'26 Juried Art Fair Artist Application

the 2026 juried art fair application opens october 27, 2025
the following is for informational purposes only
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Application Information: Des Moines Arts Festival uses the ZAPP application system (ZAPPlication). To apply, CLICK HERE.

2026 Artist Prospectus

16-TIME WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS GRAND PINNACLE AWARD
from the International Festivals & Events Association

ENCORE AWARD
Bravo Greater Des Moines

TOP 10 ARTS FESTIVALS
USA Today

PEOPLE’S CHOICE, BEST CULTURAL EVENT
Des Moines Business Record

TOURISM FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

Iowa Department of Tourism

OUR MISSION
Impact Lives Through the Arts

OUR CORE VALUES are to:
Inspire Appreciation of the Arts
We cultivate, educate and engage our audience toward a heightened appreciation of the arts.

Celebrate Original Art We produce an annual celebration of outstanding original visual that is created by the hand of the artists in a festival atmosphere.
Impact Community We foster and celebrate the involvement of all people.

Promote Collaboration We promote and inspire meaningful collaboration to strengthen the arts community.
Deliver the Highest Standards We value professionalism and quality. We operate in a fair and honorable manner with transparency. We are strong financial stewards. We manage with responsibility and maximize value to our partners.
Strategically Innovate We champion new and emerging ideas.

OUR VISION

Strengthen a Vibrant and Creative Community

ARE YOU AN EMERGING ARTIST?

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATIONS RELATED TO EMERGING IOWA ARTISTS.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATIONS RELATED TO EMERGING ARTISTS.

"This is one of the best-run shows anywhere in the country. They think of everything."

What Artists Are Saying...

"Artists whisper fervently of the shining unicorn of a show that is Des Moines”

“I left with empty walls and a full wallet”

The Fact Sheet (all information subject to change)

LOCATION: Downtown Des Moines, Iowa, on Locust Street and Grand Ave. between 16th Street and 10th Street. The Festival surrounds the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, the Krause Gateway Center designed by acclaimed architect Renzo Piano Workshop, and the Butterfield-designed Downtown Library.
CONTACT: Stephen King, CFEE, Executive Director
EMAIL: info@desmoinesartsfestival.org
TELEPHONE: 515-416-6134
SALES: Artists retain 100% of their sales and are responsible for state and local taxes.
IMAGES: 4 images of work + 1 booth image. Images may not include name of artist or business.
VIEWED: Projected simultaneously horizontally in the order of application with the booth image being #5.
JURORS: 5 paid. Includes two (2) invited artists exempt from jurying.
SCORING (see details below): First scoring round is 1-7, no 4. All other rounds are a show of hands.
JURY/APPLICATION FEE: $45 early application fee Oct 27 – Jan. 13; $55 Jan. 14 - Jan. 18.
MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS: Multiple applications from a single artist are acceptable if the work submitted constitutes a distinct body of work.
BOOTH SPACE FEE: $615 for 10’x10’. An additional $170 is charged for a corner booth. Limited number of Double-DEEP booths are available for $1100.
BOOTH SPACE: 10’x10’ with 1’ buffer all around (2’ between each tent), most with abundant storage close to the booth. A limited number of 10’ (front) x 20’ (deep) interior and corner booths are available. We do not offer 20' wide booth spaces unless the artist is juried to show two bodies of work.
ELECTRIC: Provided by the festival at no additional charge. Fuel-powered generators not allowed.
ARTIST PRESENCE: All required (individual and partner(s)/collaborator(s)).
NUMBER OF ARTISTS INVITED FROM THE JURY POOL: Approx. 181 (we jury spaces with the final number of spaces available being 195).
NUMBER OF ARTISTS EXEMPT FROM JURY: At least 14 (2025 award winners, commemorative poster artist and deferments)
CASH AWARDS: $10,500 at press time
INSURANCE: Upon acceptance of the invitation, artists are required to provide Des Moines Arts Festival with an appropriate Certificate of Insurance, naming Des Moines Arts Festival, Inc. as an additional insured pursuant to a general liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $2,000,000. Artists may not set up or exhibit until the approved certificate is received and approved by the Festival office.
ATTENDANCE: Appx. 150,000+ projected
FESTIVAL HOURS: Friday, 11a - 10p*; Saturday, 11a - 10p*; Sunday, 11a - 5p. *New for 2026 - artists may close at 9 p.m.
SECURITY: 24-hour
ARTIST PARKING: Free/reserved/off-site dedicated.
STRUCTURE: All exhibiting artists will be required to use a white, professional tent of commercial or professional grade, with heavy weights (minimum of 40 pounds) on each corner with stabilizing maneuvers that provide maximum safety to artists and guests. The use of cheap accordion-style pop-up tents is expressly forbidden. The artist who violates this requirement will not be allowed to exhibit at the show and will not receive a refund.

Artist Benefits

Comprehensive and aggressive regional marketing & media campaign spotlighting artists and their original artwork. The dedicated campaign stretches to Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, & Missouri.
Booth sitters and energetic volunteers.
$10,500 in cash awards at the time of publication. $1500 to the Best of Show; three Juror Awards of $1000 presented by each of the jurors; up to five Awards of Excellence at $1000 each. These amounts may be altered by the jury, but the total will remain intact.
Favorable hotel rates at two downtown hotels within walking distance of the festival site. Both offer an artist rate and late-night food and bar menus. Hotel rooms and rates are on a first-come, first-served basis (and do sell out).
Responsive website and integrated social media campaign.
Exclusive “Express Lane” concessions means you don't stand in line.
24-hour security.
Electricity included in the booth fee.
Leisurely set-up (anytime 12-6 on Thursday and 8 - 10 on Friday morning).
Comprehensive emergency/evacuation plan.
Booth Space Amenities.
- 10' x 10' Booth with at least 121 square feet (1’ on sides and back).
- All booths on street at press time.
- Storage behind booth. Some booths will have 1’ behind booth, others a full sidewalk; however, keep in mind that these sidewalks are used for electric cords and passage by Gators and people.

Emerging Artists

Unlike the Emerging IOWA Artist Program, the Emerging Artist program is for artists at any stage in life who are embarking on a career in the art fair industry. Artists must have less than three years of experience. The application procedure for Emerging Artists is the same as that for professional artists, and the same rules apply. If you are an Emerging Artist, use the Coupon Code ImNew2026 at checkout to receive a lower application fee. Upon acceptance, Emerging Artists will pay a lower booth fee of $350. Please note that artists may apply only once. Emerging Artists are encouraged to provide a booth image. If you do not have a booth image, you will provide a 5th image of your work. All work must be within the same medium.

Guidelines for the Emerging Iowa Artist Program:

Artists apply through the same online platform as professional artists.
Artists are selected by the same jury panel that selects the professional artists.
Invited artists under the same rules and covenants as the professional artists, including providing their own tent structure (see requirements in application) and insurance.
Artists are required to sign an agreement and complete informational paperwork.
Artists will be required to provide information, if requested by the Festival, to ensure they are qualified for this program.
Artists will apply under the medium, “Emerging Artist.”
Artists may submit a fifth image of their work with their application instead of a booth image. If submitting a booth image, the image must follow the same requirements as those of a professional artist application.
Artists may only apply to either the Emerging Artist program or the general show, but not both.
DMAF reserves the right to research artists applying for this program to ensure compliance.

If you have any questions about the Emerging Artist Program, please contact Stephen King at sking@desmoinesartsfestival.org or 515.416.6134.

Important Dates

October 27, 2025 / Application Available
January 18, 2026 @ 8 a.m. CST / Application Deadline
February 11-13, 2026 / Jury
March 5, 2026 / Notifications Emailed and posted on www.DesMoinesArtsFestival.org – following REVEAL, the annual community awareness & marketing event revealing the invited artists.
March 31, 2026 / deadline for artists to confirm participation and submit artist agreement and booth fee
May 1, 2026 / Deadline to cancel participation and receive 90% refund of paid booth fee(s).
June 25, 2026 / Artist dedicated load-in.
June 26 – 28, 2026 / 29th Annual Des Moines Arts Festival

About Our Jury Process

The jury is scheduled for February 11-13, 2026.

The DMAF is limited to 195 100sf booth spaces for the 2026 Festival. 181 artists will be invited from the jury process to join an additional 14 artists who have secured their space. Secured spaces are for 2025 award winners, commemorative posters artist, special invitations, and deferments.

DMAF does NOT jury by category or medium. When you apply, you will self-identify a medium if you are a professional artist, OR as an Emerging Artist if you are applying under the rules of the Emerging Artist or Emerging Iowa Artist Program. As a result, we will not encourage or accept multiple applications if the work presented is the same.

The jury is comprised of five (5) individuals: two who are invited from the pool of exempt artists, and three professionals. The jury panel is new each year, ensuring a fresh perspective with each process. The jury meets in Des Moines at the DMAF offices for the projected jury and decisions.

Round One (the evening of the first day) is a complete overview of all applicants. Each artist set of images will be projected for a timed eight seconds.

Round Two (second day) is the first scoring round. Each artist’s set of five images is projected while the artist’s statement is read aloud. After which, the jury will score on a laptop in front of them. The jury will score each artist’s set of images on a traditional 1-7 scale, with no 4.

Round Three comes after all applying artists have been scored. After Round Two, a median score is determined, and all artists with a score below the median are removed. The artists remaining are first projected for a timed 5-seconds. We then go back to the beginning and display each artist’s set of five images. Each set of images is discussed and scored by the jury with a show of hands. A majority vote moves the artist into the next round. The artist’s set of images remains projected for as long as the jury requests.

Round Four and Beyond – Any number of rounds now occur using the same process described for Round Three, slowly balancing the show by making final selections.

Image Requirements

Submit five images. Four images are of individual pieces of work created exclusively by the applying artist. The fifth image will be of your entire booth (no hidden walls) with no identifying marks such as a name or company name and void of people. The booth image is required.

Images of individual work may not include a signature or name.

You are encouraged to view ZAPP’s many tutorials regarding images.

All submitted images will have the appropriate information attached to them in the fields provided (name of pieces, dimensions, price, etc.)

The jury uses the following standards to guide their decision:

All work must be original and made by the hand of the applying artist.
Projection “blind" jury. This means nothing more than the submitted images, artist statement, price and description of the individual images are made available to the jury.
The jury will view each artist’s set of five images. One of the five images shall be an actual image of the artist's booth showing the body of work. The images will be projected horizontally in the order submitted, with the last image on the right being the booth image.
The ideal work will reflect excellence.
The work will be well conceived and expertly executed.
The work will show an identity of design.
Artwork is considered solely on the merit of the work pictured. This and the submitted Artist Statement will be the only criteria considered. (See below regarding Artist Statement).
The work will be professionally and creatively presented. The better the image presented, the better your opportunity.
The work presented for jury will be representative of the artist’s body of work.

Booth Image Information

Booth Image

Artists who are required to submit a booth image must submit an authentic booth image (that is, an actual photo/image of your booth).
Booth images created in a computer program, AI manipulated, enhanced, or otherwise affected by a computer in any way other than to remove a name or other identifying factor from the booth will not be accepted.
Booth images may not contain any identifier including the artist’s name, company name or any other affiliation; artists may use Photoshop techniques to remove the name(s).
The booth image must include the entire booth, not a portion.
The booth image must be that of your outdoor booth (no indoor booth images).
The booth image must not have people in or around it.
The booth image must contain work related to the same work in the images. It is understood that the exact same images are not seen, but the represented work is the same.
If the work is new and the booth is not updated, make a note of this in the Booth Image Title/Description.

***A note about the booth image. The booth image shows the jury your body of work, provides dimension and scale, a sense of artistic and creative presentation, and reflects what your booth will look like at the show in June. It will also report to the jury if the work submitted in the individual images reflects your current style and overall body of work.

Please Note: If you submit an application without the booth image or the booth image does not follow the criteria as stated here, your application will be returned to you. You may choose to re-submit the application under our rules. Regardless of whether you choose to re-submit the application under our rules, application fees will not be returned for not following the stated rules. Artists may choose to submit the image as is with the understanding that the Des Moines Arts Festival retains the right to pull your application from consideration or have a full point deducted from the artist’s final first-round score for not adhering to the guidelines above after being offered the opportunity to make a change.

Please note that EIA’s will show a sixth image in place of the booth image. Emerging Artists have the option.

Artist “Statement” (psst, it’s really a short description of your work)

The application will automatically have a question for an artist's description of material and technique of up to 200 characters. You are encouraged to enter a description of the material and technique that is concise and explains well the body of work. The jury responds best to a description of technique rather than how you are inspired. The first (up to) 200 characters of the submitted statement will be read aloud to the jury.

Based on past experiences in the jury room, the following are provided as a “good statement” and a “bad statement.”

Good Statement = Photographs printed by artist over a layer of luminous gold paint onto powder-coated steel. Editions of 1.

Bad Statement = I take my photographs while contemplating my existence in the face of danger.

Notification

The Festival hosts an annual event called REVEAL that follows the jury. REVEAL is a public event that culminates in “revealing” the artists selected by the jury to exhibit at the June festival. Artist notifications are emailed following the event. Additionally, the exhibiting artists are posted on the website with links on social media.

Festival will notify applicants of results using the email provided in your ZAPPlication.
In addition to the email notification, accepted artists will be posted on www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.
Results will not be given over the phone.

All decisions of the jury are final. Des Moines Arts Festival reserves the right to reject any application if it does not comply with the covenants and rules set forth in this document.

JURY Rules & Regulations

The Des Moines Arts Festival considers enforcement of its rules its exclusive right and responsibility. Festival officials will visit all displays at intervals throughout the Festival to ensure that exhibitors comply with all Festival rules, including but not limited to checking identification & structure during set-up. Your submitted application and signature on the Artist Agreement (for those invited) is your indication that you agree that noncompliance can result in immediate expulsion and ineligibility for jurying, awards and participation in future Festivals. If an artist is removed from the show for non-compliance of the rules, no booth fee refunds will be issued nor compensation made, and the artist will be ineligible to exhibit for a period of at least two years.

1. All work exhibited must be original art produced by the exhibiting artist(s). Work done by a production studio, in classes or workshops, “Buy-sell” and/or imports, work from kits, and commercial designs, and generated exclusively by Artificial Intelligence using existing work or designs, is prohibited. Additionally, the Festival does not accept applications from assembling work or work it deems to be outside the realm of "fine art and fine craft." e.g., country craft, bodywork (tattoos, henna), manufactured cards, and the like.
2. Artists selling work that is not their own will be expelled from the Festival.
3. It is the work of the artist that is juried. Therefore, any change in the overall body of work by the artist after the jury process accepts the juried work is not considered juried and may not be exhibited until approved by the director of the show. Please see the description of our New Directions program above. Absolutely no consideration will be made if the work is a different discipline.
4. No reproductions are allowed. If it’s a copy of any kind, regardless of medium, it may not be exhibited or sold at the Festival.
5. All artists associated with the juried work must be present to exhibit. If artists apply as partners, each artist must be present. If each artist is not present, the artist who is present will not be permitted to set up or exhibit. No proxy of any kind is permitted. If artists working as partners are found to apply as a single artist, the artist will be disqualified without a refund, regardless of the calendar of stated deadlines.
6. Booth and display must remain intact during all hours of the show.
7. A photo ID is required at artist check-in by all artists, including partners, accepted to exhibit. In addition, the Festival reserves the right to check ID each day of the Festival to ensure the artist is present. Artists may NOT setup or have their booth setup until they have provided proof of their presence.
8. The sale of non-original promotional items is prohibited.
9. Artists are responsible for proper insurance and protection of work and setup/tear down. Des Moines Arts Festival, Inc. is not responsible for damage to work or setup/tear down for any reason. All artists are required to maintain and provide proof of insurance before they are allowed to set up and exhibit. Insurance must cover all days of the festival and setup.
10. Artists are responsible for collecting and reporting all taxes, including Iowa sales tax.
11. We do not allow sharing of booths except under extraordinary circumstances and ONLY if prior approval is provided in writing from the director. Absolutely no consideration is given if the request is made at the time of set-up or during the show. We will do our best to honor booth placement requests for partners and spouses to be set up next to each other.
12. Artists are required to accept Art Bucks, the gift certificates that are sold in advance of the Festival, exclusively for artwork.
13. Artists are not permitted to use cheaply made, light-weight, accordion-style pop-up tents. The tented structure must be commercial or professional grade with at least 40 pounds on each corner and with stabilizing maneuvers. The goal is to provide maximum safety to artists and guests. Any variation is prohibited and will result in the artist being excluded from the Festival without compensation or consideration. If you have a question about whether your structure is acceptable, please reach out to Stephen.

In addition to the rules of exhibiting, the following guidelines/restrictions apply to the jury process:
Artists may submit multiple applications with a distinctly different body of work. Applications may NOT be of mixed work. Artists whose work is selected in multiple mediums are eligible for a single, double booth space. Upon receipt of the application, the Festival reserves the right to return any application that is deemed non-compliant or does not provide the requested information. If you submit an application that does not meet the requested criteria, it may be returned to you for modification. Application fees will not be returned or refunded. Artists may choose to apply as-is with the understanding that the Des Moines Arts Festival is fully within its rights to reject the application from jurying, or a full point may be deducted from the artist's final first-round score for not adhering to the guidelines set forth in this application after being offered the opportunity to make a change.

PLEASE NOTE – REGARDING COLLABORATING ARTISTS: If you are submitting an application as a collaborating artist/partner, you must submit the name(s) with the application. Please follow the instructions provided on ZAPP. You may not add a partner after the jury. If you have any questions or difficulties registering the partner, please contact the ZAPP office before submitting your application.

New Directions

New Directions is designed for professional visual artists (the distinction is made because of the emerging artists' programs) who are juried into the festival and who, between the time they are juried and the date of the festival, are exploring new directions in their current work. Exhibiting artists will have the opportunity to introduce our guests to new art they are exploring. All artists will jury with their body of work as they usually do.

Should any juried artist find themselves exploring a new direction with their work and want to participate in the program, we will work with them on a case-by-case basis within parameters that all involved parties (including the show) must follow. To keep intact the decisions of the jury, we will institute a few parameters: new work may not occupy but a small percentage of the overall exhibit space; the work will be identified as “new work” within the exhibit space; the work must be an extension of the work juried into the show; the new work must be clearly defined within the exhibit; and it all must be original. It may not be a completely different medium.

Emerging Iowa Artists (EIA)

The Emerging Iowa Artist program is designed for Iowa residents currently enrolled in or recently graduated (within one year) from a university, college, or art school anywhere in the U.S. to exhibit their talents and sell their artwork at the Des Moines Arts Festival. This program is free for qualified artists.

Qualified artists are required to apply to the show in the same manner as professional artists and submit their work in accordance with the specifications. All applicants are required to provide proof of residency and enrollment at the time of application to ensure the integrity of the program. All work submitted is juried by the same jury.

The on-site exhibition opportunity is limited to five (5) artists. The Festival provides infrastructure through a single 10’ x 50’ tent and pro panel display walls (the artist provides any other equipment). Selected artists are required to attend a learning session at the time it is called before the festival to review best practices, rules, and important information. Additionally, selected artists are required to provide a demonstration of their work product during the festival.

If you are a qualified EIA, apply under the medium (category) "Emerging Iowa Artist." To waive the application fee, you must enter the coupon code EIA2026. The Festival will NOT refund the application fee if you do not enter the coupon code. Please note that Des Moines Arts Festival requires a booth image from its professional artists as part of the application. EIA applicants will instead provide an additional image of their work in place of the booth image.