Art by the Falls - 42nd Annual - 2026

About the Open Call

Valley Art Center is proud to present the 42nd Annual Art by the Falls outdoor fine arts and contemporary crafts festival. This juried festival, taking place from June 6-7, 2025 (with setup on June 5, 2025) at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, features over 160 artists and draws 25,000+ patrons. The event is centrally located within the affluent Chagrin Valley, a known arts community. Artists will benefit from amenities such as special hotel rates, onsite parking, booth unload/load assistance, dedicated booth zones for artists with physical disabilities, booth sitters, zone leaders, continental breakfast on show days, and an Artist’s party with complimentary dinner on Saturday night. Cash awards are given for Best of Show, First, Second, and Third place in 2-D and 3-D art categories. The application process requires all submitted work to be original, designed, and executed by the artist, who must be present for both days of the festival. An application fee of $45 is non-refundable. Booth costs range from $345 for a 10x10 space to $545 for a 10x20 space, with an additional $200 for corner booths. The jury typically selects about 160 artists from around 300 applications, scoring on a 1-7 scale. Returning artists may be invited based on past awards or as Valley Art Center instructors. Vendors selling buy/sell items, mass-produced goods, food, soap, or candles are ineligible. Artists are also required to donate an artwork valued at $50 or more for a raffle supporting Valley Art Center's non-profit programming.

What is Offered

Cash awards (Best of Show, First, Second, Third place in 2-D and 3-D art), special hotel rates, onsite parking, booth site unload/load assistance, dedicated booth zone for artists with physical disabilities, booth sitters, dedicated zone leaders, continental breakfast on show days, and an Artist’s party on Saturday night with complimentary dinner.

Requirements

All work must be the original creation of the artist and for sale. The accepted artist must be present for both festival days. Buy-sell art, art created by others, or from kits is unacceptable. Art created with AI tools must be disclosed. Artists may only show work in approved categories of the quality and type submitted for jury. Prints must be artist-created, with only 20% photo-mechanical reproductions allowed. Artists MUST remain with their work for the entire festival duration. A white tent, free from logos, and all display equipment must be provided by the artist, with proper tent weights. Electricity and generators are not permitted. A fire extinguisher and an accessible sales counter (at least 36” wide, no more than 34” high) are required. Artists are responsible for insurance. A vendor's license from the state of Ohio is required. Artists MUST park in designated areas. Artists are required to donate an artwork valued at $50 or more to the Valley Art Center Raffle Booth. All artists must agree to follow any current Valley Art Center Covid/Health guidelines. This application does not accept applications from emerging artists.

How to Apply

Artists can apply through the ZAPP platform. The application requires submission of original artwork, adhering to specific category definitions and including an artist statement, especially for digital media that uses AI tools. Artists are required to be present during the festival days.