The National Folk Festival, coming to Salisbury, Maryland, September 7 – 9, 2018, is now accepting Festival Marketplace vendor applications. Applications may be submitted through the festival portal on SlideRoom (https://nationalfolkfestival.slideroom.com/)
Marketplace Vendor application deadlines are as follows:
Early Bird Application Deadline: Thursday, March 1, 2018
Final Application Deadline: Monday, April 16, 2018
The Festival Marketplace at the National Folk Festival will exclusively feature the juried, handmade creations of the finest artists and craftspeople from the State of Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula. It will include both deeply traditional crafts and more contemporary artistic expressions.
In order to ensure quality and integrity, a committee selects vendors based on a set of criteria that includes:
• artistry
• craftsmanship
• distinctiveness
• traditionality (if applicable) • connection to state/regional/local traditions
• artist’s relationship to his/her cultural/artistic community
• presentation (booth)
The committee reviews all applications and selects vendors who best meet these criteria.
Eligible items include, but are not limited to:
• pottery
• jewelry
• paintings • quilts
• custom furniture
• textile art • stained & blown glass
• photography
• woodwork • sculpture
• mixed media
• packaged made-in-Maryland/Delmarva food products
Ineligible items include, but are not limited to:
• crafts made from store-bought kits or molds
• commercial reproductions • imported finished goods
• manufactured items that have been assembled
Additional notes for applicants:
• Vendors offering activities or services such as face painting or photo booths will not be considered.
• All packaged food items sold must be made in the state of Maryland or on the Delmarva Peninsula.
• The Festival strives to present a well-rounded marketplace; therefore, we may limit multiple vendors showcasing similar items.
• Applicants will receive notification regarding acceptance status in early Spring 2018 (no later than May 7, 2018).
• The National Folk Festival reserves the right to deny any application without explanation.
Applicants MUST read through the Festival Marketplace Guidelines BEFORE they consider applying. The guidelines may be found and downloaded on the festival website at: https://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/marketplace-vendors
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applying vendors are required to submit the following electronically through the festival portal on SlideRoom (https://nationalfolkfestival.slideroom.com/) by no later than April 16, 2018:
• A completed and successfully submitted festival marketplace vendor application.
o Applicants will receive email confirmation of their successful submission. If you DO NOT receive a confirmation, your application was not successfully submitted and therefore will not be considered. It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure a successful application has been submitted.
o Festival organizers may request clarification; failure to provide requested clarification is grounds for rejection.
• Four (4) current photographs of their artistic work to be sold.
• One (1) current photograph of their booth sales operation.
• A non-refundable $35 application fee must be submitted with your application by credit card.
Additional Application Information
• Application does not guarantee acceptance.
• Vendors must apply each year in order to be considered. Acceptance in 2018 does not guarantee acceptance in future years.
• Failure to meet application deadline may result in rejection of application.
SELECTION PROCESS
The number of festival marketplace vendors selected for the 2018 National Folk Festival will depend on the final site design layout. The Festival anticipates that with good weather, between 60-80K individuals will attend over the course of the weekend and that between 25 and 40 vendor spots might be available to meet the demands of this crowd size.
• All festival marketplace vendors are reviewed by a committee. Applications will be evaluated according to the criteria cited above. Applicants are asked to please provide clear photos of your product and vending space so that your products are represented to our committee accurately.
• Applicants will receive notification by email regarding acceptance or rejection by no later than May 7, 2018.
• The National Folk Festival reserves the right to deny any application without explanation.
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About the National Folk Festival
Since it was first presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival, the NCTA’s flagship event, has celebrated the roots, richness and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the arts of many nations, races, and languages on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, a polka band, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others. Today, the National is an exuberant traveling festival, produced by the NCTA in partnership with communities around the country that embraces the diverse cultural expressions that define us as a people in the 21st century. http://www.nationalfolkfestival.com
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA)
A leading non-profit in the field, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), is dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the U.S. Stressing excellence and authenticity, the NCTA presents the nation’s finest traditional artists in major festivals, tours, concerts, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, media productions, school programs, cross-cultural exchanges and other activities. It works in partnership with American communities to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that deliver lasting social, cultural and economic benefits. Over7,000 hours of the NCTA’s archival audio recordings dating from the 1930s are permanently housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The NCTA champions the interests of folk and traditional artists and organizations in the arena of public policy. http://www.ncta-usa.org
About the City of Salisbury, Maryland
Founded in 1732, Salisbury is the county seat of Wicomico County, a place where John Smith touched land in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. Situated on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore at the crossroads of the Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury is now one of the region’s largest cities, and serves as the capital of the Eastern Shore, a rural area defined by its agricultural and maritime traditions, landscapes and industries. The Chesapeake Bay is central to this distinctive identity. Though a relatively small city, Salisbury is the geographic and economic hub of one of the nation’s fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Led by a dynamic mayor, the City of Salisbury is working to build its reputation as an arts and culture destination, and is aligning its downtown development and revitalization efforts with the arts. Salisbury believes hosting the National Folk Festival is the perfect catalyst to further a cultural renaissance and urban renewal. http://www.salisbury.md
