Submission deadline extended for Carmel International Arts Festival

Attention artists: The final application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 31 for the 23rd annual Carmel International Arts Festival (CIAF). After going virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 2021 event will take place in person on Sept. 25 and 26.

CIAF Executive Director Rachel Ferry said, “We are so excited that the Carmel International Arts Festival slated for the last weekend of Sept. 2021 will be an in-person event. We will be following the guidelines that the CDC and our local government suggest, and we are confident that our artists, vendors and our entire community will have a safe and fun weekend experience filled with beautiful art, delicious food, and amazing music.”

Any changes due to COVID restrictions will be decided closer to the fall date.

All artists are juried to get into the festival and applications are now being accepted for those who wish to have a booth at this popular event. There is a total of $7,000 in prize money for the winners. The event regularly attracts more than 30,000 festival goers to Carmel.

On average, 400 applications are received for CIAF’s juried exhibition with 150 artists selected to compete. Applications can be submitted online at carmelartsfestival.org/artist-application and will be accepted until the extended deadline of Wednesday, March 31.

For juried selections, artists must submit four digital images. Three of these images must be of the work the artist plans to exhibit at the show, and the final image should be of their booth setup. Artists can only exhibit art at the show that is the same style as the juried images. Judging will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and awards will be announced as soon as the judging is complete. All award monies will be mailed to the winners within two weeks of the conclusion of the festival.

Awards

  • Best of Show: $1,500
  • 1st Place: $1,000
  • 2nd Place: $750
  • 3rd Place: $500
  • Best of Media (10 awards): $150 each
  • Honorable Mentions (10 awards): $100 each
  • Mayor’s Award: $250

Media Categories

  • Ceramics
  • Fiber
  • Glass
  • Jewelry
  • Original 2-D design
  • Original 3-D design
  • Painting
  • Photography
  • Wood