Artist Alley 2012 FAQ

[hieis_girl1]

Do you have a question? Please check here as it may have already been asked.

I can sell food? If not, can share food with friends and attendees?
No. You are not allowed to sell manufactured or homemade food. You are allowed to have a bowl of Hershey kisses or any other wrapped candy for attendees to enjoy. You are also allowed to share your private food with friends. However, you are not allowed to sell or share hand-made food with attendees. This is a rule that is to protect you, the attendee and the convention. I love that people are learning how to make delicious treats, but the Artists Alley is not a place to have such business.

Am I allowed to have multiple artists selling at one table?
Yes.  You will be given the chance to discuss this in the application form.

Can I sell fan art?
Yes. As long as you composed it by your own hand (no tracing or related activities), you are allowed to sell your own work as long as it does not violate any copyright laws. If there are any infringements, you will be required to remove it.

I produce my own products, is that considered commercial production?
No. Anything that you produce with your own hands (physically or design and sent to a small company to produce for you) is perfect for Artists Alley. However, products produced by a company not owned by you or you did not have any hand in the design is not okay.

Can I display my yaoi/hentai otherwise adult material?
You can have adult material at your table, but it must not be available for minors to see, touch or otherwise experience. You may have a sign stating that you have such materials and once you have checked their ID, they can see it. AA manager will also distribute pin-back buttons that will state "please ask me about my adult material". Anyone found violating this will receive one warning. Repeat offenses will not be tolerated. Please read the contact for further details. If you still have questions, please contact the Artists Alley manager.

What do you mean the Artists Alley is lightly juried? What does this mean?
Many shows, both conventions and otherwise, jury their applicants to some extent. Because there will be more demand then there is space, I wanted to make sure there is a chance for anyone who wants to apply. This will not only allow for me to see all those who are interested in being involved with Kumoricon, but help to make sure that we have return artists present as well as new faces that haven't been with our Artists Alley before.
What does this mean for the artist? This is your chance to put your best foot forward and show me what you got and why you should have a space in this year's Artists Alley.

I want to apply for Artists Alley, but I don't have any current pictures of my work. Should I apply now and send in updated pictures later?
You could, but we would prefer you waited until you have current  photos of your work. Remember, this is NOT a first come-first serve situation. Everyone is given an equal chance to be accepted. Waiting until you have the proper photos of your best work will not be disadvantageous.

[SasamiChan]

Quick question - what does the "lightly juried" mean? Like, do we need to provide you with a portfolio? A description of what we're selling? I assume the term "juried" is meaning that you're trying to weed out crappy artists?

[hieis_girl1]

We do require you provide us with examples of what you will be selling at kumoricon, in order to provide a variety of products for the attendees, and to keep the quality of said products up, wether the artist is a professional, novice, or somewhere in between.

[Transimage]

Awesome! Gonna fill it out right now.

Questions: does one app equal one full table? If we check "planning to share space" does that mean I'm open to sharing, or that I'm responsible for bringing my own partner/tablemate?

[hieis_girl1]

Yes, you will get a full table with your app. If you choose to share a table, it is up to you to provide a tablemate. You will need to provide their information and portfolio with your application as well.

[scream aim fire]

ahh sorry for the trouble, but for additional artists, should we just put their information in after our own, or is there somewhere else on the form it should go?

[hieis_girl1]

There is a section on the application for you to include information for your tablemate below your info.

[Chiroyo]

Question: Is the Artist Alley going to be located in the same place as last year, with the same setting? As in, that small space in the Red Lion packed with tables?

If it's in the same spot/size as last year I probably won't apply.

[hieis_girl1]

The location has been changed. Artists Alley is going to be where the venders hall was last year; in the separated building.

[blix]

Do you think we could get a map of where the artist alley and vendor halls are in comparison to the overall hotel layout? I haven't exhibited at Kumori Con since 2010 when it was in Portland. :< Additional info would be helpful in my decision between artist alley or exhibitor.

[hieis_girl1]

Here are comparative photos of the layout JUST at the Red Lion. Don't forget that the panel and main event programming will be at the Hilton, which is only a couple blocks away.

This is only what they mentioned at the staff meeting in April. This may not be 100% set, but assume that this is how things will be set up.

[SHIRU]

Hello!

I have a couple questions as I *letshope* potential Artist:

) Is there a minimum age for Artist Alley?
If so, to sell art would we need a guardian or just a guardian sign ?

) To Veteran Artists:
How do you calculate tax into your merch?
Do you roll it into the cost somehow?

How big do you make a file when you draw?
Do you honestly draw on a huge canvas (about 2000 px times 3000 px),
or is drawing smaller and sizing okay?

and also, any tips in manning a table/ tips in general? (Really, ANYTHING will help @3@ )

Thank you so much!

[blix]

I think calculating tax could get overly complex really quickly and time consuming with all the change making. It's easier to charge a round number up front and then subtract the tax rate from your final sales total. So if I sell a print for 10$ at the show, I subtract .90 cents for tax after the show. My total is 9.10. Also, if you make under 600$, I don't think it's necessary to report taxes of any sort the government allows that much free of taxes or bother to report them.

You should make your digital file as big as any print you'd want to make of it. Some upsizing can be successful, but results vary. I think 300dpi 11x17 inches is a minimum size for success. Go bigger if you can, like 600dpi 11x17inches.

[YUme]

I had a few questions if anyone can answer that would be great QvQ;;

I also wanted to know if there's an age minimum to sign up?

If you get a table can the artist badge be used as a regular badge? (like for wondering around before and after the artist alley hours)

Do we need a seller's permit to sell?

For the name of artist part of the application can we use a pen name instead of our real name or is that for the business name the place to be putting pen names?

Thanks in advance;;

[hieis_girl1]

There it's no age limit, but minors must have an adult with them at all times.

Your artists alley badge acts as an attendance badge for the con as well.

You do not need a permit to sell your work.

Please use your real name on the application, as that is what is going to be on your badge and will be used to identify you for safety reasons. You may put your pen name in the business name.

[Kino]

Ah poop, I didn't check until now to see if they were open yet. I'm a few weeks late so I hope that's not going to completely screw us over! D:

There are a couple of things that we may or may not be making over the summer (as we don't have the money or the materials for them at this immediate moment in time), so I don't exactly have pictures covering all of what we're planning to sell. I've been so busy finishing up high school that I haven't had that much time to prepare for prints and plushies and stuff so I hope that won't interfere with the application process.

• Should I just explain what we're selling in the "Description of  table setup" box, in the "other" box, or in the "Subject of art" box?
• Is the solid deadline June 1st to get the form in?
• Also, about the tax stuff, we live in Oregon and don't have sales tax so I'm not sure how it works out. If we're only going to be selling at the con, and since we don't live in Washington, do we still have to pay tax? I don't really understand that type of stuff x_x
• And what does "small press" refer to? I feel silly for asking XD;;

[hieis_girl1]

Provide photos of what you and your table mate already have on hand, and in the Subject of Art box, explain that you have unfinished work that you wish to sell, and explain what that work is.

Yes, the deadline is June 1st. W will not accept any applications after that.

You do not have to pay sales taxes. You add the tax to the prices of the items, but it I'd easier to subtract the tax from your regular prices. Unless you have high priced items, doing that won't be an issue in any way.

Small press just refers to publishing companies that make less than a certain amount each year. Unless you have a licensed company, you don't have to worry about that.

[Kino]

Alright, thanks for the info! I'll get right on that!

[hieis_girl1]

No problem. Glad I could help.

[Kino]

Whoops, one more question I forgot to ask: Are we allowed to have a CD player or some small speakers playing background music? And can we have small decorative lights on our table? : D

[hieis_girl1]

Music, most likely not. You'll have takes right next to you on both sides, and the music may disturb them. The lights, possibly, as long as they are self-contained and not too flashy. We can discuss it during setup, if you are approved.

[Kino]

Sounds good! Thanks again!

[YUme]

Would it be okay to only have mock ups of what you would sell?

[hieis_girl1]

What sort of mockups?

[YUme]

Well for the application should we have pictures of the art printed?Or would it be okay to draw out the print but just not have it printed yet? (if that makes sense? Also, thanks for replying so quickly!)

[hieis_girl1]

We would prefer a photo of the finished product. If you only have one or two pieces that are finished, please provide photos of those first Anne foremost. If there are other pieces you want to show us, but aren't finished you may provide a photo of them. But please have at least one photo of finished products.

[YUme]

oh okay thanks!

[hieis_girl1]

No problem. Glad I could help.

[Dango!]

I have a question:
I says that we're provided with 2 passes and the table + chairs.
Is it possible for us to use 1 pass for ourselves and use the other pass for a discount on the table?
I will be the only artist at the table and I'm pretty consolidated on my table display, but I didn't see an option for a half-table.

Thanks in advance!

[SasamiChan]

I have a question:
I says that we're provided with 2 passes and the table + chairs.
Is it possible for us to use 1 pass for ourselves and use the other pass for a discount on the table?
I will be the only artist at the table and I'm pretty consolidated on my table display, but I didn't see an option for a half-table.

Thanks in advance!

You could probably reserve the table for yourself now and then later "sell" half your table to another party. This happens all the time for other cons at least.

[hieis_girl1]

I have a question:
I says that we're provided with 2 passes and the table + chairs.
Is it possible for us to use 1 pass for ourselves and use the other pass for a discount on the table?
I will be the only artist at the table and I'm pretty consolidated on my table display, but I didn't see an option for a half-table.

Thanks in advance!

You could probably reserve the table for yourself now and then later "sell" half your table to another party. This happens all the time for other cons at least.

(I'm so sorry for the late response. I could've SWORN I posted a response already to this!!)

We would prefer if you did not do this, as it allows people who either didn't apply for a table, or someone we didn't approve for whatever reason, to be able to sell their products, which isn't fair to those that put in the effort and were selected to participate in AA.

With the table display thing, you can either have a friend sign up with you to sell their products, or just expand your set up/display. The more there is displayed on your table, the more likely people are going to stop and look; as opposed to having only a few items out.

We do not allow people to take a discount instead of the second pass; it would just get too confusing. If you have a friend who wants to attend KumoriCon and hasn't registered yet, give them that pass. They will also be able to help out at your table, by keeping you company, or looking over things while you have to disappear and get food or something else.

Again, so sorry for not getting back sooner!

[YUme]

I just sent my application but it just brought me back to the form, so I'm not if my application was sent in or not.
Should I have gotten a message that it was sent? Ah never mind;;

[Dango!]

I have a question:
I says that we're provided with 2 passes and the table + chairs.
Is it possible for us to use 1 pass for ourselves and use the other pass for a discount on the table?
I will be the only artist at the table and I'm pretty consolidated on my table display, but I didn't see an option for a half-table.

Thanks in advance!

You could probably reserve the table for yourself now and then later "sell" half your table to another party. This happens all the time for other cons at least.

(I'm so sorry for the late response. I could've SWORN I posted a response already to this!!)

We would prefer if you did not do this, as it allows people who either didn't apply for a table, or someone we didn't approve for whatever reason, to be able to sell their products, which isn't fair to those that put in the effort and were selected to participate in AA.

With the table display thing, you can either have a friend sign up with you to sell their products, or just expand your set up/display. The more there is displayed on your table, the more likely people are going to stop and look; as opposed to having only a few items out.

We do not allow people to take a discount instead of the second pass; it would just get too confusing. If you have a friend who wants to attend KumoriCon and hasn't registered yet, give them that pass. They will also be able to help out at your table, by keeping you company, or looking over things while you have to disappear and get food or something else.

Again, so sorry for not getting back sooner!

Ah! Thank you very much for both your responses! I have obtained myself a friend to share the table with if I get it.
Thanks again! <3

[hieis_girl1]

I have a question:
I says that we're provided with 2 passes and the table + chairs.
Is it possible for us to use 1 pass for ourselves and use the other pass for a discount on the table?
I will be the only artist at the table and I'm pretty consolidated on my table display, but I didn't see an option for a half-table.

Thanks in advance!

You could probably reserve the table for yourself now and then later "sell" half your table to another party. This happens all the time for other cons at least.

(I'm so sorry for the late response. I could've SWORN I posted a response already to this!!)

We would prefer if you did not do this, as it allows people who either didn't apply for a table, or someone we didn't approve for whatever reason, to be able to sell their products, which isn't fair to those that put in the effort and were selected to participate in AA.

With the table display thing, you can either have a friend sign up with you to sell their products, or just expand your set up/display. The more there is displayed on your table, the more likely people are going to stop and look; as opposed to having only a few items out.

We do not allow people to take a discount instead of the second pass; it would just get too confusing. If you have a friend who wants to attend KumoriCon and hasn't registered yet, give them that pass. They will also be able to help out at your table, by keeping you company, or looking over things while you have to disappear and get food or something else.

Again, so sorry for not getting back sooner!

Ah! Thank you very much for both your responses! I have obtained myself a friend to share the table with if I get it.
Thanks again! <3

Wonderful!!

[Xella]

I've seen "round one" or "phase one" mentioned in several places throughout the site; what's that all about?  If we applied in "this round" and don't necessarily get a table, will we be reentered into the running for round two, or is the concept of rounds there as a precaution in case AA signup numbers were significantly lower than expected so that they weren't just open indefinitely?

I guess this is kind of a silly thing to only ask now, but I haven't been to a con since the first couple years of Kumori so if this is old hat at this point, I'm kind of out of the loop, haha D:

[hieis_girl1]

We only accept applications once before the convention; which for this year was up until June 1st. We then go and look through all the applicants and their merchandise and decide who will be accepted for this year. Anyone who wasn't accepted (whether from what they are selling to lack of space) will be put on a waitlist, which we will refer to if and when someone already accepted has to pull out of Artists Alley for any reason.

I hope that makes sense, and feel free to ask more questions if it doesn't.

[Xella]

Yup, makes sense!  Was just the pesky "Round 1" bit on the AA page confusing me a bit, heh.

[hieis_girl1]

I'm glad I could clear that up for you.

[devyrae]

Will we get an email saying we did or did not get in after the deadline?

Also do you look through them all after the deadline or as they come in? I'm wondering because we have updated the pages with our stuff on them since we sent in the application. . .

[hieis_girl1]

We started looking through the applications after the deadline. I started looking through them, personally, last night, so you should be okay with at least one of us seeing the recent uploaded pictures.

Once we have gone through all the applications and meet up to decide who will have a table, we will be sending out emails to everyone letting them know if they are in or on the waitlist.

[NiMi]

Really looking forward to finding out!  Thanks for all your hard work so far and to come~

[hieis_girl1]

You should be hearing from us within the next week or so, hopefully. Jen and I are meeting up later this week to decide who is going where.

And thank you! If it weren't for all of you, we wouldn't have the wonderful outcome every year from artists and attendees.

[devyrae]

Im getting nervous about if i did or didn't send in the form correctly. . .I don't mean to be a bother but could you maybe update us here when you have finished sending out the emails?

_{Im gonna feel so stupid if i never sent in the forum correctly...>.<'''}

[hieis_girl1]

I will definitely do that. If you would like, message me your name that you submitted the application under, and I can look and see if we got something from you.

[Caporushes]

Has anyone heard about tables yet?

[hieis_girl1]

Emails may not have started being sent out yet. The Artists' Alley manager is the one sending them. She will have them all out by the end of the month, though. So don't fret too much if you haven't heard back yet!

[blix]

hmmmm ~ =__= I am leaving for Anime Expo soon. If notices are sent out during that time, I hope we will have a week at least in which to send payment for tables, if accepted.

[seshetaxhikaru]

Will everyone be getting an email to let them know if they got in or not? Or only the people who got in?

Thanks in advance.

[hieis_girl1]

Everyone who applied will receive an email from Jen, the Artists Alley Manager.

[Kiriska]

Past midnight on the first. :x Has anyone gotten an email?