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I've already submitted several applications for the 2008 shows and whisked off a few more for a January 31 deadline yesterday. Most people have know idea the lengthy process artists go through to get into the art fairs. In addition to paying to rent our spaces, months in advance we spend time filling out applications, labeling slides, writing checks for jury fees, booth fees, SASEs (stamp self-addressed envelopes) including 100 character (yes character not word) descriptions, and in some cases resumes ..(this is the prompt I have every year to update mine). We are all competing with other artists based on 4 slides (3 for some shows) and a booth shot and also paying a jury fee for them to look at our slides. Picking those slides becomes very important, I learned some tips from a workshop taught by Bruce Baker. I visited his website and saw that he now has a cd available on the topic: Your Slides and the Jury. Since my images are now digital I use iprintfromhome.com to have my slides made, you can upload digital files and they ship the same day.
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There is a great new on-line art fair application process which streamlines the whole system dramatically, it's called Zapplication (Zapplication.org). We upload our images to the site and can apply and manage our applications on-line to the shows that subscribe to the service. The downside is it's simplified the application process so much that hundreds more are applying to each show and competition is higher than ever before. I recently received a rejection letter from the Brookside Show in Kansas City: they received 1,300 applications for 170 spots! and painting is generally the largest category so with odds like that you do the happy dance if you get in! If they like your work and it's a tie, it often comes down to your booth shot, which I have not had professionally taken outdoors...one of these days. Below are the images I am using for the 2008 show submissions. So anyways...if you are still reading...thanks! and I hope this was somewhat informative if you are interested in jumping into the art fair circuit.