Summer Art Market Vendor Application

Thank you for your interest in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Summer Art Market. We’re seeking regional artists and makers from the Pacific Northwest, both emerging and established, who create hand-made quality original art and craft that is locally-crafted to showcase and sell their work at an outdoor art market on four Sundays on the plaza outside BIMA in July 2023.

The Summer Art Market will be located on the plaza directly outside the museum. The plaza is a lovely garden space with pathways and a water feature and is ideally located to entice daytrippers and locals to explore the market and find something special. The museum has a constant weekend audience in the summer from the walk-off and drive-off ferry traffic, and is the grand entryway to downtown Winslow’s businesses, the main street of Bainbridge Island. The island and surrounding area also have a great community of artists and art supporters—it’s a special part of the character of Bainbridge Island.

Opened in 2013, BIMA is located in downtown Winslow on Bainbridge Island in the heart of the Puget Sound. The museum’s mission is to inspire curiosity, wonder, and understanding by connecting people with the contemporary art and craft of the Puget Sound region. BIMA would like to expand on this mission by bringing artists and craftspeople, vendors, as well as live musicians to animate the beautiful outdoor plaza of our campus.

Please read the below event information before submitting your application.

 

Event & Application Info

Dates & Times

The Summer Art Market will be open four Sundays from July 9 – July 30 and will feature up to 20 artists each Sunday. Assigned spaces for artists to set up their booths will be located outdoors on both levels of the plaza and will be 10′ x 10′ spaces.

Artists are welcome to apply for any number of Sunday slots, though will not be guaranteed every slot requested.

  • Sunday, July 9, 11am – 5pm ( FULL! )
  • Sunday, July 16, 11am – 5pm ( FULL! )
  • Sunday, July 23, 11am – 5pm ( FULL! )
  • Sunday, July 30, 11am – 5pm ( FULL!)

Applications are still being accepted, and applicants will be placed on the waitlist and contacted if a slot opens up.

Vendor Application & Selection

To apply, submit your application, images of your work and booth, a brief description of your product, and the $35 application fee. Click here to pay your application fee.

There will be a thoughtful selection process in which each application will be reviewed carefully. Our goal is to choose a diverse group of artists who showcase original items of art and craft that are regionally-made, hand-crafted, and demonstrate high-quality work and good presentation. This is not limited to “fine” art, but open to all artists whose work fits the description and who are interested in representing themselves on-site at this casual, strollable summer market.

Application & Booth Fees

  • $35 – Non-refundable Application Fee
  • $60 – Booth Fee (for each Sunday)
    BIMA will provide a 10’ x 10’ space for artists to set up artist’s booth and table(s). Artists will provide their own canopies, table, chairs, and any display setup.
  • $0 – Emerging Artist Table
    Intended for emerging artists (of any age) who are just beginning their art careers and have created a modest independent body of work. BIMA will provide a 6’ foot table and 10 x 10 booth. Selected artists will only need to bring their artwork and any display setup. Limited to up to two emerging artists per Sunday.

Booth Fee Payment

If accepted into the Art Market, applicants will receive an invoice for the amount listed above with the selected booth fee and a link to make a payment around Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Payment is required by Friday, April 29, 2023 or Art Market spot will be forfeited and may be offered to an artist on the waitlist.

Application Dates

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until vendor capacity has been filled.

Event Details

Booth Information

SET UP: 9-11am each event day. Please check the ferry schedule!
TEAR DOWN: 5-6pm each event day.
Artists must bring their own professional-looking booth and signage, and be able and prepared to load themselves in and out of the space. Your booth needs to be able to withstand inclement weather. Booth spaces will need to be covered by a canopy provided by the vendor. Please do not bring animals.

Vendors should maintain sufficient quantities of merchandise for the day. Artists must commit to being at their booth for the full day (11am-5pm)—no late arrivals or early departure.

Booth Assignments

Booth assignments and locations will be made at BIMA’s discretion.

Artist Revenue

All proceeds from sales at the booths go 100% to the exhibiting vendor. Transactions are made at the booth itself, and it is the vendor’s responsibility to bring equipment to process payments.

Cancellations

Vendor cancellation before 6/1/23 will receive a refund (minus a 15% service fee) of their booth fee. No refunds will be processed for cancellations following this date.

The Art Market will proceed regardless of the weather. If BIMA cancels the market for any reason, booth fee refunds will be issued to all vendors.

Health & Safety

BIMA wants a safe and healthy event, and we expect that Washington will continue to make progress against COVID-19 as vaccinations and health measures take effect. BIMA follows the guidance and mandates laid out by the Washington State Health Department in determining health and safety protocols for the museum and all events while our nation battles the pandemic. We will be enforcing adherence for staff, vendors and guests to whatever guidelines are mandated for outdoor events at the time that Summer Art Market takes place. Please be prepared to follow those protocols while you are participating in this event, as no exceptions will be allowed.

Click here for more information about these policies.

Onsite Information

Parking

Limited parking is available on-site. There will be a load/unload area for your initial setup and teardown. Parking on-site is limited to one car per vendor in a designated location.

Food & Drinks

Drinks and limited food will be available for purchase through the BIMA Bistro. An artist hospitality area will be available with water, snacks, and a place to sit and relax during breaks.

Booth Help

Volunteers will be available to help unload and pack up each day, provide booth coverage to allow for short breaks throughout the day, answer questions, and provide service throughout the weekend, should you need assistance.

Restrooms

Available in the museum.

Wifi

Wifi is available inside the museum, though the signal is not reliable on the plaza where the Art Market booths will be set up. Any payment processing at booths will need to use cellular signal or a hotspot wifi signal provided by the vendor.

Electricity

Electricity is not available for booths on the plaza. Limited outlets for charging devices will be available in the vendor break room inside the museum.

Music

Amplified recorded music and live music will be playing through the Art Market to create a festive atmosphere. We request that vendors do not bring their own amplification systems or play music from their booth.

Tax Reporting 

Collection and reporting of Washington State Sales Tax are your responsibility. UBI (tax identification) is required by Washington State. If your business is located out of state, you can obtain a temporary tax ID number. Booth Fees cannot be accepted without a UBI number. For more information, call 800-647-7706. Web site: http://dor.wa.gov/. A temporary WA State tax ID number can be issued, but is only good for two shows within the state per year.

Vendors are required to show proof of a Unique Business Identifier (UBI) demonstrating the vendor holds a business license with the State. Vendors must understand continued business on the island prior to or past event date(s) requires a valid City business license in good standing. Vendors should be aware of any and all requirements to doing business on Bainbridge Island. Click here for more information.

Liability

BIMA will not be responsible for any loss or damage to a vendor’s property, injury to, or death of the vendor (or its employees, representatives, and contractors), or vendor sales. Vendor expressly assumes all risks of loss, damage, liability, injury, or destruction resulting from any cause whatsoever, including but not limited to acts or omissions by Vendor, BIMA, or acts of nature, and hereby releases and waives any claims against the Art Fair (and its employees, representatives, and contractors) related to such loss, damage, liability, injury, and/or destruction.

Art & Craft Categories

Example Accepted Art & Craft Categories

BIMA prefers one category of primary media per application

  • Ceramics: Original clay and porcelain. No machine-made, mass-produced, or commercial molds. Slip-cast work is allowed and designs must be artist originals.
  • Traditional Crafts: This category consists of traditional crafts historically considered functional and may include soap, candles, beadwork, needlepoint, cross-stitch, quilting, brooms, dolls and toys, calligraphy, and pressed flowers Wearable fibers in this category may include painting or other embellishments on fabric that was not made by the artist.
  • Drawing/Pastels: Original compositions utilizing pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, and ink.
    Fiber: All work crafted from fibers including basketry & embroidery (non-wearable).
  • Garden Art/Metal : Handcrafted art intended for use in the garden. Metal includes original work by way of forging, hammering, or fabrication that is functional or decorative rather than sculptural. No assembled kits or pre-formed parts are allowed.
  • Glass: Handcrafted glass using glass blowing, fusing, casting, or kiln-forming techniques.
  • Jewelry: All jewelry produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic, or other materials. No commercial casts, molds, or production studio work.
  • Mixed Media, 2D: Any work intended for display on a wall that combines two or more media.
  • Mixed Media, 3D: Original work from multiple materials with a multi-sided orientation.
  • Paintings: Works created in oils, acrylics, watercolor, encaustic, etc.
  • Photography: Photographic prints made from the artist’s original image and processed by that artist, or under his or her direct supervision. Digital: Two-dimensional work created by the artist using computer technologies. May include scanned images, from the artist or other sources that have been changed through the use of computer programs.
  • Printmaking: Signed and numbered limited-edition prints encompassing woodcuts, engraving, etching, mezzotint, screen-printing, or other traditional print methods.
  • Sculpture: Three-dimensional original work in any medium.
  • Wearable/Leather: Original, handmade work such as clothing, hats, and fabric purses. Leather belts, purses, satchels, books, or journals.
  • Wood: Furniture and works using wood as a primary medium, including musical instruments.
  • Other: BIMA is open to additional categories of art & craft that carries the same described spirit of the event

Categories NOT Accepted

This market is focused on hand-made quality original art and craft goods that is locally-crafted. Vendors focused on mass-produced items will not be accepted.

No food packaged or unpackaged, such as dips, oils, vinegar, spices, popcorn, or candy are permitted. No alcohol products.

Only approved artists and the artistic style submitted in your application may be displayed. Work in your booth must be consistent with the images submitted. Work displayed must be the original design of the exhibiting artist. Work shall not be mass-produced.

APPLY HERE.

PAY APPLICATION FEE HERE.

Questions?
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to artmarket@biartmuseum.org and we’d be happy to help.