Fishers Arts Council (FAC) is reprising its Small Business Saturday and Winter Wonderland events from 2018, thanks to a grant received this year. The purpose of these events is to provide artistic demonstrations to the public so that they can learn about and create their own visual art.
By showcasing the artists’ talents while they demonstrate/perform their skills, FAC says it hopes this inspires community members to create their own art and experiment in various mediums.
FAC is looking for artists/artisans who work in all mediums and genres, including, but not limited to, woodworking, glassblowing, printmaking, quilting, cooking, painting, drawing, pottery making, metalsmith/jewelry and small-scale sculpting. The most important aspect is that the artist’s medium must be able to be demonstrated, in some fashion, while indoors at an 8-foot table (or in the same relative space).
Eligibility requirements
To qualify, artists must:
- Be able to meet all of the project requirements (see below)
- Be age 16 or over
- Be willing to meet all contractual obligations
This project will require:
- Artist’s medium must be able to be demonstrated live at City Hall in the space provided
- Artist must interact, engage, and communicate clearly with the patrons while demonstrating
- Artist must create a one-page sheet explaining their craft and how they create for those who cannot hear (printing will be provided by Fishers Arts Council)
- The medium must be able to be tactile (in some way) for those who have a visual impairment
Compensation
Artists will be permitted to sell their works during the event, however the focus must be on demonstration and interaction with the public. Each artist will be paid $100 for their demonstration, which equates to $20 per hour for five hours during the event. Fishers Arts Council shall take no commission for any works sold during these specific events.
Selection process
Artists must submit their qualifications by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27. Representatives from Fishers Arts Council will review submitted qualifications and select 15 artists/artisans per event.
Note: While this is the intended selection process, in an effort to provide the most diverse array of artistic mediums for the public to experience, Fishers Arts Council reserves the right to invite an artist to apply, should their medium be lacking representation from the current applicants.
Selection criteria
Artists/artisans will be selected based upon the following criteria:
- Technical ability: Artist’s history of work indicates professionalism, skill with materials and techniques, and indicates the capacity to meet the requirements of this project
- Artistic quality: Artist’s past work is appropriate to its medium, represents it well, and shows personal creativity
- Additional criteria: Quality of proposal submitted; demonstrated capability for proposal to be inclusive; clear understanding of requirements to work while engaging and interacting; demonstrated capability for proposal to be engaging/interactive; Fishers residents receive priority (if necessary)
Project timeline
This timeline represents the project as it now appears. Changes may be necessary as the project progresses:
- Deadline for Submissions: 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27
- Notification of Selection: on/by Friday, Oct. 11
- Submission of ADA Materials: on/by Monday, Oct. 28
- Event Dates: Nov. 30 and Dec. 6
How to apply
Artists must submit the following information to FishersArtsCouncil@gmail.com (please note: materials will not be returned).
- Applicant information: Please include the following information in your cover letter:
- Artist name
- Full mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Website (if applicable)
- Cover letter: In addition to the above contact information, please include:
- A statement about your interest in this project
- A synopsis of what you will demonstrate at the event
- How you will address the ADA requirements for your demonstration
- A statement about how your past experiences qualify you for this opportunity
- Availability for the events:
- 30, Noon to 5 p.m., arriving by 11 a.m. for prep
- 6, 3 to 8 p.m., arriving at 2 p.m. for prep
- Examples of previous artwork: Submit two to 10 digital images in .jpg or .pdf format of past work. Please limit the file size of each image to 2 MB or less. If possible, include images of at least one previous project that is appropriate to the conditions of these events. (Do no embed images in your email.)
- Image information: Provide the following information about each submitted project: title, date completed, client/neighborhood/site name, total artwork budget, and a brief (one to two sentences) description of the project or piece at is relates to this project. Include a directory of which image titles you have submitted are associated with each project (ex: for an artist named Jones: PROJECT A: Images Jones 1, Jones 2, Jones 3; PROJECT B: Jones 4, Jones 5). Submit this sheet in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
Delivery of submissions
Submissions may be emailed to FishersArtsCouncil@gmail.com, shared via Dropbox/Google Drive, or mailed to Fishers Arts Council.
Mailed or delivered submissions must be loaded on a single USB drive. CDs, DVDs, or printed items cannot be accepted. USB drives must arrive at Fishers City Hall (to be placed in the Fishers Arts Council mailbox) no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27. A Dropbox/Google Drive share request must be time-stamped by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 – and all items must be included in the shared folder by that time. Any item that is time-stamped as being uploaded after 3 p.m. will be disqualified from consideration.
The eelivery address is:
ATTN: Year-End Events
Fishers Arts Council
1 Municipal Drive
Fishers, IN 46038
Questions?
Contact Fishers Arts Council via email at FishersArtsCouncil@gmail.com.
These events are made possible by the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.