Southport Art Fest 2027

About This Call

Amdur Productions presents the Southport Art Fest, held in one of Chicago's dynamic northside neighborhoods on Southport Avenue. This urban festival offers approximately 125 exhibitor spaces with extended hours for increased sales opportunities. All media are welcome, and artists keep 100% of their sales income.

Booth spaces are 12' wide by 10' deep ($550 + $25 permit) or 20' wide by 10' deep ($1,050 + $25 permit), with additional fees for corner spaces ($200). White tents are required, and all tables must be skirted to the ground. Amdur Productions provides full support including load-in on Friday evening and Saturday morning, booth sitting throughout the festival, and overnight security. Equipment rental (tents, tent weights, tables, chairs) and professional panel walls are available for additional fees. Setup and takedown assistance can be scheduled for a fee.

Application deadline is January 18, 2027, with notifications sent by February 18, 2027. Registration forms and show fees are due by March 18, 2027. Early bird application promos are available through November 30, 2026. All artwork must be original work created by the applying artist(s), and artists must be present during all festival hours. Awards are bestowed at the festival. The festival is supported by extensive marketing including digital and print advertisements, radio, social media, and a professional public relations team.

Rules and Regulations

• All artwork submitted to jury, displayed and presented for sale 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.
• Photography/Digital art: original work made by the hands of the photographer is allowed; all printing 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.
• Limited editions numbered and signed up to 500 are allowed; reproductions may be displayed on up to 10 linear feet of booth.
• AI-made art is permitted when clearly identified as AI created art; the applying artist must be the "author."
• White tents only; accepted artists must be present during all festival hours.

Booth Information and Fees

• 12' Wide by 10' Deep Exhibit Space: $550 + $25 City Permit Fee
• 20' Wide by 10' Deep Exhibit Space: $1,050 + $25 City Permit Fee

Applications are reviewed by a single jury panel that scores applications for all medium categories. Jurors score separately from various locations, viewing images on a computer monitor, and the jury process is closed to observers. Within a medium category, applications are sorted and viewed by last name in ascending order, and jurors score on a 1-7 scale.

On average about 200 applications are submitted each year, with about 133 artists selected through the jury and about 12 additional artists invited exempt from jury, often because they received an award in a prior year.