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Call for Artists: 69th Annual St James Court Art Show

Posted by Meg Mettler on April 10, 2025 at 6:00am

13529139896?profile=RESIZE_400xOctober 3, 4, & 5, 2025
Louisville, Kentucky
Old Louisville
Friday & Saturday 10am-6pm & Sunday 10am-5pm
150+ Artists
Deadline: May 1, 2025

Application fee $35/Booth fee $575

Our jurors endeavor to select a spectrum of genres from traditional to edgy, appealing to both long-time art collectors and patrons new to purchasing handmade fine art and fine craft. The result is a tasteful selection of high-quality original work.

We recognize our artists as partners and strive to make every aspect of your show experience reflect that philosophy through responsiveness, helpfulness, and support. Proceeds from the show fund various community charities, art scholarships, and neighborhood restoration and maintenance.
11001968483?profile=RESIZE_710xThe S Fourth Street Section is the 2nd largest section with 150 artists. Located in the geographic center of the show, pedestrian traffic is heavy and artists generally report good sales. Booths are mostly level on the street, and directly accessible by vehicle pre- and post-show. 

NOTEWORTHY: S. Fourth Street Section

  • Past event attendance ~250,000
  • Limited to 150 artists/ Limited medium categories
  • Average 40 booth spaces for new artists
  • Artists receive all sales proceeds
  • $2,750+ in cash and prizes
  • Scheduled set-up Thursday prior to show opening
  • Limited designated artist parking
  • 24-hour on-site security
  • Booth sitting available
  • Complimentary coffee, water and snacks
  • Free boxed lunch on Friday (limit 2)
  • Extensive regional and national public relations and marketing, including social media, print, digital, radio and media

 

Apply NOW:
https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=12982

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Learn more: stjamescourtartshow.com/exhibitor-information/
Contact: Drew Layman dlayman@stjamescourtartshow.com

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Call for Artists: 67th Annual St. James Court Art Show St. James Court Section

Posted by Meg Mettler on April 6, 2023 at 6:00am
11001967699?profile=RESIZE_400xOctober 6, 7, & 8, 2023
Louisville, Kentucky
Historic Old Louisville
Friday & Saturday 10am-6pm & Sunday 10am-5pm
225 Artists
Deadline: May 1, 2023
 
Application fee: $40             Booth fee starts at $575
 
The original and largest section, the St. James Court, began in 1957. This section emphasizes Fine Arts and has openings for 225 artists. The Inner Courts on St. James Court are designated for our first-time juried artists and are highly marketed on social media, driving traffic to the only exclusive location for newly juried artists in all of the art show. With no more than 4 booths in a row, the Inner Courts afford every artist great visibility. The St. James Court Association believes so strongly in supporting the artists in the Inner Courts that the association awards a $5,000 prize to Best of Show among the newly juried artists exhibiting in the Inner Courts. The $5,000 Founder’s Award is the only prize given in the St. James Court Section of the art show.
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Our goal is to bring buyers and artisans together in a carefully curated, high-quality art show that is enjoyable for all and financially rewarding for our exhibitors. Our artists are our #1 priority. Artists can expect high sales and a faithful following due to our show’s history and nationally high rankings.
 
11001969455?profile=RESIZE_400xTestimonials
  • "WOW I enjoy the ambience of the show. So awesome to connect with all my long time customers and so many new. I love the hours of the show. Thank you thank you!"
  • "The sheer amount of visitors almost guarantees some buyers for your genre of work. Being a "destination show" is a huge plus."
  • "Load in and load out were excellent. I love St. James!!"
  • "Knowledgeable, curious, and supportive patrons, helpful staff and volunteers, lovely venue, successful sharing of my artwork."
  • "There were people who really wanted to collect, like multiple pieces; one person even coming back to look for more."
Contact: Karen Clayton kclayton@stjamescourtartshow.com
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Call for Artists: Big Four Arts Festival

Posted by Meg Mettler on March 21, 2023 at 6:00am
10996566080?profile=RESIZE_400xSeptember 9 & 10, 2023
Louisville, Kentucky
Waterfront Park, Big Four Pedestrian Bridge Lawn
Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 10am-5pm
150 artists
Deadline: May 10, 2023
 
Application fee: $30             Booth fee: $400
 
The Big Four Arts Festival in Louisville has been the most attended (20k+) two-day event ever held at Waterfront Park. The 7th B4AF 2023, the weekend following Labor Day, will be held on the big four-acre park lawn under tree-lined walks overlooking the Ohio River.
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The Big 4 Walking Bridge has 25,000 people strolling it each weekend. The Festival is a two-minute drive from downtown Louisville and draws patrons from Southern Indiana as well as Louisville.
 
10996566894?profile=RESIZE_400x"What Big Four does is it allows me access to the art-centric city of Louisville, offers a wonderful venue, and it does bring in interested buyers. The director, organization, and staff volunteers are all dedicated to making artists feel welcome and running an excellent show. Thank you to everyone involved."- Stew Rein
 
“B4AF almost sold me out [on the first day]!”- J. Malagum
 
“Thank you so much B4AF for the amazing weekend!” - B. Creative
 
More info: https://bigfourbridgeartsfestival.com/
Contact: Louis Nunnelley b4b@twc.com
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Call for Artists: 6th Big Four Arts Festival

Posted by Meg Mettler on April 27, 2022 at 6:00am
10438188081?profile=RESIZE_400xSeptember 10 & 11
Louisville, Kentucky
Waterfront Park at Big Four Bridge Lawn
Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 10am-5pm
150 Artists
Deadline: May 10
 
Application fee: $25 Booth fee: $395
 
The 6th Big Four Arts Festival, the weekend following Labor Day, has been the most attended (20,000) two-day Event ever held in Louisville at Waterfront Park. With our maximum of 150 Artists, the annual festival will be held on the Big Four Bridge lawn which consists of four acres of tree-lined walks overlooking the Ohio River. 
 
The Big Four Lawn is a venue designed for special events with spacious booth layouts and ample parking. The Park has better than 2 million visitors a year and the Big Four Walking Bridge has better than 25,000 walkers every weekend. Such was the overall success of the B4AF that Louisville's Convention & Visitors Bureau presented the Rose Award to the Festival for an event that is bringing so much commerce to the City of Louisville!
 
2021 was a success - JOIN US in 2022!
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  • EZ in-out, with direct vehicle access for set-up & tear down
  • Spacious booth layouts
  • Reserved artist parking adjacent to Festival grounds
  • 24 hour security
  • Light breakfast Sat. & Sun.
  • Booth relief and water delivery
  • Hotel discounts
  • A cap of 150 Artist 
Save the Date - with a proven multi-media campaign, we will produce record crowds again in 2022!
 
10438189460?profile=RESIZE_400x"We do about 14 art shows a year and I can tell you that this was the BEST we have done this year. Our sales were awesome. Your advertising paid off, because the crowd was huge. I loved the lay out, the park is beautiful." 
Debbie & John Wiles, Matoon, IL
 
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Mellwood Arts Center Fair, Louisville KY -- so sad!

Posted by Sharon Roberts on September 13, 2010 at 12:07pm
I haven't seen much information about shows here in the Midwest, so here's a short review for anyone who's interested.

Just 2 years old, the September Art Fair at Mellwood Art Center has a lot going for it. They began with the distinct advantage of replacing a well-established and respected art fair that closed. On the strength of that, they attracted some very good artists and filled upwards of 150 spaces at their first-ever event in 2009.

They advertise, promote, and draw good crowds. They have a GREAT venue on the grounds of an existing arts center, with both indoor and outdoor spaces, a huge parking lot, air conditioning, and INDOOR bathrooms!!!

So what's not to like? Booth space, at $260/$275, is a tad pricey. And although the fair is supposedly juried, I have seen no evidence of any selectivity. Instead, the organizers seem to be going for quantity over quality, which is sad. I'm a jewelry artist - a metalsmith working in sterling and gemstones, mostly at a mid-range price point - and I was infuriated that the booth right next to me was a "designer" stringing beads and assembling earrings out of garish purchased components. And it gets worse: further down the same aisle was a booth featuring cheap glassware painted with tacky slogans such as "Yes, they're real!" Imagine the feelings of the serious artists who got placed next to that!

I heard a lot of grumbling from artists in 2009, and a number of them did not come back this year. I gave the show another chance because I think it has so much potential, and I would really like to see it succeed. But unless the organizers learn to "just say no," I'm afraid they're going to alienate the serious artists, and turn this promising young event into something more like a flea market than an art fair.




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