Blog

August 10 & 11, 2024
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
Saturday 9am-5pm & Sunday 9am-4pm
75 Artists
Deadline: April 26, 2024

Application fee $25/Booth fee: $150

The Toledo Zoo is seeking creative artists and skilled makers to take part in our uniquely wild, two-day art fair that takes place throughout Zoo grounds. This event features local and regional artists with various mediums on display and for sale for thousands of Zoo visitors. It also includes live entertainment, hands-on art activities and of course, animals! Work does not have to be animal related.

The Toledo Zoo has been around for more than a hundred years and is home to more than 10,000 individual animals representing over 720 species. In an effort to save endangered wildlife we participate in more than 80 Species Survival Plans that ensure healthy, genetically diverse Zoo populations. Travel around the world from the tropics to Greenland, ocean to sky and desert to rainforest in one Zoo visit. Our animals take part in the art fair by creating their own works of art, which is a huge attendance driver for the event.

Artist Amenities:

• Artists & a certain number of helpers are treated to free Zoo admission and parking.​
• Free electricity, if requested.
• Air-conditioned artist lounge with complimentary beverages & snacks. 
• Box lunches will be available for purchase through ZAPP checkout. Price is $14 (tax included).
• Lunches will need to be purchased by July 8. They will not be available for purchase during the event, but we do have plenty of concession stands open throughout the Zoo.
• Volunteer booth sitters available up to 15 minutes per sitting.
• Volunteers on hand to assist with set up & tear down
• 24-hour security.
• Estimated over 10,000 Zoo visitors for the weekend.

This uniquely wild, two-day art fair taking place on our beautiful Zoo grounds features artists with various mediums for thousands of visitors! 

Apply now:
https://www.toledozoo.org/wildaboutart

Contact: Jen Brassil artfair@toledozoo.org

August 16, 17, & 18, 2024
Perrysburg, Ohio
Historic Downtown
Friday 5pm-8pm, Saturday 10am-10pm (with 6pm Soft Close for artists),
& Sunday 10am-4pm
100 Artists
Deadline: March 10, 2024

Application fee: $30/Booth fee $325 members or $350 non-members

For the past 19 years, The Guild of Artists and Artisans produced the Levis Commons Fine Art Fair located at the Levis Commons Town Center. In 2024, partnering with Visit Perrysburg, The Guild brings a new fine art fair to Perrysburg, Ohio, Perrysburg Hearts the Arts. This fine art fair features jury-selected artists and artisans including jewelry, ceramics, painting, glass, photography, fiber and more.

Located in Perrysburg’s Historic Downtown, this inaugural event is located near convenient parking and wonderful restaurants and shops. In addition to spectacular artists, the event will have live music, food trucks, kids activities, and will be free to the public. Estimated attendance ~20-30,000. Free artist parking. 

More info: https://www.theguild.org/
Contact: Nicole McKay nicole@theguild.org

We were juried in, and are getting ready for the festival, but wonder who else will be there?  If you have done the show before are there any great tips to share?  Value your feedback!  And if you have done the show, any recommendations for places to lodge for the weekend?  

I started Phoenix Rising Designs in 2004 after about 6 years of apprenticing and selling for other artists and designers. I have worked some really great art shows and one really muddy one. Seriously, shin deep in mud and sleeping in my van. The bathrooms weren't finished with walls between the toilets so... Anyway, I've done my share of moving around with my work! haha I am a wife and mother to one son and I homeschool him. I also fill in at a vintage clothing store and a bead store and teach classes at a wellness center on Gemstone Therapy.

I mentioned "people", right? Well those of you who have helped me in the past are free to add your stories as well. Rozee, we almost got stolen, remember? haha Brittany, you helped me for about 6 or 7 seasons and fell asleep with mud and rocks in your hair, right? My husband and son helped be run stuff to the van in pouring sheets of rain in Huron, Oh. Cambrey, how many lunches did we eat at that apple festival again? These are the silly, crazy, and (sick, right?) fun stories but I also have met some great people, had wonderful sales and fantastic times on circuit too.

I am currently working like crazy to add more wholesale accounts to my business. My styles are tribal and steampunk jewelry. I have an online store http://www.phoenixbartender.etsy.com/. Why "phoenix bartender"? Well I like the mythical creature and I've been a bartender since 2001 at night and an artist by day.

Rambling on...thank you for reading and thank you for adding my business to your "LIKE" list on facebook.

Sept. 26-27,2010

Hamilton, OH

Booth Fee: $100.00

Jury Fee: $25.00

I loved the location of this show, the artists weren't cramped, we had tree lined "streets"- (they were golf cart streets). Plenty of trees and permenant sculptures behind and around the exhibitor spaces which made for a beautiful setting. Parking was close and people were there to shop. Set up was completely painless since there was room to bring your car right up to your space and get back out on Friday all day so noone was there all at the same time.

My sales were close to the 10x's the booth fee, so that rule of thumb worked for me. Sales were about the same on Sunday as Saturday so don't panic if Saturday doesn't do as well as you think it should. Another jewelry artists did better on Sunday than Saturday. If you do metal sculpture, you will do well at this show! People were walking all over the place with those things. (they were cool!) The photographer next to me did well and I think she would consider coming back, forgot to ask her. The water colorist on my other side did great work but didn't seem too happy with his sales. His stuff was great so that was unfortunate. I think the biggest thing with shows in this climate is to make sure you have a lot of options for people to look at. If they feel you don't have a big enough selection, they will go to the next booth. I found that demonstations work fantastic at shows, especially for a jeweler. Men don't always like to get stuck in our booths, especially if the show is heavy on jewlery (which is most of them), but guys like to see how things are made and will stop to look at least for a minute which is a minute more than you would have gotten. I'll be back to this show next year.