Columbus Arts Festival 2027

Columbus, Ohio

Application Fee (non-refundable): $40

Contact Information

Greater Columbus Arts Council

Contact Email: aperrone@gcac.org

Contact Phone: 614-221-8625

Requirement Overview

Eligible Applicant Types: Artist
Emerging Artists: Emerging artists may apply. Emerging Artist Program or Grants exist.
Submission Limit: 10

Media Requirements

Images | Min: 5, Max: 5
Total | Max: 5

Opportunity Summary

The Columbus Arts Festival, honored by Sunshine Artist Magazine as one of the top fine art and design festivals in the country, routinely attracts hundreds of thousands of art patrons to Columbus’ Downtown Riverfront along the beautiful Scioto Mile. Produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and in its 65^th year, the Festival offers a vibrant atmosphere in which to buy and sell original work—and the opportunity for patrons and artists to meet face to face. In addition to the juried festival artists, the Festival also includes, music, dance and theatre, spoken word performances, a family friendly arts area, and delicious food to create a can’t miss weekend of arts in the city!

2027 Columbus Arts Festival Dates and Hours (subject to change)

Artists have the option to close at 8 p.m. but can remain open till the end of the festival

Friday, June 11 - 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Festival ends at 9 p.m.)

Saturday, June 12 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Festival ends at 9 p.m.)

Sunday, June 13 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Festival ends at 5 p.m.)

The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) is a non profit organization and is the producer of the Columbus Arts Festival. GCAC supports artists and arts organizations through a spectrum of grant programs, workshops networking events and services.

Please direct any questions to festival@GCAC.org

General Information

Artist Amenities

Average festival sales: $10,000 (based on the 2026 Artist Survey)
Total Awards: $20,000 ($4,000 for Best in Show)
One parking space is included in the artist parking lot located at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (Oversized and additional vehicle parking available for purchase)
Complimentary bottles of water at all beverage booths (two bottles per artist offered at a time, unlimited visits during beverage booth operational hours)
Marketing support provided by the Greater Columbus Arts Council includes paid television, radio, digital and social ads, as well as earned media/public relations efforts with local and statewide media including TV, radio, print, and online.
5 amps of electricity is included with each booth fee. (Additional amps are available for purchase).
Continental breakfast for artists is offered at the Artists Services tent
Volunteer booth sitters available during all Festival hours upon request
Access to a restroom area for artists and collaborators
All booths are accessible by vehicles for set-up/tear-down and before show opens each day
Columbus Police monitor the festival site 24 hours a day
Snacks are offered throughout the day and delivered by the volunteer snack patrol
Artists have the option to purchase bags of ice for $5.00 at all festival beverage booths
Limited storage space is available behind all booths

Dates to Remember:

September 7, 2026: Artist applications available on www.ZAPPlication.org
December 11, 2026: Applications due
January 22-24, 2027: Jury selection
February 9, 2027: Notifications emailed to accepted, waitlisted, and not invited artists
February 10, 2027: Artists can log into Zapplication to purchase space and amenities
May 1, 2027: Booth assignments and other information available to artists
June 10, 2027: Artist set-up
June 11-13, 2027: Columbus Arts Festival on the Downtown Scioto Riverfront

Medium Definitions
All work must be original and signed handcrafted work. No Buy/Sell work is allowed. No forms of commercial or mass production, or the use of mass produced forms, are allowed in any category. Work generated by or with the aid of Artificial Intelligence is prohibited. The Columbus Arts Festival reserves the right to re-categorize an artist's submission. Every attempt to notify the artists will be made if this is done.

2D Mixed Media – Two-dimensional work in which the primary intention of the work is the union of two or more mediums in one piece. Works should include more than one of the following: paint, pencil, watercolor, photography, printmaking or drawing, fabric or any other 2-D objects. Works produced primarily from found objects must exhibit quality design and artistry, and the final product must be an entirely new piece. Work must be suitable for hanging.

3D Mixed Media – Three-dimensional work in which the primary intention of the work is the union of two or more mediums in one piece. Works should include more than one of the following: claywork, fiber, glass, metal, wood, or any other 3-D objects. Works produced primarily from found objects must exhibit quality design and artistry, and the final product must be an entirely new piece. Work may be standing; or, suitable for hanging.

Ceramics – All original clay and/or porcelain. If multiple pieces of the same design are displayed, the artist must sign each piece. Machine-made, mass-produced work and/or molds are not permitted. Embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted.

Digital Art – Work in which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using the computer. (Digitally edited photography within the confines of what could be done in the darkroom should be submitted in the photography category.) Work must be printed on archival quality paper and be signed and numbered as a limited edition of no more than 250. Artist must disclose and display both their creative and printing processes in their booth during the Festival. Work generated by or with the aid of Artificial Intelligence is prohibited.

Drawing – Works created using dry media including chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, wax crayons, etc. or from fluid media including inks and washes applied by pen or brush.

Fiber – All work crafted from fibers, including basketry, embroidery, weaving, tapestry and papermaking. No commercially machine-tooled, machine-screened patterns or miscellaneous forms of mass production are permitted, including manufactured seams. No factory produced items, regardless of additional modifications or enhancements may be exhibited. Embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted. Hardware such as zippers and buttons may be incorporated but must clearly play a subordinate role in the finished piece.

Glass – Glass works that are functional or decorative by design and are kiln-formed or have been crafted by glass blowing, fusing, staining, molding or casting as well as all cold working processes are permitted. Works may be etched or engraved. Embellishments of manufactured materials is not permitted.

Jewelry – All jewelry, whether produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic or other materials must apply in this category. No commercial casts, molds or production studio work is allowed. Limited use of pre-made material such as beads** or small ornamental items is permitted. No more than 50% of a piece may consist of commercial findings including hardware like clasps and earring backs. The major impact of the piece must be the original work of the artist.
**Beads must be made by the artist. There are only two exemptions to this rule: 1. If the beads are not made by the artist, they must clearly play a subordinate role in the finished piece; and, 2. The requirement that beads must be made by the artist does not apply in the technique known as bead weaving; however, commercial bead weaving kits are not permitted.

Leather - Work where the primary material is leather including belts, handbags, wearables and sculptural work. Factory-produced items regardless of additional modification or enhancement by the artist are not permitted.

Metal – All non-sculptural, non-jewelry work crafted from metals. No production studio work is allowed.

Painting –The use of acrylics, gouache, oils, watercolors, and tempera suitable for hanging.

Photography – Includes traditional film photography, hand-colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography that has not been manipulated to achieve results beyond what could be done in a traditional darkroom. All pieces must be signed, numbered and dated in limited editions of no more than 250. Prints must have been processed by the artist and printed under the artist’s direct supervision. The surface on which the photographs are printed must be identified in the description (paper, aluminum, wood, fabric, canvas, etc.). Photographers must disclose and display both their creative and printing processes in their booth during the Festival. Note: Digital photography should be submitted in the Digital Art category.

Printmaking – Printed works in which the artist hand-manipulated the plates, stones, or screens. Prints must be signed and numbered as a limited edition. Printmakers are required to disclose their printing process.

Sculpture – Three-dimensional original work created in any medium.

Wood – Original works that are hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned or carved. Embellished manufactured wood items and mass-production are not permitted.

Emerging Festival Artist Program – The Emerging Festival Artist Program provides the opportunity for residents of Franklin or the surrounding counties—Union, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Fayette and Madison—who have very limited or no festival experience to participate in the Columbus Arts Festival. Please select 'Emerging Festival Artist' as your medium in the application. Please refer to the Emerging Festival Artist Program description at www.columbusartsfestival.org for list of qualifications.

Jury Procedure:

• Jurors’ biographies are posted as they are available on our website at
www.ColumbusArtsFestival.org. The jurors for the Columbus Arts Festival change each year.

• Festival jury is conducted by a panel of five experienced arts and industry professionals and is based solely upon the quality of the work as illustrated in the submitted digital images.

• Artists certify that all jury images submitted represent their original work. Work must be
made by the exhibiting artist(s). Jury will have two rounds (Round 1 with image and Round 2 with image and read material/technique statement).

• Images must be void of artist signature or any identifying marks; this will ensure an
anonymous jury process.

• An artist description of materials, technique and inspiration of current body of work no more than 140 characters, including spaces, is required. Artists are encouraged to enter a
description of material, technique and inspiration that is concise and explains the body of
work.

Waitlist:

Artist waitlist order will not be released due to the balanced nature of the mediums in the show.
Waitlisted artists will be invited to exhibit at the Columbus Arts Festival starting on March 16, 2027.
Columbus Arts Festival does not accept waitlisted artists who show up on site who have not received an invitation to the show.

Collaborating Artists

If a collaborating artist is listed in your application, both the artist and collaborator must be present all three days of the Festival.

Proper ID is required of both artists and collaborators.

If both artists are not present, artists will not be permitted to set-up or exhibit.

Collaborating artists may only show their joint work that was presented in the jury images.

Both names must appear on all application materials.

A collaborating artist is one who shares involvement in the design and creation of the exhibiting artist’s work. Please note the difference between a collaborating artist and a shop/sales assistant.

Application Requirements

Rules/ Regulations
The Columbus Arts Festival considers its enforcement of the rules our exclusive right and responsibility. Festival team members will visit all displays throughout the Festival to ensure that exhibitors comply with the prospectus and all Festival rules.
Work in juried images must be representative of the work to be shown at the Festival and in the correct inventory proportions. Failure to comply with juried images will result in our team asking you to remove the non-compliant items.

Artists are not permitted to display a large quantity (more than 15% of the display) of small works/inexpensive simple pieces. If an artist wishes to display a large quantity of small works, they must be presented in the individual jury images and not only in the booth shot.

The Columbus Arts Festival understands that small/ simple works can be an important item for high volume sales, therefore, they may comprise up to 15% of the booth display. While this percentage of work does not require a jury image, the small works must be within the same body/bodies of work as the artist’s application. The small work must be clearly shown in the artist’s booth image.

Artists agree that all work submitted to the jury process and displayed and represented for sale has been designed and executed by the artist(s). We reserve the right to advise the artist of any work that does not meet Festival standards and may take any action deemed necessary for compliance.

No mass-production, manufactured work, or work produced from kits or use of commercially available molds or patterns is permitted.

No work by apprentices, studios or employees will be accepted.

Commercial agents, dealers, or manufacturers are not eligible to enter.

Work generated by or with the aid of Artificial Intelligence is prohibited.

All artist work must be original, handmade and created by the accepted artist(s). It is the work by the artist that is juried, therefore any change in the body of the work by the artist is not considered juried and may not be sold unless approved by the Festival Director. Artists are required to display an Artist Statement including a photograph of the artist in their booth during the Festival.

A picture ID is required at artist check–in by all artists accepted to exhibit, including collaborating artists. In addition, the Festival reserves the right to check ID’s each day of the Festival to ensure artist participation.

Artists must be present with their work for the duration of the Festival. No commercial agents, dealers, assistants or salespeople may operate an artist’s booth.
Artists may display work only in the category in which they are accepted. All work exhibited must be comparable to work shown in submitted images. Exhibiting work that was not juried into the Festival is grounds for artist’s removal from the show.

The sale of promotional items is prohibited. Examples include, but are not limited to:

T-shirts and commercial clothing (any re-sell of manufactured items)

Books

Commercially manufactured or reproduced items (resale)

Any item that employs the use of commercially available molds or patterns

Additional examples include: note cards, cards, postcards, cell phone holders, posters, how to books, calendars, mouse pads or photocopies of any kind

Reproductions
Please see Medium Definitions for category-specific restrictions on 2D reproductions.
Reproductions must be clearly identified as such. Original art must occupy at least 75% of the artist's space. Reproductions cannot exceed 25% of the artist’s booth, must be signed, and no more than 250 per work. Reproductions must be a subsidiary part of the artist's display.

Framed reproductions may be displayed on one wall of the booth, not to exceed ten (10) linear feet. All unframed reproductions must be displayed in browse bins. Browse bins may occupy only minimal space and must be aesthetically pleasing and not obstruct patron flow. All artwork on display must be for sale.
All reproductions must be clearly and individually labeled on the front of each piece as such. No “hand-colored” reproductions are allowed.

An excessive number of reproductions are not permitted at the Columbus Art Festival. The Festival’s Compliance team will be monitoring the Festival site daily.

Jury Details

Average number of applications submitted each year

1100

Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event

235

Average number of exempt from jury artists who are invited to participate in the event

Booth Information

Booth Pricing:

Booth Space: $595 for 10’ x 10’

Double booth: $1,190 for 10’ x 20’

Double and corner booths are available only on a first come, first served basis .

Additional Purchases:

Corner booth: +$100 (space located at end of a run of tents with at least 10’ of open space adjacent on one side – first come, first served)

Intersection booth: +$225 (corner space located at a street intersection – first come, first served – nine spaces available)

Additional parking spaces for trailers, oversized vehicles or additional standard vehicles can be purchased for $25-$45 (One standard parking space is included with the booth cost)

Tents are available for rent for $250 for a 10’x10’ or $450 for a 10’x20’ (Water barrels included)

Extra tall legs are available for $25 for those renting a tent

Water barrel tent weights are available for rent for $65 per pair

Additional 5 amps of electricity available for $60 (5 amps are included with booth purchase)

Additional table and two chairs are available for $20

EZ-Up and other accordion style tents are not allowed for use during the Festival. Any violation to this rule will result in the removal of the exhibitor. Accepted tents include: Craft Hut, Trimline, Flourish, Light Dome, and Show-Off. Professionally installed and weighted tents are available to rent through ZAPPlication.

Artists should bring 40+ pound weights per leg to secure the tent. The Festival reserves the right to inspect the weighting of the artist’s tent. No staking is permitted.

Refund Policy

Refund Policy

March 15, 2027: Deadline to cancel and receive guaranteed 100% refund (less $40 admin. fee)

April 2, 2027: Deadline to cancel and receive guaranteed 50% refund (less $40 admin. fee)

April 3, 2027: Booth fees due to cancelation are nonrefundable. Other fees may be refundable at the discretion of the Columbus Arts Festival.