Information for Vendors about the 2008 Art Bazaar Sponsored by Blue Genie Art

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new online application process! Applicants can now apply directly though our website, upload photos of their work, and pay via PayPal (note that we are still accepting checks and money orders).

Complete information for those wishing to participate in the 2008 Blue Genie Art Bazaar is found below. Please review the vendor information below before proceeding to the online application.

You may also download the application form, available as a MS Word document, if you prefer to not use the online application process. To download this document, right-click the link and select "Save target as" (or similar), and provide a location on your hard drive to save the file to.

Now in our eighth year, we are pleased to announce our return to the Monarch Events Center, 6406 North IH-35, Suite 3100. This full time venue has great amenities with lots of parking, climate control, restrooms, full bar — the works! Conveniently located in Lincoln Village, easily accessible from I35, the Monarch is a perfect place for the show’s continued growth.

Here are some important dates for your reference:

Application Deadline: Monday September 22nd, 2008
Artist notification: Friday October 3rd, 2008
Orientation: Tuesday November 25th, 2008 7–9pm
(at the MEC)
Load-In / Set-Up: Sunday November 30th 10:00am – 6:00pm
Monday December 1st 10:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday December 2nd 10:00am – 6:00pm
Show Dates: Wednesay December 3rd through
Wednesday December 24th

Hours: Sun–Thur 10am–6pm
Friday and Saturday 10am–midnight
Wed 12/24/08 10am–6pm

Load Out: Friday December 26th – Saturday December 27th
10:00am—6:00pm
Checks out to artists: By January 4th, 2009

Dear Artist,

Thank you for your interest in the 2008 Blue Genie Art Bazaar. This will be our 8th annual Art Bazaar and we've steadily grown larger each year. It is our intent at every stage of this event to create a positive experience for the artists and the patrons who enjoy this show. We'll start with a brief overview, then outline the format for this year.

Previous Years:

We have been fortunate to have hosted over two hundred artists over the course of six years of shows; an impressive number of great artists that ensures new and exciting things to see every year. For a relatively new event, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar seems to have struck a positive chord with the holiday art buying public. We have seen press from the Austin American Statesman, Austin Chronicle, KEYE 42 TV, KXAN 36 TV, San Marcos Style, Feedback, and Cityfold magazines. We could not have foreseen this kind of success and growth when we started this show, but we are proud and pleased to have seen it flourish. We attribute this success to the artists themselves and the unique environment we have worked very hard to cultivate.

About The Show:

This event is a unique cross between a group gallery show and funky retail store with a fun party element on the weekends. This show is always FREE to the public, thus encouraging a larger attendance. In the past we have booked hot food vendors, DJs, bands, fire dancers, and other amenities to create as special an environment as possible. In 2005 we took over coffee and snacks vending and now feature this as part of our central cash wrap station. These amenities provided great splash and helped put this show ‘on the map’, but recent years have tried to concentrate on what creates the best possible environment for shopping by our patrons.

Blue Genie works very hard to produce a quality event. The artist selection is a juried process, and the production values (lighting, staffing, print and radio advertising, open bar, catered food for opening night, etc.) are high. We handle all sales in part because some artists prefer not having to vend their own work during the course of the show. We want to stress these things to the artists so they feel as if they are getting value for their participation, and appreciate efforts to reinvent the way people buy artwork and gifts during the holiday season.

We will have one central cash/wrap station where all sales will be handled by Blue Genie staff. Overhead lighting for the space and some directional lighting onto the walls is provided. Artists are not required to be at the show at all times. However, when you do come we will ask you to wear a nametag and help customers with their selections. When customers come in the door, we tell them to look for anyone with a nametag for assistance. We prefer to have the artists handling each others work, especially when items are fragile. This also means everyone is looking out for one another. MEC and Blue Genie will also have docents on hand to help with this process.

Note: The spirit of the show is about artists helping one another — even if it is not your work, we appreciate your assistance as other artists are helping with your work when you are not on the premises. We staff this show with Blue Genie employees, who are available to help with parking issues, lighting, power, register sales, and any other challenges that tend to pop up during the course of a show of this magnitude.

Please visit Art Bazaar to see some pictures from our previous shows. (Click on any year in the sidebar) We encourage all artists to review the pictures of previous shows to get a good sense of the layout and look of the Art Bazaar.

The Art:

We are looking for handcrafted art in all mediums. Jewelry, handbags, posters, paintings, textiles, prints, glass, bronze, ceramic, photography, sculpture, metal art, cartoons and furniture are some of the items for which we will be looking. We also try to limit the number of artists in any particular medium, to create the widest variety of work. RESALE ITEMS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. Also, any items that were not accurately reflected in your application materials and that we decide are not appropriate for this event will not be allowed to remain.

The goal of this show is to sell work. Please keep that in mind when creating your inventory. Artists are encouraged to have a wide price range or at least some items that are "affordably priced." We have found that our customers appreciate this. It is also important to know that although this is a gift show (with a price point for many items from $5–$40) it is not unusual for original works to sell out of this event. Individuals have purchased $1500 paintings and $2500 sculptures without reservation. Some words that have been used to describe the art at our show: hip, delightful, fun, cool and lovely.

Note: One other important thing to keep in mind is that if you are selected to participate, you are expected to be able to maintain stock throughout a 20 day show. If you are not able to do this, we may at any time move or limit the amount of space given to you. As with most retail and gallery environments, we try to make the show look great every single day, and artists that are not able to maintain stock affect this look.

The Layout:

Each artists' work will be grouped together. Spaces are not like booths, though, and we prefer to not have "booth style" setups. Most spaces have background walls that are 8 feet in length. Most walls are 8 feet tall, with some taller. Floor space in front of the walls ranges from 2 to 5 feet. Extra walls are not permitted. We choose the spaces depending on the size of the artist's work, but all artists should consider these space limitations when deciding their layout. We make decisions of artist placement based on the quality and flow of the entire show, and try to make up a gallery of work that is interesting and dynamic.

While we are willing to work with artists who are not happy with their placement, our decisions on where you end up are final. The only exception to this is we group jewelry together, to limit loss and enable jewelers to better assist one another. We prefer that all visual artists hang their own work and take it down after the show ends. If you need help with your set up we are happy to assist. The walls at the show are all different, ranging from concrete, drywall, wood, and luan. All hanging art on the luan walls need to be set with screws rather than nails. This prevents damage if any artwork is hanging on the other side of the wall.

The Sales:

Blue Genie staff will handle all sales, collect and pay sales tax, and issue the artists' checks shortly after the show closes, usually within 7–10 business days. Blue Genie cannot keep an inventory of your work. Each artist will be given a sales number that corresponds directly with the artists work. This number and the price must be clearly marked on each item. Failure to do this will result in lost sales. Tags should be white with black ink or of similar contrast. Check your tag to make sure the ink is permanent; and please do not use pencil. If you want to put a price tag on the wall, you should also mark the back of the work.

Our cash register system tracks each item by the artist number and sales amount for each artist. You may give customers discounts, but you must be present at the time of sale to speak to Blue Genie staff. We have come up with this system to make it as easy as possible at the sales register.

The best way to mark work is as follows:

Artist number indicated with a number symbol . . . #
Artwork price indicated with a dollar sign . . . $

For example:
#415
$20.00

This avoids confusion of artist numbers with prices; when artwork is not clearly marked sales get attributed to the wrong number and sales are lost to the intended artist.

At the end of the show you are given information about the total number of sales you made and a gross amount for those items. The check we cut reflects the proper percentage taken out.

Returns/Exchanges:

To make it easier for the artists and the Art Bazaar staff, all sales made at the bazaar are final. If a customer wants to make an exchange, we will try to be flexible with them. Any questions or concerns about any work customers purchased after the show ends, we refer directly to the artist.

Loss/Damage:

Blue Genie cannot be held responsible for loss of items during the course of the show. We have taken steps towards limiting theft, and artists have told us that this is typically not a problem. For damaged items that are the result of BGA staff we are happy to work out an arrangement with the artists. Customers are typically asked to purchase artwork that they damage. We maintain on-site security for the BGA space during the hours we are closed.

The Fees:

We have restructured the fees for 2008. We try our best to make the show affordable for artists and worthwhile for us to produce. Each year we re-assess the fees to ensure we are achieving these goals. There are two important costs associated with the Art Bazaar:

There is a non-refundable $30.00 application fee that must be turned in with your application. This fee can in the form of cash, check, money order, or credit card. There is a $25 fee assessed for returned checks.

Blue Genie reserves a 35% commission for handling all sales.

Important Dates:

The show dates are Wednesday December 5th through Monday December 24th. Exact times are TBD, but will be similar to last year with long hours on the weekends and shorter hours on weekdays. This is different in two ways from previous shows; we are extending the show from 10–12 days to 20 days, and we are scheduling the show right up to Christmas Eve. Both of these are geared towards securing more sales for everyone involved.

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm September 22nd, 2008. Final selections will be made by October 5th, and all accepted applicants will be notified by e-mail immediately afterwards. We have a limited number of spaces available. Once they are filled, no other applications will be accepted.

Calendar of Important Dates:

Application Deadline: Monday September 22nd, 2008
Artist notification: Friday October 3rd, 2008
Orientation: Tuesday November 25th, 2008 7–9pm
(at the MEC)
Load-In / Set-Up: Sunday November 30th 10:00am – 6:00pm
Monday December 1st 10:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday December 2nd 10:00am – 6:00pm
Show Dates: Wednesay December 3rd through
Wednesday December 24th

Hours: Sun–Thur 10am–6pm
Friday and Saturday 10am–midnight
Wed 12/24/08 10am–6pm

Load Out: Friday December 26th – Saturday December 27th
10:00am—6:00pm
Checks out to artists: By January 4th, 2009

The Application:

After reviewing the vendor information, please proceed to our online application process. Your application should be completely filled out. (Download the application form, a MS Word document, if applying by mail). Please give us your COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS; we cannot mail you a check without this. We prefer to communicate with everyone via email, so please include an email address for show updates and important information. We will accept photos, digital prints, CD's, or directions to a website of your work. We will no longer accept slides. Please make sure these images accurately depict the work you intend to bring to the show. Make sure to include your $30 non-refundable application fee.

Applications may be made entirely online from our website via the online application page, or they can be brought to our studio at 916 Springdale Rd. (Here's a map to us, or use the MapQuest link on that page.) Or they can be mailed to us at P.O. Box 684832 Austin, TX 78768. If you would like your submission materials returned, please include a SASE.