Stevens Point Area Festival of the Arts 2027

The Stevens Point Area Festival of the Arts (FoA) celebrates its 53rd year on Sunday, April 4, 2027, from 10 AM–4 PM at our indoor venue, Artist & Fare and O’so Brewing Company in Plover, Wisconsin, just outside Stevens Point in the heart of Central Wisconsin.

This juried fine art and fine craft festival features 51 artist booths and offers free admission, ample parking, a free Kids Art Zone, and an art raffle supporting local art education grants.

Organized by working artists and dedicated art-loving volunteers, the FoA is committed to celebrating creativity, supporting professional artists, and strengthening arts education in our community. We take pride in creating a welcoming, well-organized event that benefits both exhibiting artists and visitors.

Join us for this one-day celebration of art and help kick off the 2027 spring art festival season!

General Information

53rd Stevens Point Area Festival of the Arts

Sunday, April 4, 2027 | 10 AM–4 PM

Location: Artist & Fare and O’so Brewing Company
1800 Plover Road, Plover, WI 54467

The Stevens Point Area Festival of the Arts (FoA) is a juried indoor fine art and fine craft festival featuring 51 artist booths. Located just outside Stevens Point in Central Wisconsin, our venue includes the Artist & Fare Atrium, O’so Brewing Company Taproom, and Barrel Room.

An Art Festival Organized by Artists, for Artists!

As working artists who participate in art festivals ourselves, we understand what makes a great show! Our goal is to provide a welcoming, well-organized event with the amenities, support, and promotion artists need for a successful festival.

The festival is free to the public and features a Kids Art Zone and an art raffle supporting local art education grants.

Artist Amenities & Festival Perks

• Saturday afternoon and evening artist setup.

• Designated storage areas near artist booths.

• Helpful volunteers and booth sitters.

• Complimentary coffee from The Mission Coffee House, plus donuts and fruit on Sunday morning.

• Breakfast and lunch available for purchase at Artist & Fare.

• Online participating artist gallery with links to artists' websites.

• Regional marketing through social media advertising, digital postcards, posters, rack cards, newspapers, signage, and community partnerships.

• Free parking, with hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and other conveniences nearby.

Artist Awards — $1,550 Total

• Dick Schneider Best of Show: $500

• Brenda Gingles 3-D Award: $300

• John Morser 2-D Award: $300

• Three Awards of Excellence: $150 each

Award winners receive an invitation to exhibit at the following year's festival with their jury application fee waived.

Accepted Media Categories

2-D Mixed Media, 3-D Mixed Media, Ceramics, Digital Art, Drawing/Pastels, Fiber & Wearable Art, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Stone, and Wood.

Artists may apply in up to two media categories. A separate application and jury fee are required for each medium.

Application Information

• Application Deadline: Sunday, January 31, 2027, at 11:59 PM CST

• Jury/Application Fee: $35 per application, nonrefundable

• Required Images: Four artwork images and one booth display image

• Available Booths: 51

• Booth Fee: $150 for accepted artists

• Electricity: $40 additional

Applications are accepted exclusively through ZAPPlication. Booth fees are not required at the time of application.

Important Artist Dates

• January 31: Application deadline

• February 3–7: Jury review

• February 15: Jury results and invitations emailed

• March 1: Accepted artists must confirm their invitation through ZAPPlication, pay the booth fee and any applicable electricity fee, and complete the required online Wisconsin Temporary Event Seller Information Form (S-240).

  This form collects the seller information required for Wisconsin Department of Revenue reporting. Booth assignments will not be issued until all requirements are completed.

• March 7: Booth assignments and festival information emailed

• April 3: Saturday afternoon/evening artist setup

• April 4: Festival, 10 AM–4 PM

Jury Selection & Waitlist

The festival uses three independent guest jurors who change annually. Festival board and council members do not participate in the jury scoring or artist selection process.

Artists are selected based on jury scores while maintaining a balanced and diverse representation of artistic media.

Invited Artists: Artists must accept their invitation through ZAPPlication, pay all applicable fees, and complete the required online WI Tax Form by March 1, 2027. Booth assignments will not be issued until all requirements are fulfilled.

Waitlisted Artists: Artists receiving qualifying scores below the initial selection cutoff may be placed on a waitlist. Artists will be contacted if a booth becomes available in their respective medium category.

Not Invited: Artists who are not selected will receive their jury results and scores. Individual jury feedback is not provided.

Festival Contact

Jessie Fritsch, Festival Director
715-252-4125
artfestival@stevenspointfoa.com
www.StevensPointFoA.com

Rules/Regulations

Original Artwork Requirements

All artwork exhibited and sold at the Stevens Point Area Festival of the Arts (FoA) must be original and created by the exhibiting artist or collaborating artists. All exhibited artwork must be for sale and properly identified.

AI may be used as a supporting tool in the creative process, but AI-generated artwork is not permitted. The FoA reserves the right to reject artwork that does not meet these standards.

Commercially mass-produced artwork, resale merchandise, and work manufactured by others are prohibited. Handmade editions, limited runs, and functional artwork created by the exhibiting artist are permitted. Jewelry consisting primarily of commercially strung beads is not accepted.

Artists may exhibit only artwork in the media categories for which they were juried and accepted. The FoA Council reserves the right to require the removal of artwork that does not meet festival standards or is inconsistent with the submitted jury images.

Reproduction Print Policy

Reproduction prints must be signed, numbered, and produced in limited editions of no more than 250. All reproductions must be clearly identified and may not exceed 25% of an artist's booth display. The FoA strongly encourages artists to display reproduction prints in clearly labeled bins rather than alongside original artwork.

Artist Attendance & Early Departure

Artist attendance is mandatory throughout the festival, Sunday, April 4, 2027, from 10 AM–4 PM. Artists must personally staff their booths; representatives are not permitted.

Artists may not dismantle their displays or leave before the festival closes at 4 PM. Unauthorized early departure may result in disqualification from future festivals.

Cancellation & No-Show Policy

Artists who are unable to participate must notify the Festival Director as soon as possible.

Failure to provide advance notice of cancellation or failure to appear at the festival without notification may result in disqualification from future festivals.

Cancellation deadlines and applicable refunds are outlined separately in the Refund Policy.

Artist Conduct — Be Nice Policy

The FoA is organized by working artists and volunteers who are committed to creating a welcoming and respectful festival environment.

All participating artists must follow festival procedures, including load-in, setup, and load-out instructions, and treat FoA Council members, volunteers, venue staff, participating businesses, fellow artists, and guests with professionalism, courtesy, and respect.

Harassment, abusive behavior, or mistreatment of others will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the festival without a refund and disqualification from future participation.

Wisconsin Sales Tax & Seller Information

Artists are responsible for collecting and remitting all applicable Wisconsin sales taxes on their sales. The combined sales tax rate in Portage County is 5.5%.

Accepted artists must complete the required online Wisconsin Temporary Event Seller Information Form (S-240) by March 1, 2027. This information is required for the festival's Wisconsin Department of Revenue reporting.

Booth assignments will not be issued until the required seller information, ZAPPlication acceptance, and applicable payments have been completed.

For additional tax information, visit the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Festival Policy Enforcement

The FoA Council reserves the right to interpret and enforce festival rules, determine whether artwork or artist conduct violates festival standards, and require corrective action or removal from the event without a refund.

The FoA Council also reserves the right to modify festival rules and procedures when necessary, including without prior notice.

Booth Fee: $150

The FoA charges a $150 booth fee for accepted artists, payable by credit card or PayPal through ZAPPlication by Monday, March 1, 2027. Electricity is an additional $40.

Please refer to the Refund Policy for cancellation deadlines and refund eligibility.

Booth Sizes & Assignments

The festival offers 51 indoor artist booths in three configurations:

• 24 booths measuring 10' × 10'

• 17 booths measuring 6' × 15'

• 10 booths measuring 8' × 12'

All booth assignments are determined by the FoA Council. Artists must be flexible with their displays to accommodate the available configurations.

Artists whose display systems absolutely require a 10' × 10' space must indicate this in their application. 

A limited number of corner booths are available and assigned by the FoA Council based on jury scores. Corner booth requests are not accepted. Artists may indicate whether their display can accommodate two open sides.

Double booths are not available.

Electricity & Lighting

Electricity is available for an additional $40, payable through ZAPPlication by March 1, 2027. Artists must request electricity through the required online artist form.

Additional lighting is strongly recommended in all areas of the festival, as indoor lighting varies throughout the venue.

Floor Protection

Artists using heavy display systems, equipment, or loading carts must take appropriate precautions to protect the venue's floors from scratches or damage.

Booth Appearance & Storage

Artists are expected to maintain a clean, professional, and organized booth throughout the festival.

Designated artist storage areas will be available near the booths for packaging materials, extra bins, and additional artwork. Storage behind booths is not permitted due to limited space. 

Artist Setup & Check-In

Saturday, April 3, 2027

• Atrium and Barrel Room: 3–8 PM

• Taproom: 4–8 PM

Sunday, April 4, 2027

• Artist check-in and setup: 6:30–9:30 AM

• Festival hours: 10 AM–4 PM

• Booth teardown begins at 4 PM. Early teardown is prohibited.

Artist check-in is located in the Atrium near the main entrance of Artist & Fare. Artists must present a photo ID at check-in.

Loading & Parking

Loading access is available through designated garage doors. Detailed loading instructions and a venue map will be provided with booth assignments.

Vehicles may not be driven inside the venue. Artists must provide their own loading carts.

Parking is free. Artists and volunteers are asked to park farther from the main entrance to reserve convenient spaces for festival guests.

Additional Booth Requirements

• Indoor tent tops and canopies are not permitted.

• Artists must personally staff their booths throughout the festival.

• Artwork and equipment left overnight on Saturday are at the artist's own risk. The venue remains accessible to the public, and overnight security is not provided.

• Artists are responsible for insuring their artwork, displays, and personal property.

Refund Policy

Cancellation Deadline: Monday, March 1, 2027

Artists who cancel their participation on or before March 1, 2027, are eligible for a refund of their $150 booth fee and any $40 electricity fee paid, minus a $25 processing fee per cancellation.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations after March 1, 2027.

The $35 jury/application fee is nonrefundable under all circumstances.

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to artfestival@stevenspointfoa.com.