M&T Bank Clothesline Art & Fine Craft Festival Artist Applications

Regular artist applications are online only, through the application links shared upon this page.

Early bird artist applications (distributed each year during the festival to current participating artists) are online and through the paper application distributed during the festival. The online early bird applications are accessible only via materials distributed at the festival.

For any questions about artist spaces, please email clothesline@mag.rochester.edu or call 585.276.8949.

All communication from the Memorial Art Gallery will come from email addresses ending in @mag.rochester.edu.

Online artist applications close on Sunday, August 16, 2026. If you don’t apply by Friday, July 31, 2026, your information will not appear on printed materials.

If you are a returning artist requesting the same space as last year, make sure to submit your application by April 30, 2026. If your application is received after this deadline, we cannot guarantee that you will get the same location.

The last day to withdraw without forfeiting the artist space fee is July 1, 2026.

Artist space assignments will not be made until the Clothesline team has received all fees from all artists. Artist space numbers and other pertinent information will be updated on the website starting in August.

The Memorial Art Gallery requires that all participating Clothesline artists and makers submit original work, whether one-of-a-kind or limited edition. The work must be conceived and designed solely by the artist or maker, and show vision, imagination, and originality.

Artists’ work should be in one of the following categories: painting, drawing, sculpting, ceramics, digital, mixed media, photography, fiber arts, jewelry, metal, glass, leather, wood, or printmaking.

Work cannot be:

• made from commercial kits, patterns, stencils, or molds
• bought and sold items
• personal care items, edible items, candles, plants, flowers (fresh, dried, silk), beaded jewelry made solely by restringing commercially produced or purchased beads
• work that is partisan in nature

Reprints of a singular design of the artist or maker’s own work are limited to 30% of the booth display.

In keeping with the Memorial Art Gallery’s commitment to present a high-standard show with quality work, all entrants are subject to Clothesline eligibility criteria. The vetting process does not provide individual critiques; all decisions are final.

All first-time applicants, or those who did not participate in last year’s festival, must send examples of their work and artist space layout to jury.clothesline@mag.rochester.edu for selection. If you have exhibited at the festival in the past, your work must be consistent in quality, style, and medium, as it has been in past years. If there have been any changes, please contact us at clothesline@mag.rochester.edu.

Materials for Vetting:

1. One (1) to three (3) JPEG images that show the quality and style of your current work
2. One (1) JPEG image of your current booth display, showing the overall presentation and variety of the work you plan to exhibit
3. A brief description (10-25 words) of your work, materials, and technique

Please name the image files in this format: lastname1, lastname2, lastname3, lastnamebooth.

If you are submitting work in two categories, please send one email with separate images and descriptions for each category. You may exhibit work only in categories that have been reviewed and accepted for the vetting process.

If you don’t have a photo of your artist space, please submit a photo showing all your work together. We would like to see the scope of your work, including the quantity, and how it would potentially look when exhibited.

Application Fees

• $35 for all applicants (with a waiver for winners of 3+ Clothesline Merit Awards)
• Double artist spaces require both artists to pay the application fee

NOTE: the application fee for each artist is non-refundable.

Artist Space Fees

• $330 for standard (10’ x 10’)
• $385 for a corner artist space
• $660 for double artist space (20’ x 10’)
• $770 for a endcap artist space
• $715 for a double artist space with the corner
• $565 for a standard indoor space (single only)
• $1165 for a double indoor space (single only)

NOTE: application fees are built into the prices for the single and shared artist spaces when applying online.

Artists are required to provide their own tent within their artist spaces. To ensure the safety for everyone, all tents must be secured and weighted.

Requests for accessible parking must be indicated on your application by including your NYS permit number. Your permit must be displayed at all times while on MAG grounds. No vehicles will be allowed off the grounds on Sunday until all pedestrians have cleared the premises. Please be mindful of this and plan accordingly.

Up to two artists may share an artist space. When applying online, artists have the choice to choose a single artist space (with one artist fee built into the price) or a shared artist space (with two artist fees built into the price) for each kind of artist space. If submitting a paper application, each artist must submit a separate application with the $35 application fee and the appropriate percentage of the artist space fee.

Each artist must submit the requested materials for the vetting process. If one artist is not accepted into the show, the other artist is responsible for the entire artist space fee. There is one parking space allotted per artist space.

Indoor booths are not eligible for sharing.