15th Annual Third Ward Art Festival

About This Call

The 15th Annual Third Ward Art Festival takes place on Labor Day Weekend in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward, located three blocks south of downtown. The upscale arts and fashion district features dynamic restaurants, galleries, theaters, and unique shopping. The festival will have approximately 200 artist exhibit spaces with wide sidewalks and outdoor café seating.

Artists keep all sales income from the show. Booth spaces are 12' wide by 10' deep ($750) or 20' wide by 10' deep ($1,500), with corner space upgrades available for an additional $300. Amdur Productions provides on-site staff support throughout the festival, including booth sitting assistance, load-in help on Friday evening and Saturday morning, and set-up/take-down help (fees apply). Tents, tent weights, tables, chairs, and limited pro-panel walls are available for rent. Over-night security is provided, and hotel discounts are available through local partners.

For over 40 years, Amdur Productions has organized prestigious juried art festivals throughout the Midwest, with many rated in Sunshine Artist Magazine's top 100.

General Information

• Fine art sells well
• Contemporary and Conservative themes sell well
• Urban show
• Artist Sales: Artists keep all their sales income from the show
• Exhibitor Spaces: About 200 spaces
• Staff Support: Amdur Productions staff is present on site throughout the entire festival to assist artists from load in to load out
• Load-in: Friday evening and Saturday morning load-in available
• Booth Sitting: Amdur Productions staff is available to booth sit for artists throughout the entire festival
• Tent Rental: Tents, tent weights, tables and chairs available for rent (fees apply)
• ProPanel Rental: Limited pro-panel walls available, first come/first served (fees apply)
• Set Up/Take Down Help: available on a scheduled pre-reserved time (fees apply)
• Hotel Rooms: discounts at local hotels
• Awards: Bestowed at the festival
• Marketing: digital and print advertisements, radio, posters, street banners, social media, direct mail postcards
• Security: Over-night security is provided

Rules and Regulations

• All artwork submitted to jury, displayed and presented for sale at festivals must be created, designed and made or made under the direct supervision of the accepted artist(s). All artwork shown must be for sale.
• An artist may apply in more than one category, but not twice in the same category.
• Jewelry created through fabrication and casting is allowed if the original casts are made by the artist.
• No commercial casts/molds allowed in production.
• Photography/Digital art: Original work made by the hands of the photographer is allowed; all printing of images must be done by the photographer or under their supervision.
• Art collaborators (up to two artists in total) producing a single body of work qualify as an exhibitor.
• No work made solely by apprentices or employees is allowed. All artwork must be made in the country the artist resides in.
• Buy/sell items are strictly prohibited from all or part of an artist's booth.
• Multiples: Limited editions in which the artist hand manipulates plates, stones, or screens, numbered and signed in editions up to 500, are allowed. Mechanical reproductions (including giclee and iris prints) must be signed and numbered (up to 500) and displayed on up to 10 linear feet of the booth.
• AI art: Amdur Productions allows artists to apply with art made with/by Artificial Intelligence when it is clearly identified as AI-created art. AI art is juried on the same criteria as all art: Body of Work, Artistic Theme, Technical Competence, and Originality. The artist applying must be the AI art's "author" and must be present at the festival if selected.
• White tents only; all tables must be skirted to the ground.
• Accepted artists must be present during all festival hours.

Booth Information and Fees

• 12' Wide by 10' Deep Exhibit Space Fee: $750
• 20' Wide by 10' Deep Exhibit Space Fee: $1,500
• Corner Fee Upgrade: Additional $300
• Spaces are 12' wide x 10' deep; work must be contained within the assigned space
• Exhibitors must have a white tent; all tables must be skirted to the ground
• Only one artist's work (or two approved collaborating artists) may be displayed per booth
• Double and corner spaces may be requested but are not guaranteed
• Tent weight requirement: at least 50 pounds per leg, connected with rope or straps (not bungee cords or cinder blocks/water jugs)

Jury Details

• Average applications submitted each year: 400
• Average artists selected from jury: 220
• Average artists exempt from jury who are invited: 18
• Returning artists are selected by having received an award
• Images viewed by jurors on a computer monitor
• A single jury panel scores applications for all medium categories, separately from various locations, on a 1–7 scale
• Jury process is closed to observation
• Wait list is selected from jury scores by category; wait-listed artists can resubmit art/booth images for reconsideration and can be accepted up to and on the day of the show

A single jury panel scores applications for all medium categories, with jurors scoring separately from various locations on a 1–7 scale, viewing images on a computer monitor. About 400 applications are received each year, with around 220 artists selected by the jury and 18 exempt-from-jury artists invited (based on prior awards). A wait list is drawn from jury scores by category, and wait-listed artists can be accepted up to and on the day of the show; the jury process itself is closed to observation.