Applying to Festival of the Arts— Tips for Visual Artists

Applying to Festival of the Arts: Tips for Visual Artists 

By Susan Tate, Festival Director

Every year, Festival of the Arts brings together an incredible collection of visual artists from across the country. It’s one of our favorite parts of preparing for Festival—seeing thousands of applications arrive, each representing years of creativity, dedication, and craftsmanship. A successful application isn’t about having the “perfect” artwork—it’s about presenting your work clearly, professionally, and authentically.

Whether this is your first time applying or you’ve exhibited at OKC Festival of the Arts before, I hope these tips help you put your strongest application forward.

Start with Your Images

Your artwork is your introduction to the jury. Before anyone reads your artist statement, your images tell your story.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Submit images that represent one cohesive body of work.
• If you work in two distinctly different styles, consider submitting separate applications for each body of work.
• Don’t submit duplicate applications using the same images—they won’t improve your chances of being selected.
• Professional photography is one of the best investments you can make. Great artwork deserves great presentation.
• Avoid frames, mats, or distracting elements that compete with your artwork.
• Use consistent backgrounds, lighting, and image scale whenever possible.

Consistency allows jurors to focus on what matters most: your work.

Your Booth Matters, Too

Your booth image tells us how your work comes together in a festival setting. It demonstrates professionalism, presentation, and how patrons will experience your art.

For the strongest booth image:

• Photograph your booth straight on whenever possible.
• Display work that matches the images submitted in your application.
• Create a clean, organized presentation.
• Remove signage, personal photos, name plates, or anything that identifies you.
• If this is your first festival and you don’t yet have a booth, create a gallery-style display on a wall or even set up your tent in your driveway or backyard. It helps jurors understand the scale and presentation of your work.

Tell Us About Your Work

Your artist statement gives jurors valuable context about your creative process and artistic vision.

A few simple guidelines:

• Keep it concise and authentic.
• Explain your process and what inspires your work.
• Proofread carefully for spelling and grammar.
• Remember that names, locations, and pronouns are removed during jurying to ensure a blind review process.

The strongest artist statements complement the artwork—they don’t compete with it.

A Look Inside Our Jury Process

Artists often ask what happens after they click “Submit.” While every festival has its own approach, we believe transparency helps artists better understand the process.

Festival of the Arts is juried by three experienced professionals—typically one from Oklahoma and two from outside the state. Our jurors represent a variety of perspectives and backgrounds, including artists, gallery owners, museum professionals, curators, arts administrators, and experienced festival directors.

Each application includes:

• Five artwork images
• One booth image
• An artist statement
• Artwork information, including title, dimensions, and price
• Application questions about medium, collaboration, and pricing

The jury process includes several rounds designed to carefully evaluate every application.

Jurors first review returning artists who qualify for automatic consideration under Festival guidelines, including recent award winners and eligible top-selling artists. From there, every new application is reviewed, discussed, and scored through multiple rounds until the final exhibition and waitlist are determined.

As the final show is assembled, we also work to create a balanced exhibition that represents a wide variety of artistic mediums and styles, ensuring Festival offers visitors an exciting and diverse experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even exceptional artwork can be overlooked if an application is incomplete or difficult to evaluate.

Before submitting, double-check that you have:

• Answered every application question.
• Uploaded all required images.
• Removed your name or identifying information from booth photos.
• Used consistent backgrounds for artwork images.
• Carefully proofread titles, descriptions, and your artist statement.
• Confirmed that your booth image reflects the artwork you’re submitting.

Remember, much of the information you provide is used directly in Festival publications and online artist profiles. Taking a few extra minutes to review your application makes a big difference. If your application is incomplete, we will contact you to make the appropriate changes. Work will not be juried if the application is not corrected.

We’re Here to Help

Applying to festivals can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the process. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Our team is always happy to clarify application requirements or help you navigate the process.

And one final piece of advice that extends beyond the application itself: be kind.

Festival of the Arts is organized by a small team at the Arts Council of OKC, which is supported by dedicated volunteers who care deeply about creating great experiences for artists and our community. We all share the same goal—to celebrate outstanding art and create a memorable Festival for everyone involved.

We can’t wait to see your work, and we appreciate you considering Festival of the Arts as part of your journey. Good luck, and thank you for sharing your creativity with us.