2015 ARTIST GUIDE
FESTIVAL WEB SITE: www.RidgelandArtsFest.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact Bob McFarland via e-mail at bobmcfarland2@hotmail.com. If you can’t reach me by email, my cell phone number is 253.275.8108.
ORGANIZATION/MISSION
The Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival is a program of the Ridgeland Tourism Commission, a tax-exempt statechartered agency. The objective of the festival is to provide an opportunity for artists from across the
United States and patrons from across the Southeast to meet, interact and conduct business, thereby
increasing local tourism and the perception of Ridgeland, Mississippi as a cultural destination.
Ridgeland is a suburb immediately north of Jackson, Mississippi, the state capital, and located in
Madison County. Ridgeland was recently named by Money magazine as one of the Top 100 "Best Places
to Live" in the United States.
The show was recently named a “Top 20 Event” in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.
Artists will retain all proceeds from their sales. No commissions will be collected. All revenues collected
by the festival will be used to produce and promote it.
FESTIVAL LOCATION/DRIVING DIRECTIONS
The Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival will be held at the elegant Renaissance at Colony Park
(www.renaissanceatcolonypark.com). Opened in 2008, Renaissance at Colony Park is a lifestyle center
masterpiece for shopping, dining and entertainment inspired by the old-world beauty and grace of
European and Mediterranean architecture.
The Renaissance at Colony Park is located on the northwest corner at the intersection of I-55 and Old
Agency Road in Ridgeland, MS.
Northbound I-55 driving directions: Exit 105C (Old Agency Road) – At the end of the exit carefully merge
left into the center lane on Old Agency Road. Proceed through the traffic light to the roundabout (traffic
circle). Do not enter the traffic circle, rather take the exit to the right and merge onto Highland Colony
Parkway. Turn right at the third entrance of the Renaissance at Colony Park. Go to the first stop sign,
turn left into the parking lot and walk across the street to the Ridgeland Visitor Center (Suite #6006).
Artist Check-In will be located inside the office.
Southbound I-55 driving directions: Exit 105B (Old Agency Road) – Merge into the right turn lane.
Carefully merge into the center lane on Old Agency Road and proceed to the roundabout (traffic circle).
Do not enter the traffic circle, rather take the exit to the right and merge onto Highland Colony Parkway.
Turn right at the third entrance of the Renaissance at Colony Park. Go to the first stop sign, turn left into
the parking lot and walk across the street to the Ridgeland Visitor Center (Suite #6006). Artist Check-In
will be located inside the office.
GPS COORDINATES
The GPS coordinates for the Ridgeland Tourism Commission office (festival office) are N 32° 25’ 57.253”
and W 90° 8’ 49.524” or alternately 32.43110349810901 and -90.14916837215424.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
For hotels in Ridgeland, please consult our web site at www.RidgelandArtsFest.com.
RIDGELAND HOTELS AND RESTARAUNTS
Please plan to stay in a Ridgeland hotel and eat at Ridgeland restaurants while you visit us in central
Mississippi. As previously mentioned, the Ridgeland Tourism Commission is the presenter of the show.
They are funded solely by a 1% sales tax on Ridgeland hotels and restaurants. Every time you stay in a
Ridgeland hotel or eat in a Ridgeland restaurant, you are supporting the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival.
FESTIVAL MAP
Please visit our web site at www.RidgelandArtsFest.com and follow the Festival & City Map Link to the
2015 Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival Map link.
To view a map of the Renaissance at Colony Park, please click on this link:
www.renaissanceatcolonypark.com/index.php?/site/brochure.
ARTIST CHECK-IN
Date:
Friday, April 17, 2015 9am- 5pm
Location/Parking:
Artist check-in will be inside the Ridgeland Visitor Center (Suite #6006) on the
northwest corner of Renaissance at Colony Park.
BOOTH ASSIGNMENTS & SET-UP TIMES
Booth assignments will be posted to your ZAPP account sometime prior to the festival. Booth
assignments are at the sole discretion of the festival and are not interchangeable.
Artists can set up any time during the day on Friday, April 4.
ARTIST PARKING
There is a designated Artist Parking area in the lots near the Hyatt Place hotel. In order to get closer to
your booth space, you may park your vehicle in any parking space in the shopping center lots outside of
the festival perimeter. DO NOT PARK YOUR VEHICLE IN THE PARKING SPACES INSIDE THE SHOPPING
CENTER ON VIA PRINCIPALE OR VIA ST. ANDREWS. STOPPING OR PARKING IN THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE IS
PROHIBITED.
SHOW HOURS
April 18, 2015 10am- 7pm ALL VEHICLES MUST BE OUT OF THE FESTIVAL AREA BY 9am.
April 19, 2015 11am- 5pm ALL VEHICLES MUST BE OUT OF THE FESTIVAL AREA BY 10am.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is extremely limited. Please contact Bob McFarland at bobmcfarland2@hotmail.com
immediately if you must have electricity. We cannot guarantee that it will be available, but we will try to
accommodate your needs. Generators are prohibited.
RIDGELAND WEATHER IN MID-APRIL
The average high temperature in mid-April is 77˚ F., and the average low temperature is 56° F.
Ridgeland’s climate is unpredictable and often erratic with very quick changes that include sudden
thunderstorms and micro-bursts of high winds. Be sure to weight your canopy with a sufficient amount
of weights for possible high winds.
$1,100.00 worth of Ridgeland Fine Art Festival Art Purchase Vouchers
The Ridgeland Tourism Commission will be sponsoring art vouchers totaling $1,100.00. The vouchers
will be given away to patrons through our Social Media Network and other media promotions. Please
check for more details at Artist Check-In.
$500.00 Buyers’ Bonus Promotion
The Ridgeland Tourism Commission will give away a $500.00 Ridgeland Visa Gift Card to a smart, lucky
patron who purchases an item from one of the festival artists AND makes purchases at one of the
tenants at the Renaissance at Colony Park. Please check for more details at Artist Check-In.
Santé South (santesouth.com)
Fine art and fine wine come together with the collaboration of the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival and
Santé South Wine Festival which will be held collectively for the first time.
Santé South Wine Festival is an international showcase of the world’s premier wines and affords a rare
opportunity for the wine enthusiast to speak directly with the winemaker. Since 2006, it has grown into
the largest wine and culinary extravaganza in the state and is now a signature event for the greater
capital city area, generating proceeds for the Alzheimer’s Association® Mississippi Chapter.
Santé South Wine Festival has some space available for artists interested in displaying a sampling of
their work from 6-10pm on Saturday, April 18. Space is limited and artists will be selected on a firstcome, first-accepted basis until the space is filled.
NEW! MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART MuseumMicro
The Mississippi Museum of Art presents MuseumMicro, a temporary satellite exhibition of
works by notable Mississippi artists. The MuseumMicro will be located in a vacant storefront
near booth spaces #6-7. Represented artists include Jason Bouldin, Andrew Bucci, William
Dunlap, William Hollingsworth, Marie Hull, Karl Wolfe and Mildred Nungester Wolfe.
BOOTH DISPLAY REQUIREMENTS
All Booth spaces are on asphalt. Each exhibitor will be provided a space measuring (minimum) 11'x11'
to house a booth structure with dimensions no larger than 10'x10'. There is additional storage space
behind each tent.
Artists are responsible for providing all booth structures, racks, tables, chairs, display units, and other
fixtures suitable for outdoor use and constructed to withstand crowds and wind. Artists are responsible
for ensuring that their tent and its accompanying structures are properly secured especially in the case
of rain or wind. All tents/structures must be secured by the use of substantial weights.
Only artists whose booths are located adjacent to the grass or planters may use tent stakes or
anchors. There is a sprinkler system in most of grassy areas and planters located within the festival
grounds. It is buried very shallow. Please consult with a festival representative if you have any
questions about staking your tent.
No vehicles or trailers will be permitted on the grass at any time.
SALES TAXES
Please remember to charge 7% sales tax on all of your sales. The State of Mississippi requires the
Ridgeland Tourism Commission to collect and remit all artist sales taxes. You will be given a short tax
form on Sunday, April 19. Please complete the form and remit your tax payment to the designated
festival representative beginning at 3:30pm on Sunday, April 18. As previously mentioned, there is a 7%
sales tax in Madison County, Mississippi. You can pay with cash or check. All checks must be made
payable to the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival.
ARTIST PRESENT
Artists must be present during the entire festival and must personally staff their exhibit space. No
spouses, agents, dealers, or representatives may attend in place of the artist. Artists who sell their
entire body of work must remain with their booths for the duration of the festival. Artists who break
down displays or depart before closing time on any day of the festival will not be allowed to return the
following day or to future shows unless proof of an emergency is presented.
No artist may let or sublet their booth either entirely or partially, with or without charge. Work of
individuals other than those accepted and specified in the artist’s application for entry may not be
exhibited or advertised in the booth.
AMENITIES
1) Complimentary coffee, snacks and bottled water will be available at all times at our Artist
Hospitality Tent which will be located behind tents numbered 72-78 our festival layout.
2) Adjacent to our Artist Hospitality Tent will be a portable toilet for use by artists.
3) A box lunch from Sweet Peppers Deli will be delivered to your booth on Saturday if you order
one. You and your traveling companion(s) can order and pay for lunches at Artist Check-In on
Friday, April 17.
4) Artist Awards Breakfast will be held on Sunday, April 19 from 9am- 10:30am at Biaggi’s
Ristorante Italiano. Admission is limited to participating artists and one companion.
5) One complimentary 2015 festival t-shirt per booth.
6) Booth sitters will be provided for 15-minute intervals. Please call the phone number on the back
of your festival artist badge when you are ready for a booth sitter.
CASH AWARDS/ ARTIST AWARDS BREAKFAST/JUDGE
The artist judged Best of Show will receive a $1,500 cash award and each artist judged first place in each
media category will receive a $500 cash award. All award winners must conform to artwork policies
outlined herein. All award winners will be automatically juried into the 2016 Ridgeland Fine Arts
Festival. Judging will take place Saturday, April 18 during the hours of the festival. Cash awards and
keepsake awards will be presented at the Artist Awards Breakfast on Sunday morning from 9am10:30am at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano. Your festival artist badge will be your admission pass to the
breakfast. Admission is limited to participating artists and one companion.
SECURITY
Security for your belongings is your responsibility and requires your active involvement. Use
precautions you would normally take when traveling and when participating in any outdoor event to
protect your art, cash and other treasured belongings. Renaissance at Colony Park Security personnel
and City of Ridgeland police officers will provide event security beginning at 5pm on Friday, April 17 until
8 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Nevertheless, artists are solely responsible for the security of their exhibits and
equipment. We recommend removal of all valuables from the exhibit area each night, and the
placement of all displays and related materials within the exhibitor’s canopy.
LOAD OUT
Sunday, April 19, 2015 5pm- Midnight. No one will be permitted to begin tearing down their exhibit
before 5pm on Sunday, April 19. No vehicles will be permitted on site until the Festival Director opens
the site to vehicular traffic.
Please break down your booth and place it to the side to allow for a HAPPY and fast load-out process.
There is a great potential for congestion, so please be patient.
CANCELLATION AND WITHDRAWAL
An exhibitor who wishes to withdraw from the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival may be released; however,
no booth fees will be refunded. An artist who fails to register on site before 5pm on Friday, April 17 will
forfeit all rights to occupy their booth space and the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival may use the space for
other purposes. In such event, the exhibitor will remain liable for the full booth fee.
The Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival may, if required by force majeure or other reasons beyond its control,
postpone or shorten the festival. No exhibitor shall have any right or claim for any damages whether
direct, indirect or consequential, or of any other kind, arising or alleged to arise by reason of any
postponement or cancellation of the festival.
INSURANCE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
Each exhibitor must insure his/her property against the risks of fire, theft, burglary, breakage and
leakage, and weather or water damage as well as the risks of transport to and from the festival site. The
Ridgeland Tourism Commission, Robert W. McFarland, McFarland Productions, Inc. and H.C. Porter are
not liable to any exhibitor or any other person for any damage or loss whatsoever, arising from any
cause, except the gross negligence of said parties. Without limiting the foregoing, the Ridgeland
Tourism Commission, Robert W. McFarland, McFarland Productions, Inc., and H.C. Porter are not liable
for any loss incurred by reason of failure of the exhibitor to obtain such insurance or failure of such
insurance to cover any loss. Furthermore, exhibitors will be held liable for any damage made by their
tents or structures.
MEDIA CATEGORIES DEFINED
Clay - Art objects, either functional or decorative of earthenware, porcelain or tile, made by shaping and
then firing. If multiple pieces of the same design are displayed, the artist must sign each piece.
Fiber - Includes artwork from fibers such as basketry, embroidery, weaving, leatherwork, tapestry and
papermaking.
Glass - Glass works that are functional or decorative by design and are kiln-formed or crafted by glass
blowing, molding or casting. Works may be etched or engraved.
Jewelry - All jewelry, produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic or other materials.
Mixed Media (2D) - Works that incorporate more than one type of material in their production and are
displayed on walls with a one-sided orientation.
Mixed Media (3D) - Works that incorporate more than one type of physical material (clay, fiber, glass,
metal, wood or any other three-dimensional objects) in their production.
Painting - Creation of a still life, portrait, landscape, abstract or other image on a flat surface, such as
canvas, with watercolors, oil, sticks or acrylic paint.
Photography - Process of capturing images of objects by the action of light, then printing the images by
chemical or digital means onto a flat surface. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative
and printing processes. Work in this media category must be limited editions, signed and numbered on
archival-quality materials.
Printmaking - Prints hand-pulled by artists from traditional methods, including etching, engraving,
silkscreen, stone and plate lithography, linoleum block or woodcut, produced in signed and numbered
limited editions from an original image created by the artist.
Sculpture - Non-functional, three-dimensional work of any material.
Wood - Art objects, either functional or decorative, that are hand-tooled or machine-worked, turned or
carved.
ARTWORK POLICIES AND SHOW RULES
The work exhibited at the festival must match the quality and style as represented by the artist in his or
her application. The jury committee reserves the right to refuse exhibition and/or eligibility of cash
awards for work that is not consistent with a submitted application, event standards and/or the policies
listed below. Failure to comply may result in immediate removal from the festival with no refund.
All work must be original, well-conceived, and expertly executed by hand or with appropriate tools by
the exhibiting artist. Works from commercial kits, casts, molds, patterns or plans, prefabricated forms
or other commercial methods are prohibited. Studios producing works in volume are not eligible for
entry.
Only artists accepted in the jewelry category may exhibit or sell jewelry. Jewelry is not accepted in any
other category.
Artists may only exhibit and sell work in the medium (media) for which they are accepted.
Photographic and Reproduction Policies: Photographic and Digital Art prints must be made from the
artist’s original negative or digital file under the artist’s supervision. A reproduction is defined as any
existing work of art (such as a painting, watercolor, drawing, photograph, etc.) that is copied by digital or
photographic means and printed on an offset press, a serigraph press, or through a computer by means
of an ink jet or electrostatic printer. This definition includes giclees and reproductions with additional
enhancement by the artist.
Artists must disclose the edition numbers for works produced in editions. All prints must be in limited
editions of 350 or fewer (inclusive of all sizes) on archival paper, and numbered and signed by the artist
on the front of the piece. Prints may comprise no more than 25% of the total works to be sold.
All two-dimensional artwork must be appropriately framed or matted and must be displayed on a
suitable panel or in a portfolio or stand.
Mass-Production Policies: Ready-made or factory-produced objects (i.e., clothing or furniture) which
have been embellished, painted, decorated, dyed or batiked are not eligible for cash awards regardless
of additional modification or enhancement by the artist.
No machine-tooled, machine-screened patterns or miscellaneous forms of mass production are
permitted.
Mass-produced merchandise and/or promotional items whether derived from original or non-original
artwork are not permitted to be displayed or sold at the festival. This includes, but is not limited to,
cards, postcards, note cards, photocopies, posters, mouse pads, t-shirts, calendars, etc.
Audio Equipment: The operation of radios, tape players and other sound equipment as well as any
audio-visual presentations of any kind by exhibitors must be conducted with the full consent of other
exhibitors in the surrounding area. Volume must be kept within reasonable levels and sensitivity to
other exhibitors should be observed at all times. The Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival reserves the right to
limit, and if necessary, prohibit the operation of sound and/or audio-visual equipment.
APPLICABLE LAWS/REGULATIONS
The laws of the City of Ridgeland, the State of Mississippi and the United State of America are applicable
to all questions arising under the rental of space or these conditions. Fire, safety and security
regulations must be adhered to by all participants at the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival. In the submission
of an entry application, the exhibitor acknowledges these conditions of participation and agrees to
observe and be bound by each and every provision contained therein, and all other rules and guidelines
of the Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival.