Blowing Rock Art in the Park 2027

Art in the Park, sponsored by 4 Forty Four, started in 1962 by a handful of area artists. 64 years after its start, Art in the Park is host to approximately 70 artists at each show.  

Art in the Park’s high standards and professional jury attract artisans from all over the Southeast to exhibit in a series of six shows, once a month, May through October. The quality of work exhibited draws more than 35,000 people to the mountains each season. 

Art in the Park is planned and administered by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. The town and area businesses are enthusiastic and participate with Art in the Park, and the public eagerly anticipates each season. 
 
2027 Art in the Park Dates: 

• May 15 
• June 12 
• July 24 
• August 14 
• September 11 
• October 2 

Media Categories -- All work must be the work of the exhibitor. All work must be original, handcrafted, created and exhibited by the approved artist themselves. Kits, imports, and mass produced items will not be tolerated. Art in the Park does not accept t-shirts, sweatshirts, or any food, candles, soaps, etc.  
 
CLAY: No machine made work is accepted. 
DIGITAL ART: Work in which at least 50% of the image or manipulated source material is computer generated. All work must be signed and numbered. 
DRAWING: Work made with pen, pencil, charcoal, pastel or chalk. 
FIBER: Work of primarily fiber including soft sculpture, batik, or painted fabric. All work must be designed constructed by the artist. No commercial, mass produced items permitted. 
GLASS: Work in which the primary material is glass. No manufactured molds or other forms of mass production allowed. 
JEWELRY: Made from precious and non-precious metals, gem-stones, enamel, glass, clay, fiber, etc. No buy/sell, kit or costume jewelry, or mass produced items. Jewelry may be exhibited ONLY if accepted under the jewelry category. 
LEATHER: Decorative work or articles made from leather. All work must be designed and sewn by the artist. No commercial, mass produced items permitted. 
METAL: Functional, non-sculptural metal work. 
2-D MIXED MEDIA: Two dimensional, wall hung artwork using the combination of two or more distinct media in a collage-type manner. This category is not to be used if artwork consists of only one medium even if uniquely framed. 
3-D MIXED MEDIA: Original work of three dimensions which incorporates the union of three or more media or physical materials. Use this category ONLY if work cannot be classified under another category. 
PAINTING: Painted works made with oils, acrylics or watercolors. Giclee: Reproduction prints must be labeled as such. 
PHOTOGRAPHY: Prints from the artist’s original film or digital files. 
PRINTMAKING: Prints made by woodcuts, silk-screening, etching and intaglio. 
SCULPTURE: Non-functional, 3-dimensional work of any material. 
WOOD: Turned or carved. 

Please read carefully before applying. 

Jury Requirements:  All applicants are required to submit four images of their work to participate in the jurying process (except award winners from the previous year, who get to bypass jury). You must apply on-line through this application process. All work must be the work of the exhibitor. All work must be original, handcrafted, created and exhibited by the approved artist themselves. Kits, imports, and mass produced items will not be tolerated. This rule is strictly enforced. Images must reflect work completed within the past two years. No critique will be provided. Artists are juried by category, with each artist’s images viewed sequentially on a monitor. Each category is reviewed twice. First the jury executes a quick pass through the entire category to see the entire range of applicants, then reviews each series of images from each individual artist in detail, with discussion. The artist is then assigned a score. Those with the highest scores per category will be invited to participate. A limited number of artists per category will be accepted to provide a balanced show. In addition, a score-based wait list will be maintained with cancellations filled from that list. The jury process is handled anonymously and the decision of the jury is final.  
 
Images: Applicants must submit four images – three images of individual pieces and one of the overall booth display. No images showing the artist or signs with their name are accepted. Jurying is a competitive process and image quality counts. Consider whether your images show your work clearly. Exhibited work may be compared to submitted images, to ensure accurate representation.  Images for artists accepted into Art in the Park may be used for marketing purposes to promote the show, with appropriate photo credit given to the artist. 
 
Wait List: We do maintain a running waitlist throughout the season. If you are invited to join the show, you must pay your booth fees before the show date. If you do not accept the invitation, you will not be penalized in any way. 
 
Exhibit Spaces: Art in The Park is held outdoors on a relatively level surface and booth space is approximately 10’ x 10’. Electricity is not available. Displays must be professional and aesthetically pleasing. All tents MUST be white and 10' x 10' or less, including weights. Weights are required but must not stick out beyond the 10 x 10 area. Open air booths are allowed.  WiFi is provided via StarLink. There is no storage behind or around most booth areas. This is strictly enforced. Artists must stick to their 10’ x 10’ space only. 
 
Weights:  All tents must have sufficient weight to hold their tent down in the event of high winds. 500 pounds is suggested to weight your tent. Weight suggestions: gravel, barbells, and concrete filled PVC. Hollow PVC is NOT advised. Drilling into any area (the street or objects around your booth space) is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply can result in the show director requiring the artist to shut down their booth and cease all sales. 
 
Artist Amenities: 

• Breakfast and coffee provided (first come, first serve until it’s gone) 
• Professionally coordinated Load-in / Load-out at booth space 
• Free parking 
• Booth sitting (subject to availability - please make advanced arrangements) 
• StarLink WiFi 
• Entertainment 
• Marketing 

Booth Sharing: Work of only one exhibitor may be displayed in one booth. Work produced by a two-person team is considered as a single exhibitor. There is a limit of two media per booth. 
 
Prior to the Show: Set-up time is no earlier than 6 a.m.. Setup is not allowed the night before the show and will result in booth termination (unless specifically arranged with the show director). Exhibitors must have their vehicles completely unloaded and be in the process of setting up by 9 a.m. with all vehicles out of the show area. 
 
Breakdown: After booth breakdown (including tent), exhibitor will receive a pass and at that time may get their vehicle. Trailers and large trucks may not enter show area until the majority of smaller vehicles have exited. All exhibitor booths must be removed by 7:30 p.m. 
 
Restrictions: Art in the Park does not accept t-shirts, sweatshirts or any other mass produced item. Consumables (food, candles, soaps, etc.) are also not accepted. No vehicles are allowed in the exhibitor area during show hours. Only certified service dogs may be brought by exhibitors. Customers are allowed to bring pets, but artists are not allowed to have non-service pets in their booth, as this could pose a distraction and insurance liability.  No alcohol is allowed on town property at any time. Disturbing foliage or nailing anything to trees or buildings is prohibited. No smoking or vaping at your booth or within the show area. 
 
Sales Tax: Exhibitors collect their own sales tax and remit same to state. Call the NC Department of Revenue at 1-877-252-3052, or check the NC Department of Revenue website at http://www.dornc.com/faq/sales.html#registration for sales tax information. 
 
Privacy Policy: Information submitted on the application may be used on the Blowing Rock web site and in promotional materials for Art in the Park. Information on the billing form is secure and will not be shared in any way. Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce will not share your email address or contact information in the form of mailing lists. Please contact us at 828-295-7851 if you have any questions about this. 

Booth spaces are 10' wide by 10' deep. Double booths are also available on a limited basis. Displays must be professional and aesthetically pleasing. All exhibitor tents must be white in color. The goal is to make your tent look like a “mini” art gallery. Electricity is not available.  
 
Fees: 
Application Fee: $35 - only apply once! On the single application,  select the show dates you'd like to participate in. 

As a 64-year running juried show in the affluent town of Blowing Rock, our rates for a single 10x10 space will remain strong and consistent for 2027 at $250 / double 10x20 at $450. 

This includes:

• Load in and Load Out smoothly 
• Coffee and Breakfast paid for by the BR Chamber
• Starlink for sales paid for by the BR Chamber
• Relief support when arranged
• Free parking for artists
• Paid marketing on Social media, Our State, Democrat, email blasts and regional arts councils

Booth Fees:  

• BOOTH FEE FOR 10X10 SINGLE SPACE IS:  $250 

• BOOTH FEE FOR 10X20 DOUBLE SPACE:  $450 

Application Deadline: January 29th, 2027;  Acceptance and Booth Fees Due: April 30, 2027

Refunds / Cancellation Policy:  

• Shows are rain or shine 
• Application fee is non-refundable 
• An acceptance is a commitment to the show 
• If you must cancel, contact the Blowing Rock Chamber as soon as possible 
• "No calls/no shows” jeopardizes participation in future shows 
• If an artist cancels more than 30 days before the show date, a refund half of their booth fee will be processed and paid via check 
• Any cancellations within 30 days or less of the show date will not receive a refund