Handmade Arcade Markets
Does your business fit into Handmade Arcade’s definition of a handmade business?
- You must be the artist(s) of the original products.
- Recycling and repurposing items is permitted.
- You cannot use mass-produced trademarked and licensed items in your work.
- Copyrighted designs not owned by the artist are not permitted.
- Your products must be 80% or more of your original creation.
- You, the artist, must have created the piece.
- You are permitted to reproduce your work in various mediums: as prints, on fabric, as stickers, on mugs, etc.
- You cannot sell merchandise you have made with purchased, downloaded, or copied images and designs.
At this time, Handmade Arcade does not accept food vendors, including chocolates, honey, and candy. If you have specific questions regarding your products, please ask before you apply at info@handmadearcade.org.
Preparing Your Application
All Handmade Arcade markets are juried, curated markets.
Handmade Arcade uses ArtCall.org as its application software. Each market application is assigned a market-specific URL shared via email, on Handmade Arcade’s website, and on social media. Vendors will first need to register for an account on ArtCall before applying. Note: the application site works best on a laptop or desktop. This site is not mobile-friendly.
Every application is carefully reviewed and voted on by our jurors. Handmade Arcade’s jury consists of the Handmade Arcade advisory committee and new and rotating guest jurors from Pittsburgh’s arts, craft, cultural, and small business communities. Jurors are paid for their time and expertise.
Every part of your application is essential for success:
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- Images: We recommend using high-quality, high-resolution, clear, and in-focus photographs. Your product photography should bring out the best in your products, highlight the materials and methods used, and demonstrate originality, innovation, and the handmade process.
- IMPORTANT: If you are reapplying, use this opportunity to show us something new. Do not use photos that you have submitted in the past.
- Products and process description: A well-written description of your products and creative process is vital to your application.
- Merchandise prices: Share your prices with us so we can ensure that your products are within the range of what our audience expects.
- Online presence: While it’s not required for makers to have an online presence to participate in Handmade Arcade markets, it is helpful for jurors to view e-commerce or social media accounts for more images and information. If you provide links to your website and/or social media accounts, they should be active and show a representative selection of your merchandise.
- Contact information: Use an email address that you check regularly. Pro tip: double-check that you have spelled your email address correctly.
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