General Information

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Fest in the First Arts Corridor. Please read through the following information for a complete understanding of our terms and conditions! Questions can be sent to: staffmbacdarts@gmail.com.

Dates and Deadlines
June 15, 2025:  Applications open
August 25, 2025:  Deadline for applications EXTENDED!
Sept 1, 2025: Deadline for accepted artists to commit to exhibit and to remit booth fee.                                                                                     
Sept 1: Deadline to cancel participation and receive full refund of booth fee.

General Info:
All artwork displayed should be original and produced by the hands of the exhibiting artist.  Reproductions of the artist's work are allowed. Reproductions of works by others are not. As this is the first time the festival will feature artwork, we suggest concentrating on moderately priced and smaller works as the most effective way to make sales. The MBACD is looking for balance regarding the variety of products and may limit how many vendors of one art genre are accepted.

Mediums allowed:
Painting, jewelry, paper, ceramics, fiber, glass, digital art, photography, mixed media, sculpture. For any other medium, please inquire.

Application Fee:
no fee to apply.

Acceptance of Offer to Exhibit
All artists selected to participate must notify the MBACD of their intent to exhibit at the 2025 Fest in the First via the online application and submit a booth fee to the MBACD by September 1, 2025.

Booth Fee: $50/per artist. $75.00/ two artists. NO more than two artists are allowed per booth.
Booth fee payments can be made by a check made payable to MBACD and sent to:
MBACD, 540 S. Lake Street, Gary IN 46403

Refund and Cancellation Policy
Booth fees can be refunded in full until Sept 1, 2025.  If for any reason you find you must cancel after this date, there is no refund of booth fees.

Sales and Taxes
Artists retain all revenue from the sale of their work. No commission on sales is due to the MBACD or Fest in the First. Artists are responsible for collecting and reporting the State of Indiana sales tax (7%) on any sales.

Booth Space 
All booth spaces are located on the street or sidewalk and are sized to accommodate display tents measuring 10 ft. wide by 10 ft. deep. No electricity is provided.  Artists must provide tents and displays. Tents must be anchored with weights only. Work should be displayed in a manner that is professional and attractive and does not exceed the allotted booth space. Work must carry a selling price. Artists must exhibit work for the entirety of the festival hours.

Festival Hours: Saturday, September 20, 2025, 3pm – 8pm.

Load In: 12pm

Artist Check In:  1pm

Fair Opens: 3 pm

Fair Closes: 8:00 pm

Load Out: 8:00 – 9:00pm

Photos
Fest in the First representatives take photographs of the festival for general publicity purposes. Artists have the right to refuse to have photos taken of their booth or work.

Parking
Artists may drive up to their booths to unload. Avoid driving and parking on the sidewalks. After unloading, artists must move their vehicles and park in designated areas.

Safety and Security
Weather: We monitor the forecast and will determine whether to close the show early if severe weather threatens.
Health: We follow current CDC health recommendations for the safety of artists and patrons.
Security: Please do not leave your artwork. MBACD and Fest in the First are not liable for loss/damage due to theft or weather.

Promotion
Fest in the First is publicized extensively via social and print media, community calendars, Visitor's Bureau, South Bend marketing portals, and the festinthefirst.com and millerbeacharts.org websites, Facebook, and Instagram pages. Artists are provided e-postcards and links to promote their attendance at the show.