Blog

July 4, 5, & 6, 2024
Mammoth Lakes, California
Corner of Main Street & Old Mammoth Road
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 10am-6pm
60 Artists
Deadline: March 15, 2024

No application fee/Booth fee: $500

The Mammoth Lakes Arts on the 4th Festival is a 47-year tradition held in the heart of Mammoth Lakes, a charming, mountain resort community nestled in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. This long-standing arts fair is set on the most prominent corner in town, Main Street and Old Mammoth Road, in the parking lot of Footloose Sports. It is loved by artists and patrons alike for its commitment to high-quality art in a warm and friendly environment.

The Arts of the 4th Festival, scheduled for July 4-6, 2024, will attract 50-70 artists and upwards of 10,000 visitors and buyers from around the region. On the 4th of July, the Town parade will pass right by the event, creating a festive influx of patrons. Just four hours north of Los Angeles and one hour south of the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Lakes is known for its world-class hiking, biking, and water sports. This is Mammoth’s busiest summer weekend with patrons coming to enjoy the Festival, Annual 4th of July Parade, fireworks, and outdoor recreation activities.

New this year, we are expanding the footprint of the festival to create more space for patrons to relax while strolling through the festival, increasing time spent visiting booths.

As a fundraising event to support local programming, Mammoth Lakes Arts on the 4th prides itself on the quality of its artists, and treating crowds to delicious food, top-notch music performances, and unique, creative activities for the whole family.

APPLY NOW:
https://www.artsonthe4th.com/

Contact: Kim Anaclerio info@artsonthe4th.com

May 18 & 19, 2024
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Gardens Park
Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm
235 Artists
Deadline: February 14, 2024

Application fee: $35/Booth fee: $415
Late deadline is February 21, 2024 with an application fee of $55.

The Beverly Hills Art Show announces a call to artists, to be held on May 18 & 19, 2024. This fun, festive, but serious semiannual fair not only attracts guests and patrons from throughout Southern California and nationwide, but also visitors from around the world. Artists are recruited nationally.

Selected artists will exhibit in historic Beverly Gardens Park along four prominent blocks in the center of Beverly Hills, adjacent to a very busy neighborhood, and near the Golden Triangle which is a business district close to fine dining restaurants, famous designer stores, important galleries and beautiful parks.

Eleven fine art and fine craft categories are featured, with an emphasis on fine art.

New artists are encouraged to apply.

For more information: http://www.beverlyhills.org/artshow
Contact: Carolyn Holden artshow@beverlyhills.org

May 18 & 19, 2024
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Gardens Park
Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm
235 Artists
Deadline: February 14, 2024

Application fee: $35/Booth fee: $415
Late deadline is February 21, 2024 with an application fee of $55.

The Beverly Hills Art Show announces a call to artists, to be held on May 18 & 19, 2024. This fun, festive, but serious semiannual fair not only attracts guests and patrons from throughout Southern California and nationwide, but also visitors from around the world. Artists are recruited nationally.

Selected artists will exhibit in historic Beverly Gardens Park along four prominent blocks in the center of Beverly Hills, adjacent to a very busy neighborhood, and near the Golden Triangle which is a business district close to fine dining restaurants, famous designer stores, important galleries and beautiful parks.

Eleven fine art and fine craft categories are featured, with an emphasis on fine art.

New artists are encouraged to apply.

For more information: http://www.beverlyhills.org/artshow
Contact: Carolyn Holden artshow@beverlyhills.org

March 16 & 17, 2024
Borrego Springs, California
Christms Circle Park
Saturday 9am-5pm & Sunday 9am-4pm
75 Artists
Deadline: January 16, 2024

Application fee: $25/Booth fee: $150

Showcase and sell your Fine Art at BASIC's Circle of Art, outdoors, all while surrounded by the beauty of Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park! This singular opportunity to enjoy the mountains, blue sky and springtime beauty of the Anza-Borrego Desert is also a chance to contribute to the educational aspirations of the Borrego Springs community learners.

The Circle of Art in Borrego Springs, is BASIC's (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community) oldest major fundraising event. 

Since 1989, every year in March, Borrego Springs is host to the Circle of Art at Christmas Circle Park in the heart of the village.  This juried fine arts show and sale is free to the public and features approximately seventy exhibitors; the chosen artists exhibit quality paintings and artworks representing a variety of media.  

All proceeds from the Circle of Art go towards BASIC's educational programs and scholarships for the learners of the Borrego Springs Community - preschoolers, school children, youth, students in high school and college, and adults. More information about BASIC's Cradle to Graduation (C2G) programs can be found on our website, under the tab "Our Programs".

New this year is the addition of an emergency wifi hotspot to help artists process payments should the cellular service be less than ideal.

For more information: https://www.borregobasic.org/
Contact: Nidia Meza circle.of.art@borregobasic.org

Unfortunately, the Art and Craft Show held in Old Town San Diego will no longer be held.  This show had been held in the Historic Old Town San Diego.  Old Town is a quaint area that attracts tourists to San Diego.

The Arts & Crafts Show Old Town San Diego first began in 2011.  This art and craft show had something for everyone, fine art, entertainment. delicious international tasty food, tequilas, and craft beer and wine.  The colorful art event ran along San Diego Avenue from Conde Street to Twiggs Street.

The art and craft show was hosted by the Old Town Chamber of Commerce.  In 2018, the show was schedule to take place.  The artists were juried in and a month before the show was to take place the show was abruptly canceled.  The artists' money was refunded.  

The Old Town Chamber of Commerce did not receive the annual financial support in 2018 that it had received in the past.  That lack of funding caused the show to be cancelled in 2018.  Because that lack of financial support still continues there was also no show taking place for 2019.

So, as of this date, there is no sign that this show will return in the future.  It is always sad to report the end of an art show. 

I just want to thank Jeff Gracz for submitting several show reviews this month.  He wrote reviews for several west coast shows.  We are always looking for some west coast shows to help out artists on the west coast. 

You all know how important it is to have an idea of what to expect before applying to an art show.  Nobody likes to be blindsided once you get to a show and find out it is nothing like you hoped it would be.  That is why art show reviews are so important.  You can find art show reviews at www.Artshowreviews.com.

Here are a few west coast shows that we really could use a few more reviews for.  So, if you have done any of the shows listed here we would love you to review one or a few of them.

Bigfork Festival of the Arts - Montana

Proctor Arts Fest - Washington

Sequim Lavender Festival Street Fair - Washington

RAGS Wearable Art Show - Washington

Urban Craft Uprising - Seattle

Lake Chelan Fine Arts Festival - Washington

Bellevue Festival of the Arts - Washington

Woodland Hills Art & Craft Faire - California

America's Clay Fest III - California

We would also be happy for anyone to review any other show that you would like to.  If you want to review a show not on our site, that is fine.  Just submit it and I will get it added for you.  Then, you can add your review once I get it posted to the site.

To write a review or to submit a show just go to www.Artshowreviews.com

And once again, thanks so much Jeff Gracz for all of your help.  It was so appreciated.

I am new to the bay area, moved from texas and am looking for some feed back on what shows, juried , are worth while. I am work with mixed media and create one of a kind pieces of jewelry or accessories.

Time to decide – May Shows  - Go South or Stay Home?  The rainy season has definitely started in Seattle and we are thinking we really wanted to cut the rainy season short with a road trip to Northern CA.  Earlier this year we decided that staying in the Pacific NW for all of our shows didn’t make sense, too many months with marginal shows, too many gloomy months, time to head south and enjoy some sunshine while working!!

After lots of research using this site, Art Fair Calendars, AFSB, FNO, etc. we’re more undecided than ever before. We keep hearing that California shows are not worth the drive (over 1000 miles from Seattle), Arizona is still economically depressed, Nevada has few good shows, so what do we do for May and September?  We’re tired of setting up for rainy Seattle shows, but we don’t want to waste our time or energy heading to Northern CA only to be disappointed and feel like we’ve wasted our time.

Here’s our dilemma, I’m still working that “corporate job” while trying to help my husband as much as possible establish his niche in the art show markets.  I have quite a bit of vacation leave, but it's quickly used up with travel to shows.  He’s the primary artist, I’m the “class A” personality with a few pieces of art, but my contribution is more in the bookkeeping, organizing, business planning, etc.  BTW, did I mention my corporate jobs have been in finance, accounting, process re-engineering and sales support?  So no, I’m not a full time artist, but totally supportive of my artist husband and trying to do everything possible to make his art career a success.

We started doing community art shows / art walks in late 2005, graduated to a few fine art shows in 2007 after we spent a few frustrating months realizing the community events were NOT our market.  We have  a  reasonably predictable schedule in the Pacific NW after the past 5 years of participating in fine art shows, but have a few months a year with few or no show opportunities, hence our idea to expand our market and try a few shows in Northern CA.    We’re a bit tired of the “gloom and gray” of Seattle and the thought of an extra month or two (May and September) of sunshine was worth the travel.

Are California shows really as bad as I’m hearing from other artists in this area? Do we take the risk?  How much vacation time am I willing to burn on this experiment?  Or do we decide to use our airline miles and just have fun on a quick getaway to the sunshine?

Trying to decide if we need to try a different direction for 2012 and would appreciate any feedback or insight.