Application & Rules

Pursuant to requests from artists in past years, Gasparilla Festival of the Arts has updated the Festival’s awards selection process. See the changes in the application awards and rules sections.

Artists participating in the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (the “Festival”) must be 18 years of age or older as of the first day of the Festival. If a participating artist is required to sign any document prior to his or her 18th birthday, such document must be co-signed by a parent or guardian and ratified by the artist after he or she turns 18 years old.

To be eligible for jury and awards, all work must be original, created by the artist within the 3 years prior to the Festival, signed by the artist and available for sale with the price clearly visible. Any piece of art that has won an award at a Festival is ineligible for awards at any subsequent Festival.

An accepted application is a commitment to participate in the Festival, and refunds will not be issued for cancellations.

All artists, including both artists if accepted as partners, must exhibit and be present during the complete Festival, from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. through 5p.m. on Sunday. Artists who fail to follow this rule will be ineligible for prizes and may be denied admission to future Festivals.

Only accepted artists may exhibit works within their assigned booths. Subletting booth space is prohibited. Artists can apply for double booths with fees adjusted accordingly. Artists can apply and display up to two media within a double booth space if the artist has applied and been accepted in both mediums. Artists shall only exhibit works typified by the images submitted with their application. Only one medium category may be exhibited in a booth.

An artist may apply in multiple medium categories for different bodies of work. A separate application must be submitted (including its own set of images) and a separate application fee must be paid for each category. An artist may not apply multiple times in the same category.

Any artist who has been accepted in the “Emerging Artist” category may not, in subsequent years, apply to the Festival as an emerging artist.

Artists shall not display or sell manufactured or kit jewelry, ceramics cast from commercial molds, glass created from commercial molds, art supplies, commercial displays, decoupage, or candles. Artists shall not display or sell non-original commercially reproduced items such as posters, greeting cards, postcards, calendars, t-shirts, or buttons. Works of art that have won any award at the Festival shall not be prominently exhibited in the artist’s booth at any subsequent Festival while the juror is reviewing the booth. Such artwork may be kept in a portfolio, bin, or other non-prominent location.

Only the works of accepted artists may be displayed or sold at the Festival. “Sale” signs are prohibited. Ribbons and awards from other art shows or other festivals may not be displayed.
All artwork shall be displayed in its final form. Artists shall not engage in painting, drawing, or any other production of artwork or revisions to artwork during Festival hours.

All exhibited artwork must be available for sale. Prices for all exhibited artwork must be clearly noted on or beside each piece. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the prices for jewelry may be noted on a price list which is displayed and readily available for viewing by all patrons.

Regular booth spaces measure approximately 10′ deep x 10′ wide and double booth spaces measure approximately 10’ deep x 20’ wide. All booth spaces will be marked by Festival personnel before artists are permitted to set up their booths. All artwork must be contained within the assigned space.

All displays should be wind-resistant and able to withstand large crowds. Water-resistant coverings and weights are highly recommended. These items will not be supplied by the Festival. Artwork may not be affixed to or leaned against any tree, pole, or other fixture within the Festival grounds. Stakes, or any tools or displays that penetrate the ground are prohibited.

Sharing of booth space is prohibited. Only one exhibitor will be permitted in each space unless artists applied and were accepted as partners on collaborative work. Each artist must exhibit a minimum of five works to be eligible for jury. To be eligible for jurying, the name of the artist and the booth number (provided at check-in) must be displayed clearly at the artist’s booth.

All paintings must be framed or mounted. Unframed or unmounted watercolors, drawings, and graphics must be displayed in a portfolio or a bin.

Artwork (other than photography) that is printed using inkjet technology will be permitted only in the digital art category. Original, limited edition prints of digital art will be permitted and must be signed and numbered as part of an edition. Digital art refers to artwork created on a computer by hand using the artist’s original ideas and concepts. Artwork created using artificial intelligence is not permitted.

Photographs must be signed and numbered and must be the artist’s original image. Artists are encouraged to identify clearly whether a photographic print is produced digitally or through a traditional photographic process (silver print, Polaroid, dye-transfer, etc.).

Ceramic works must be handmade and signed by the artist. If multiple pieces of the same design are displayed, each must be signed.

Jewelry must include components designed and hand-crafted by the artist using traditional methods of casting or fabrication/construction. No commercially manufactured elements, other than findings, are permitted. Items created solely through the stringing of beads and similar materials on wire, string, or cord, with no elements handmade by the artist, are not permitted. Wearable art, such as hats, purses, and other apparel that are designed and hand-made by the artist are eligible to be displayed and sold. Each must be labeled with the artist's name.

“Original artwork” shall refer to artwork designed by the artist that is one-of-a-kind. Artwork that is printed utilizing inkjet technology must be created on a computer and then exhibited as first printed in order to qualify as an original artwork. Original artwork printed utilizing inkjet technology may be modified by other methods, such as traditional painting, and exhibited in the mixed media category.

“Original limited edition prints” shall refer to an image that originates as digital art, a photographic negative or a traditional printmaking technique (including, without exclusion, linoleum block prints, woodcuts, etching plates, stone lithographs, or serigraphs) when such image is executed in media worked by the artist himself/herself, printed in a limited edition, signed, and numbered.

“Reproduction” shall refer to original artwork that is digitally captured into a computer or photographed onto film and then printed as an inkjet print, photograph, offset lithograph, giclee, etc. The defining factor is that an original piece of artwork already exists prior to the printing – everything that follows is a reproduction.

Reproductions are not eligible for awards. All reproductions must be clearly and individually labeled as reproductions. No other terms, such as “print” or “offset lithograph” may be used.

Labels must say “reproduction.” Reproductions must be in signed editions of no more than 750. Reproductions may not be framed and displayed alongside original work. Reproductions must be placed framed or unframed in a browsing bin separate from original work and clearly labeled “Reproductions.” Reproductions must be an ancillary part of the artist’s display.

“Hand colored” or painted reproductions are not permitted and may not be displayed or sold as original artwork. Giclees, or ink-jet prints of original artwork produced in another medium, are considered reproductions whether they are printed on canvas, paper, or any other surface.

For digital media, only one of each image is to be be displayed on booth walls.

Conducting opportunity drawings, raffles, auctions or other games of chance is strictly prohibited.

Each artist is responsible for collecting Florida state sales tax on sales made during the Festival and remitting such taxes to the local office of the Florida Department of Revenue. Vehicles will only be permitted on Festival grounds during designated load-in and load-out times absent expressed permission from authorized Festival personnel. Artists must present a photo ID when delivering or picking-up any artwork that has been pulled by the jurors. Artwork pulled by a juror and delivered by an artist may not be retrieved by the artist until the last day of the Festival, after the time designated by the jury room staff.

Penalties for failure to abide by these rules include immediate removal of artwork in violation of the rules, ejection from the Festival, and possible suspension from exhibiting in future Festivals. If an artist fails to disclose previous award-winning artwork in violation of these rules, all artwork from that artist may be deemed ineligible for jury and awards.

Any artist or artist assistant who engages in inappropriate, aggressive, abrasive, or illegal behavior or who violates these rules or any other Festival policy may be expelled or banned from the Festival and future Festivals. Any artist who applies for admission to the Festival after having been banned shall not be entitled to a refund of any application fee. Any artist who is inadvertently invited to participate in the Festival after having been banned may be asked to leave and shall not be entitled to a refund of any application or booth fee.

NEITHER THE GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, INC., NOR ANY OF ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AGENTS, SPONSORS, OR VOLUNTEERS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST, DAMAGED, OR STOLEN PROPERTY.