their work for submission to art shows and the media.

What are the specifications on digital images?
Digital images must have a minimum resolution of 300 ppi. This will allow us to use your images in print for publicity purposes. (Note: Digital images prepared for websites are often only 72dpi resolution - not high enough for print.) Minimum image size is 4"x4" - 600x600pixels. Images may be burned to CD and mailed with your application, or images may be emailed to artistsliaison@franciscosfarm.org. You may need to send the images in three separate emails, as many email clients are restricted to attaching files no larger than 2MB.

How much money should I send with the application?
You'll need to send $25 (the application fee) with your application (or mail it separately if you've submitted your application electronically. Send no booth fee. Send no lodging fee or tent rental fee (if you reserve these). Accepted applicants will be invoiced for booth fees (and for lodging & tent rental fees if they reserve these services) along with their acceptance letter, in February. Fees are due in March.

  • The only reason to send more than the $25 application fee -
    If you are sending photographs or slides, we will need to scan them to create digital images for the jury panel. There is a $25.00 fee for this service, in addition to your application fee. We will put mail your digital images to you on a CD. If you send photographs or slides, include a check for $50.00.

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Are handcrafted soaps, bath products, cosmetics, candles, or food products eligible?
Although we recognize the craft and creativity involved in producing these products, the organizers of the show have decided not to accept 'consumable art and craft', which includes soaps, lotions, bath products, cosmetics, candles, and food products.

I create beautiful, hand-painted silk scarves. I purchase the scarves. Is my work ineligible because the scarves are purchased?
Items purchased and decorated, as well as work made from combining purchased commercial objects, are generally not considered to be handcrafted work; HOWEVER, strong overall design, interpretation, and originality can obviously affect the end result.

The intent of the rule is to promote original art and to exclude embellished commercially-mass-produced items in which the commercially mass produced element of the work dominates over the embellished dimension of the work. The determination is to what extent the purchased item itself is a "backdrop" for your original art. Are the designs original? Do you create only multiples of one design, or items that are unique? These questions/answers help to make the determination. If you are uncertain as to the eligibility of your artwork, please feel free to inquire of artistsliaison@franciscosfarm.org

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Is the booth layout going to be similar to last year? This year's layout will be much improved over all previous years, with an even visitor traffic flow for equal access to all artist booths. For a look at the venue, click here to see the campus map.

Can two artists share one booth? Two artists may share one booth, but both must apply and be accepted individually.

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Where do you market the event?
The Festival will be promoted in Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati print, radio, and television markets, as well as through road signs and posters in the central Kentucky area.
Exhibiting artists are strongly encouraged to promote the Festival, through press releases to their local media and through distribution of postcards and hand-out cards.

When will exhibitors receive promotional materials? What are they? Promotional materials include postcards with space for exhibitor notes, 'hand-out' cards to be distributed to your customers and at your local galleries and events, and posters. Accepted exhibitors will receive postcards along with their acceptance letters. Additional postcards will be sent along with exhibitor packets, and we will honor all requests for additional cards while supplies last. Posters will be mailed to exhibitors on request - details will appear in your acceptance letter.
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We're driving from a great distance. Can we stay in the dorms on Thursday night and Sunday night, too?
Of course you may! Lodgers on Friday and Saturday nights receive complimentary breakfast at the College. You'll have to get your own breakfast in town on Friday morning and Monday morning - there are several options available. More details on lodging and dining will be included in your acceptance letter.

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