The Junior Woman's Club of Williamsburg Presents Art on the Square 2027

General Information

Art on the Square, 61st Annual
Show Date: 4/25/2027
Application Deadline: 1/16/2027 Midnight EST

2027 Artist Prospectus
The Junior Woman’s Club of Williamsburg is pleased to announce that the 61st Annual ART ON THE SQUARE will be held on April 25, 2027 in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. You are invited to apply as an artist to exhibit your work in this historic location next to the College of William and Mary. Held in the heart of historic Colonial Williamsburg, this event attracts thousands of residents and returning tourists with strong buying energy. ART ON THE SQUARE enjoys the attendance of visitors and locals to the one-day event that gives patrons the opportunity to meet and purchase art from exhibiting artists.

Proceeds from this event fulfill Junior Woman’s Club of Williamsburg’s goal to support the arts in our community through donations and scholarships. The JWCW supports visual and performing arts organizations within our community, as well as promising young artists. Each year we award scholarships to high school seniors pursuing degrees in the arts. If you would like to make a contribution to our Arts Scholarships / Donations Fund, please make a donation when checking out on ZAPP or by sending a check made out to JWCW to P.O. Box 1117, Williamsburg, VA 23187. Please indicate "Art Scholarship" in the memo line.

ART ON THE SQUARE is dedicated to providing an art show that offers original, high quality, handcrafted, and diverse mediums of art. We thank you for your continued interest in ART ON THE SQUARE and look forward to another successful event.

Calendar
2026 Application Available: August 20, 2026
Application deadline: January 16, 2026 Midnight, EST

Early February 2026
Artist works are scored on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) by a four-person jury panel and are given a score of the combined points from each juror. The top scoring artists are then reviewed by the committee and finally, invited to participate in the show.

February 15, 2026
Notification by email (Please do not call)
·      Approximately 100 juried artists will receive an invitation by email to exhibit.
·      Artists who were not invited to exhibit, but are considered alternates, will be notified of their alternate/waitlist status.

March 1, 2026
Deadline to accept invitation.
 
March 15, 2026
Deadline to pay booth fee. No refunds available.

Art on the Square Show Hours
Sunday, April 25, 2027 10 am – 5 pm

FAST FACTS
Location: Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia; Booth spaces will be on W Duke of Gloucester St. Please note that the included Event Map is from the concluded 59th Annual Art on the Square held in 2025. This layout is subject to change.

Email: ArtontheSquareShow@gmail.com

Phone: (757) 561-0718

Web Address: www.williamsburgjuniors.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1117, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187

Application: www.zapplication.org

Images: 3 images of work + 1 booth image

Online Jury: Images viewed via computer monitor

Jurors: 4 Art Professionals

Jury Format: Two rounds, first round scoring 1–5. Jurors may leave comments about their scoring decision on each application. Final round: review of top scores and juror comments through evaluation with committee.

Applications for Jury: Sorted by the date the application is received.

Multiple Applications: If an artist has work in different media categories or distinctly separate bodies of work within one category they may apply with multiple applications.

Application Fee: $35

Booth Fee: 10’ x 10’ space is $200. Our booth fee includes a $5 donation that goes directly to JWCW's Arts Scholarships program. All additional proceeds from the remainder of artists booth fees go directly towards JWCW's Arts Donations program.

Awards: 1^st prize is awarded in each category with $250 in prize money. Categories are listed below.

Parking: Parking is provided at the near-by William and Mary Campus. Parking passes are provided on the day of the event at registration. Overnight parking is not permitted.

Jury Process
Approximately 100 artists will exhibit at the 2026 event. Jurying is conducted by a panel of experienced art professionals. This is a “blind” jury process meaning jurors select artists based solely on the images presented to them without knowledge of the artist name, artist location, or reference to additional information such as websites.

Each juror will view each artist's set of three images and booth image. The process, materials and dimensions for each image as well as artist information statements are made available to the jury. Artistic excellence and a well-balanced show are the criteria for selection of exhibitors. Previous acceptance to AOTS does not guarantee acceptance to the 2026 show. Scores are averaged together. Top scoring artists are reviewed by the committee and receive invitations. High-scoring artists who are not invited to the show are retained to comprise a waiting list of alternates. Decisions of the jury panel and committee are final.

Artist Awards
Judging for cash prizes takes place starting at 11AM on the day of the show. Judges are assigned to a specific category. Artistic excellence is the criteria for selecting the awards. $250 is awarded to the first place artist in each category.

Application Fees
Each application must be accompanied by the non-refundable $35 jury fee payment. Applicants pay online by credit card.

Collaborative Work / Multiple Applications
Artists must submit separate applications, unless applying as a collaborative team. If artists are accepted as a team they may only exhibit the collaborative work they were accepted for.

Artists wishing to exhibit work produced in more than one media category must create separate Zapplication accounts with separate online user ID's, set of digital images and jury fee for each category. Only one application may be submitted per body of work represented. Multiple applications must represent either work in different media categories or distinctly separate bodies of work within one category. No advantage is gained by submitting multiple applications for the same body of work in multiple categories.

Media Categories
Media categories are used by AOTS as a tool for organizing artists' images into logical, related groups for the jury's review. While a balanced show that equitably showcases all types of fine art as well as diversity among media is a principal objective, we establish no entitlement by media category. No category can comprise more than 25% of the show.

Ceramics: All original clay and porcelain work other than jewelry is accepted in this category. No machine-made or mass produced work is permitted.

Painting/Drawing: Works created in oils, acrylics, watercolor, etc. are in this category.

Works created using dry media including chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, wax crayon, etc. or from the fluid medium of inks and washes applied by pen or brush are to be entered in this category.

Jewelry: All jewelry, whether the work is produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic or other materials, must be entered in this category. No commercial casts, molds or production studio work is allowed. Not allowed: strung commercially made beads or pearls, commercially available pendants and brooches, or catalogue merchandise. Loose stones may not be sold.

Photography: Photographic prints made from the artist's original image, which have been processed by that artist, or under his or her direct supervision, are included in this category. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing processes.

Three-Dimensional/Sculpture: Three-dimensional original work done in any medium (wood, glass, metal, mixed media, etc.)

·      Fiber: All three-dimensional work crafted from fibers including basketry, leatherwork, etc. No machine tooling, machine-screened patterns or other forms of mass production are permitted. No factory produced wearable items, regardless of additional modification or enhancement by the artist, may be exhibited.

·      Glass: No forms of mass production are permitted. No alterations of pre-fabricated glass objects (for example, pressed wine bottles).

·      Metalworks: Includes all non-sculptural, non-jewelry works crafted from metals. No production studio work is allowed.

·      3-D Mixed Media: This category includes 3-dimensional works, that incorporate more than one type of physical material to produce. Includes non-sculptural work as determined by the artist.

·      Wood: Original works in wood that are hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned or carved are accepted.

Additional Two-Dimensional: Two-dimensional work done in any medium not previously listed.  Includes Fiber, Digital Art, Graphics, Printmaking, and 2-D Mixed Media.

·      Digital Art: This category includes any original work for which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using a computer. Work in this category must be in limited editions of 250 or less inclusive of size or format, signed and numbered on archival quality materials. Traditional photographs taken through a digital media should apply in the photography category.

·      Fiber: All two-dimensional work crafted from fibers including embroidery, weaving, tapestry and papermaking. No machine tooling, machine-screened patterns or other forms of mass production are permitted. No factory produced wearable items, regardless of additional modification or enhancement by the artist, may be exhibited.

·      Graphics and Printmaking: Printed works for which the artist's hand manipulated the plates, stones or screens and which have been properly signed and numbered as a limited edition may be entered in this category. Printmakers are required to disclose both their creative and printmaking processes.

·      Mixed Media: Includes non-sculptural work incorporating more than one type of physical material or process in its production. For example, an etching, which is then painted, or a collage combining handmade paper and photography.


For exhibitors whose work does not fit these categories, there will be a small, limited number of booths available.  They will not be included in judging process (music, other crafts, etc.) and will not be eligible for awards or prizes. Please submit an application as a Non-Artist Vendor.
 
Digital Images
- Four images are to be submitted for each application entered by the artist and three must be of individual pieces of work.

- The fourth image should be of a display of the artist's work, showing overall continuity and presentation of your current body of work. If a booth image per se is not available, submit an image taken of a grouping of works representative of the works to be exhibited at the show. The purpose of the booth image is to ensure the artist has a complete body of work which is represented both in the first three images and also within the fourth image. It also helps identify the scale of the artist's work.

Note: this is a blind jury process; please avoid submitting booth images with any identifiable sign, or photo of the artist themselves. In addition, any work outside of the medium and context of the images submitted that may appear in the booth shot would not be considered accepted by the jury, due to its mere presence in the booth image. If artists have multiple bodies of work, AOTS encourages them to submit these in separate applications.

- For image size requirements visit http://www.zapplication.org/help-center.php?page=image-preparation

- Images must accurately represent the body of the artist's work to be exhibited at the Art on the Square show.

Non-Artist Vendors
We are primarily interested in musicians at this time. 

Rules of the Show

1. Artist guarantees the accuracy of the description of the works presented and the authenticity of the work as the creation of their own hands.

2. Work done by a production studio is not acceptable. All work must be designed and executed by the accepted artist.

3. No more than two artists may collaborate on work. Both must be included on and sign the application.

4. Artists may only show work in categories and body of work selected by the Jury. All work exhibited must be of the quality, category and body of work of that shown in the images juried.

5. Reproductions must be from the Artist’s original work.

6. Original work should comprise 50% of the booth display.

Booth Space

Each booth at Art on the Square should represent work produced by a single artist in the category or categories for which that artist is accepted or work produced collaboratively for which that team of artists is accepted.

 

Each exhibitor will be provided a space measuring 10' deep by 10' wide. Double booths are available on a limited basis. Artists are to provide their own tent, display booth, racks and/or tables in order to display their work in an outdoor environment. We will attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests. Electricity is not available. Generators are not allowed.

Sales

Artists retain all revenue from the sale of their work with no commission on sales due to AOTS. Sales tax is due to Virginia Department of Taxation; paperwork will be provided in your registration packet.

 

Booth Fees / Acceptance of Offer to Exhibit

An artist, who is selected by the jury must indicate acceptance of the offer by March 1, 2027. An artist who accepts the invitation to exhibit, must pay for their assigned booth fee of $200 by March 15, 2027. Failure to respond by the deadlines may result in revocation of the invitation and immediate invitation of an alternate from the waiting list. The booth fee is non-refundable.

Refunds of booth fees will ONLY be issued in the case of extreme weather or circumstances resulting in the cancellation of the event. Application fees are non-refundable.