Applications Being Accepted for the 55th Wickford Art Festival

Wickford, RI – The Wickford Art Association (WAA) is accepting applications from fine art artists for the 55th Wickford Art Festival to be held on July 8 and 19, 2017 in Wickford Village, RI. Applications may be downloaded now at www.wickfordart.org The application period begins February 1, 2017 and must be postmarked by April 15, 2017 for consideration by jury or acceptance.

Artist benefits:
-Artists retain 100% of their sales.
-10′ x 10′ booths are $275, plus jury fee.
-Corner booths at no additional charge.
-Easy load in and load out.
-Complimentary booth sitters available for artists for brief periods.
-Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday morning setup available.
-Free parking for artists during festival.
-Free festival brochure distributed with artist name, booth number and location (also online).
-Top ranked fine art festival (#17 by Sunshine Artist Magazine) in established arts destination with up to 40,000 visitors during the two-day event.

Why buyers will attend:
-Wickford Art Festival is juried to include only the best fine art. No crafts/commercial/mass produced/buy/sell allowed.
-Free entry for visitors.
-No sales tax on fine art in RI.
-RI and Wickford have a vibrant arts community.
-An incredible outdoor location by the bay.
-Close to Newport, Providence, an easy drive from Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The 55th Wickford Art Festival takes place in scenic, coastal Wickford Village. Produced by the Wickford Art Association the top ranked festival is one of the longest running outdoor fine arts festivals in New England. Up to 250 artists from all over the country display their fine art amongst historic homes, eclectic shops and quaint streets. Handicap accessible and family-friendly, this festival draws art lovers from all over New England. Admission is free for the public.

Rhode Island is the first state in the nation to go tax-free on the sale of fine art. Tax-free exemption is available to RI and out of state artists, certain restrictions apply. Artists should visit our website for more details.

The festival culminates with the Annual Scholarship Fund “Raffle of Fine Art” held on Sunday afternoon. Raffle proceeds benefit the WAA Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to Rhode Island public high school seniors attending an art college. Festival proceeds support WAA programs and services including art exhibits, classes, poetry readings, a Photo Arts Group, open studios, business gatherings, community events and more throughout the year.

Wickford Art Association is a 501c3 non-profit organization and was founded in 1962 to educate and promote the arts to its membership, the local community and general public. The WAA Gallery is located next to the North Kingstown Town Beach. Wickford is 10 minutes from Newport, 30 minutes from Providence, 40 minutes from Westerly, RI and 1 hour from MA and CT. The seaside village is accessible by boat via Narragansett Bay.

For more information, call 401-294-6840, visit www.wickfordart.org or stop by the Gallery.