General Info

The 45th Annual South Portland Art in the Park Show & Sale will be held on Saturday, August 9, 2025 in Mill Creek Park from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Artists check-in begins at 7:00 a.m. 

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Artist registration opens on January 31, 2025 and space is available first come first serve for artists who meet the show criteria. All artists, regardless of whether they are entering the prize competition, must pay the $125 fee to exhibit. Artists have the option of including a business card sized ad in the program brochure for an additional $35.

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Payment can be made with an online registration at www.sopoparksrec.com (available at 7am on 1/31/25) or by check included with your mailed or in-person application.

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Applications

Art in the Park is open to all artists who wish to exhibit original PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS and PRINTS.  Please be aware this is considered a “fine art” show and works will be carefully considered before being accepted. There will be a Judges’ Cash Award Competition as described below.  All exhibitors, regardless of whether they enter the Judges’ Cash Award Competition must submit an official entry form and pay the $125 entry fee.  If you cancel before July 15th, you will be refunded $100.00; Art in the Park will retain the $35.00 advertising fee (if purchased) and a $25.00 administrative fee.  If you cancel on or after July 15th, you will be refunded $100.00 only if another artist registers for your spot.

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The artists’ section of the park will accommodate 170 artists while allowing plenty of room for relaxed viewing by the public. Therefore, only the first 170 applicants will be accepted.  A wait list may be established.  Artists submitting entries after July 15th, 2023 will not be listed in the festival brochure.  Information can also be obtained by logging on to our web page at www.artintheparkmaine.com or on our Facebook page at South Portland Art in the Park.

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Site Assignments

Applicants will be assigned spaces as completed applications are received. If you wish to be placed next to another artist you must send your applications and fees together. We will not hold spaces open. Both applications must be sent in and the fees paid together to assure that you get adjoining spaces.

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Because of changes in grounds keeping, the actual park layout may change from year to year. Your location last year may be different this year even though your number remains the same. Art in the Park will accommodate requests for particular sites if the site is still available at the time the request is received.

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Please let us know if accommodations are needed for a disability.

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Parking, Set-Up and Tear-Down

NO PARKING ON HINCKLEY DRIVE. In an effort to make parking available to the public visiting our show, Hinckley Drive will be closed to traffic until 9:00 A.M.  Artists will be allowed to pull in to unload their vehicles, but must immediately move the vehicle to let other artists have the same opportunity. A gatekeeper will take your license plate number and site number to ensure all vehicles are off Hinckley Drive prior to the start of the show. 

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Reminder to those artists who may have parked behind their sites (# 81-112) in the past are NO LONGER permitted to continue this practice.  Your vehicle MUST be removed prior to 9:00.

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You may access the park to unload if your location is along the Bandstand side of the pond, but you must exit to one of the parking areas before 9:00 a.m. Plan to enter the park for unloading by way of a paved driveway.

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On Cottage Road. You must exit the park by way of Ocean Street.  Artists agree to display until 4:00 pm; early breakdown is unacceptable, as the public perceives the show is closing, decreasing foot traffic for other artists. No cars will be permitted back in the park for tear-down before 4:00 p.m.  Parking is available at Mahoney Middle School (entrance is across from the park on Broadway) and at the back parking lot of City Hall (one block over on Thomas Street). Please do not park at Hannaford.

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Type of Work Accepted

All paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs are acceptable for exhibition; however, only original framed works are permitted in the Judges’ Cash Award Competition.  If there is any question about the admissibility of a certain work, the Committee will base its judgment solely on whether the work meets the admissibility criteria as described, is prepared for hanging and is ready for a purchaser to display.

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PLEASE NOTE: The Committee may, in its discretion, permit no more than 7 sites to be assigned to artists displaying and selling art that does not meet the criteria as described, if it finds that the art proposed for the site is likely to enhance the show by providing a different viewing experience for the public and is not likely to detract from the general character of the show as a display of fine art.

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The Committee will not permit jewelry, crafts or “paint by number” paintings in the show for competition or display. 

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Block print, woodcuts or numbered prints are not acceptable in the Judge’s Cash Award Competition; however, artists are encouraged to exhibit such materials at their stands.  All work entered must be your own original work and not a commercially produced item for which you are acting as sales agent. 

Artists whose work generally meets the permitted criteria may also display and sell works other than those generally permitted as long as they do not take up more than six (6) SF of display space. You are encouraged to set up easels to sketch or paint or do quick portraits.  This benefits the festival and will add to the atmosphere.

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Cancellations

In the event you register and are accepted but find that you cannot be here to exhibit, please inform us immediately. Each year we have a waiting list for artists waiting to participate in the show. REMEMBER, you may NOT give away/reassign your space.   Those artists on the waiting list are the only artists that will be accepted into the show.  You will be refunded $75.00 of your $100.00 registration fee if you cancel on or before July 15th Art in the Park will retain the $35.00 advertising fee (if purchased) and a $25.00 administrative fee.  If you cancel after July 15th you will be refunded $75.00 if another artist registers for your spot. 

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Wait List

The Committee reserves the right to create a reserve list.  Those artists placed on a list will be so notified and their numerical placement indicated.  Please complete an application through the online registration page to be added to the waitlist.  Vacancies may be filled through our ability to contact the applicant or the representative by telephone or e-mail over a reasonable time period – usually one (1) business day.

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Confirmation of Registration

You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your registration with your site number within two weeks of its receipt.  Two weeks prior to the event, you will receive final instructions via email on what to expect on arrival and a reminder of your site number.

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Weather Related Issues

Mist, fog or intermittent rain will not result in cancellation of the show.  If the forecast is for heavy rain and/or thunderstorms for the day, the show will be cancelled and we will post the cancellation on the Event Website, South Portland Parks & Rec Website, social media, and send an email to participating artists.

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Display Guidelines

Every applicant must exhibit a minimum of five (5) pieces of artwork.  Except for work entered into the Judges’ Cash Prize Competition submissions, works displayed do not have to be framed which may or may not be offered for sale. Collection and payment for sales and other taxes will be the sole responsibility of the artist. 

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The entry you submit for judging is only for the cash prizes.  You will receive a sticker to be attached to the work before bringing it to the judges’ tent. 

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Artists are expected to provide their own stands for display, as well as rain coverings.  Space provided will accommodate stands no larger than 15' in width nor greater than 10' in depth. 

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Please center your display (width) on the numbered stake. The FRONT of your display starts at the location of the stake.  Please leave room for foot traffic.

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Judges’ Cash Awards

Each site number in the show is permitted to enter one painting in the Judges’ Cash Award Competition.  This painting or photograph must be framed or otherwise ready to hang and must have your competition number attached to the front in a visible manner.  When two or more persons are included at one site (e.g. art association, senior citizen group, etc.) only one competitive entry is permitted in the Judges’ Cash Award Competition from that site.

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All Cash Award judging will be done in the Judges’ tent beginning at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Please bring your work to that area with the numbered label attached to the front. All prizes are cash prizes where the artist retains ownership of the painting.

 

Judge’s award prizes are as follows:

Best-in-Show- $1000 (1 available)
Second Place- $800 (1 available)
Third Place- $600 (1 available)
Fourth Place- $500 (1 available)
Best Photo in Show- $600 (1 available)
Merit Awards- $200 (5 available)

Please remember NO receipt, NO artwork – our volunteers do their very best to protect your artwork; they do not know each individual artist to guarantee the correct artwork is returned to the correct artist. The receipt given to you when you leave your artwork at the judging tent is required to reclaim it.  Thank you for your continued cooperation. 

Please note- there will be NO Sponsor's Choice awards this year.

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Example artist business cards for the program

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Artists may purchase space in the program for a business card size ad (1-5/8" x 2-5/8" - oriented either horizontally or vertically) for $35.00. These ads allow for greater visibility for the artists with their stand numbers indicated in the ad space.