There may be a limit to the number of artists accepted based on amount of applicants and available space in the gift shops. The following is a partial list of criteria used by the jury when evaluating submitted work.
- Originality: Is the work original in design? Is the work mass-produced or printed? Greeting cards or prints are accepted, but are determined on an individual basis and they must be from the artist’s original artwork. If the work has an imprinted retail price, it must be sold at that price. Is the work a replication of other artists' work, or does it have a strong resemblance to another artist’s work? Is the work unique and in a media not offered elsewhere in downtown locations or currently in the Toe River Arts gift shops?
- Handmade elements: Is the work from kits or patterns? Are the major elements used in the work handmade? Is the overall appearance of the work handmade as opposed to commercially manufactured or machine made?
- Quality and integrity of the work: Is the work professional, well crafted and ready for display?
- Size: Is the size of the work reasonable for the gift shops?
- Price: Is the work within the price points that are sellable in both gift shops?
The gift shop jury is comprised of gallery/gift shop staff, Toe River Arts board members and professional artists familiar with different artistic media and interested parties in the community. The jury changes every year. Artists not accepted may reapply the following year.
Gift shop applicants would typically be asked to bring in their three pieces to the Toe River Arts Spruce Pine gallery to be juried in person. In an effort to limit physical contact, we ask that applicants submit images of their work instead. This application will act as a first round of jurying, and applicants may be asked to bring in work samples at a later time if the jury deems it necessary.
Applicants will be notified by email of their status by the end of April 2021.