General Info*

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The 42nd Annual South Portland Art in the Park Show & Sale will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023 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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Art in the Park is open to all artists who wish to exhibit original paintings, drawings, photographs and prints. 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 $100.00 entry fee. If you cancel on or before July 16th, you will be refunded $75.00; Art in the Park will retain the $35.00 advertising fee (if purchased) and a $25.00  administrative fee. If you cancel after July 16th, you will be refunded $75.00 only if another artist registers for your spot. Remember, you may not reassign your site. We maintain a waiting list and only those artists on the list will be substituted at your site.

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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 reserve list may be established. Artists submitting entries after July 15th, 2023 will not be listed in the festival brochure.

Space Assignments

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Applicants will be assigned spaces as completed applications are received. If you wish placement 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.

 

Because of changes in grounds keeping, the actual park layout may change from year to year. Art in the Park will accommodate requests for particular sites if the site is still available at the time the request is received.

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

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Parking

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Parking inside of the park grounds during show hours is not permitted. 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 off Cottage Road and exit the Park onto Ocean Street. Artists agree to display until 4pm; 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. As a reminder, 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 a.m.

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Type of Work Accepted

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All paintings, drawings, prints and photographs are acceptable for exhibition; however, only original works that are framed or otherwise ready to hang 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. The Committee may, in its discretion, permit NO more than 6 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. The Committee will not permit crafts or "paint by number" paintings in the show for competition or display. Block print, woodcuts or numbered prints are not acceptable in the Judges' Cash Award Competition; however, artists are encouraged to exhibit such materials at their stands. PLEASE NOTE: if you exhibit non-traditional items such as jewelry or clothing, etc. along with your art/photography, you may only exhibit these items within a 2' x 3' section of your site. These items are NOT allowed as a main exhibition. 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.

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If you need to cancel

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In the event you register and are accepted but find that you cannot be here to exhibit, please inform us immediately. You may not give your space to another artist. If you cancel on or before July 17th, you will be refunded $75.00 of your $100.00 registration fee. Art in the Park will retain the $35.00 advertising fee (if purchased) and a $25.00 administrative fee. If you cancel after July 16th, you will be refunded $75.00 if another artist registers for your site.

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Reserve List

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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 provide a phone number or an e-mail address where you or your representative can be reached during normal business hours. 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

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You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your registration and your site number within two weeks of its receipt. If application was turned in on paper, the applicant will receive a confirmation postcard. Three weeks prior to the event you will receive final instructions and a sticker for the Judges' Cash Award Competition at the Judges' Tent. 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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Storm Policy

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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 notify the local television and radio stations, post the cancellation on the website and; for those of you who have supplied your email address, we will email you. There are no refunds in the event the show is cancelled due to weather.

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Display Guidelines

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Every applicant must exhibit a minimum of five (5) pieces of artwork. Except for Judges' Cash Prize Competition submissions, works displayed do not have to be framed or otherwise ready to hang. They 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. 

 

Artists are expected to provide their own stands for display, as well as rain coverings. Space provided will accommodate stands no wider than 15' nor greater than 10' in depth. Please center your display on the numbered stake and leave room for foot traffic. The front of your stand begins at the numbered stake and works back away from the stake.

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Judges Cash Awards

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Each site number in the show is permitted to enter one piece of art 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, shared space, etc.) only one competitive entry is permitted in the Judges' Cash Award Competition from that site.

All Cash Award judging will be done in the Judges' Tent beginning at 9 a.m. sharp. Please bring your work to that area with the numbered label attached to the front.

Prizes are as follows:

 

ONE (1) - $800.00 Judges' Award to Best-in-Show. This is a cash prize and the artist retains ownership of the painting.

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ONE (1) - $600.00 Judges' Award to Second Best-in-Show. This is a cash prize and the artist retains ownership of the painting.

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ONE (1) - $500.00 Judges' Award to Third Best-in-Show. This is a cash prize and the artist retains ownership of the painting.

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ONE (1) - $400.00 Judges' Award to Fourth Best-in-Show. This is a cash prize and the artist retains ownership of the painting.

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ONE (1) - $500.00 Best Photo In Show. This is a cash prize and the photographer retains ownership of the photo.

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FIVE (5) - $150.00 Merit Awards.

 

These will be awarded by the judges on the basis of attributes deemed worthy of special mention and consideration. The artist retains ownership.

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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.