All RISD alumni from degree programs are welcome to apply. Participants must be prepared to have ample inventory / items available for a full day street sale.

Current RISD students can apply for RISD Craft: Fall but have a separate non-juried application that opens at the end of August, and are selected by a lottery.

The application windows are open for a period of 15-20 days.

RISD Craft: Spring applications are open in late fall, and RISD Craft: Fall applications are open in the spring. See the top of this page for specific dates. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance 5-6 weeks following the application deadline.

As of 2021, applications to RISD Craft are free for alumni.

You will be asked to submit a short statement about the work you’re submitting, and five web/print-ready jpegs of your current work representative of what you will bring to the show. Your statement and images will be used for the jurying process and for promotion if you are selected to participate. Images must be 300dpi and between 1400 and 4000 pixels on their longest side to be viewed correctly. Applications must be submitted through our website.

All vendors, including RI residents, are also responsible for collecting applicable 7% sales tax on taxable items (including art, jewelry, ceramics, glass, photography, prints, etc)  and remitting it to the State of RI via check, which will be done at the check out process. If you are a RI resident with an Artist Exemption, or if you sell apparel, you will not be required to collect or remit sales tax.

No. RISD has and will continue to heavily subsidize the event. Substantial fees are associated with tent, table, chair, and portable restroom rentals, permits with the City of Providence, street closures, promotion and print materials, as well as personnel. We view RISD Craft as a benefit to alumni and the Providence community and work hard to keep booth costs affordable to artists. Feel free to contact the Executive Director of Alumni + Family Relations for a full budget explanation.

If you withdraw from the sale, you will receive a refund of your booth fee if you request your refund in writing before the deadline noted in the Prospectus – generally 3 months before the sale. You will receive a refund of half of your booth fee if you request your refund in writing before the deadline noted in the Prospectus – generally 6 weeks before a sale. We cannot refund booth fees after that point since advance planning and materials are required to promote the show. Exceptions may be made regarding health concerns or certain situations, please contact the sale coordinator at alumnisale@risd.edu with any issues.

No, sorry. Alumni must be present to check in at the show, and at their booth the majority of the day. Of course, there are allowances for breaks! Sales representatives are never permitted to replace the alumni artist. This event is not a regular trade show or art sale, but a RISD community event. The show only works with our mission if alumni are there on the street to present their work and interact with the RISD community and the public.

Yes, but you must also be prepared with inventory to showcase and sell on the street that day- please do not plan to only take orders at the sale. You must include any down-payments for custom orders in your sales reconciliation.

Generally, no, since every participating artist/business needs to be juried and accepted. If you decide you would like to share your booth with another accepted artist, please contact us and we will be happy to review.

Because of the time-sensitive jury process, there isn’t an opportunity to apply late to RISD Craft shows. We offer a long application window with a similar time frame each year to ensure that there is ample time for people to apply. Sign up for notification emails by emailing our office at alumnisale@risd.edu.

We feel it’s a valuable opportunity for students to get involved in the sale before they graduate. Student participation in RISD Craft helps hone entrepreneurial skills and grants real-world experience. The student section of the show is unjuried and separated from the alumni section on the street. Students are not eligible for awards.

Jurors look for the best examples of unique, sophisticated, original work in all media – and are especially interested in exemplary design and exquisite craftsmanship.

At RISD Craft: Spring, there are 128 booths for juried artists, spread out between Waterman and Hopkins Streets. Placement is chosen by lottery, and you are not able to request which area of the street you will be placed in.

At RISD Craft: Fall, there are 90 alumni booths available between Waterman and College streets. In this sale, there is a student & recent graduate section between College and Hopkins streets.

The size of the sale is largely determined by the street closures permitted by the City of Providence.

For each sale, we have a waiting list that is comprised of approximately 25 artists that went through the jury process. Those on the waiting list will be offered booths as they become available when people withdraw from the sale.

The panel of jurors is comprised of RISD alumni and/or faculty, all working artists and designers in different media. The panel changes for each sale. Anonymity ensures impartiality.

For RISD Craft: Spring, the jurors select an artist to receive the Emerging Artist Award, which is given to an alum who has graduated within the last 10 years. There is also the People’s Choice Award, which is based on votes from visitors to the show. The awards include automatic acceptance and a complimentary booth to the winner’s choice of one of the next years’ shows.

• Artists retain 100% of their sales.
• Artists’ website and/or contact information is distributed on the website.
• Advance promotion through press releases, email blasts, postcard mailing, advertising placement on local and regional press, and on our social media platforms.
• Exposure to potential customers who would possibly not have another opportunity to see your work in person–which may turn into other opportunities: future sales, wholesale opportunities, commissions, media exposure, networking and more.

Our panel of jurors chooses work while considering many factors, listed above. There is a large pool of applicants every year, but we can only accommodate a set number of alumni booths. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual feedback to applicants.

The photos you submit on your application are extremely important in their ability to convey to the jurors the craftsmanship, quality, originality, depth, and breadth of your work. Avoid repetitive images, and model shots where a juror might not fully understand what they are being asked to judge.

For each sale, a new panel of jurors is invited so that the sales will not become stagnant.

While the show will continue to evolve, the factors that make for an excellent application remain the same. Your application is your opportunity to put your best foot forward and show us what makes you an outstanding RISD alum and artist.

All artists, including RI residents, must charge 7% sales tax on all items (other than apparel, which is untaxed in Rhode Island)  that are sold at RISD Craft, including art, jewelry, ceramics, glass, photography, prints, etc. If you have been approved for an Artist Exemption by the State of RI, you will not be required to collect or remit sales tax, but will need to provide proof of this exemption to RISD prior to the event.

YES! Any person selling any type of item in the State of RI must have a permit to make sales, according to state law. If you have a permanent sales permit, you will be asked to provide the permit number to RISD prior to the event. If you do not have a permanent RI sales permit, you can obtain a temporary sales permit from RISD on the day of the event, at no cost to you (the state no longer charges the $10 temporary permit fee). Please note that in order to be compliant with RI state tax law, we cannot accept Federal Tax ID numbers (EIN), social security numbers, or wholesale/resale permit numbers.

YES! RISD expects all participants to fill out a short questionnaire about sales. This information helps us secure city and state support of our events and demonstrates the importance of arts related community programming and events. We will never share personal or detailed information about your specific business, and will only share aggregated information.

Additionally, all participating vendors who obtained a temporary RI sales permit from RISD must complete sales and tax paperwork at the end of the day, as required by law. If you sold taxable items (which includes all items other than apparel), you will be required to remit sales tax and provide information about your sales on the permit paperwork. If you sold apparel, or if you obtained a temporary sales permit but you do have an Artist Exemption, you will not need to pay sales tax, but you will need to complete the paperwork and inform the state that you sold nontaxable items or that you are exempt.

Failure to comply or complete this paperwork may render you ineligible for future RISD Craft sales.

All participating vendors who obtained a temporary RI sales permit from RISD must complete sales and tax paperwork at the end of the day, as required by law. If you sold taxable items (which includes all items other than apparel), you will be required to remit sales tax and provide information about your sales on the permit paperwork. If you sold apparel, or if you obtained a temporary sales permit but you do have an Artist Exemption, you will not need to pay sales tax, but you will need to complete the paperwork and inform the state that you sold nontaxable items or that you are exempt.

If you have a permanent RI sales permit and collected sales tax, you will file taxes as usual and send your payment directly to the State.

Participants must check in 1-2 hours before the show’s start time, at the corner of Waterman and Benefit streets, where you will receive your registration packet and booth number. You will not be allowed on the street to set up until we are finished setting up the street. Participants must check in at least 60 minutes prior to the start of the sale, or let the show coordinator know you are running late.

Yes, RISD Craft takes place rain or shine! We’ll be reasonable in case of very extreme weather, of course, but generally we tent the entire street if the weather is very inclement.

We are contractually obligated to make the call to tent the entire street several days before the event. Sometimes the forecast is clear when we make the call and then a chance of showers develops after. Please be prepared with a tarp or plastic to cover your work in case we get some passing showers.

If the forecast looks bad, we will tent the street. Please be prepared for a slightly more crowded environment inside the tent. We advise you to bring extra bags or plastic to wrap your merchandise for customers. The tables are set up in the street so be prepared to stand on wet ground for the day (rain boots or sturdy shoes are advised).

We will notify all participants in advance of the sale whether the event will be tented or not.

Wind catches many artists unprepared on the day of the show. Large racks or shelves have a tendency to blow over and paper goods can take a tumble. Work should be placed in protective glassine or plastic to protect it, and weighted down. The show is outside so it is up to you, the artist, to prepare for the elements. For the safety of attendees, and in consideration of your artist neighbors, make sure your booth structure and your products are secure.

We provide one table (6 ft x 2.5 ft) and two folding chairs. The rental table is ugly, so you definitely want to bring a table covering of some kind.  You are welcome to bring your own display set-up materials but you must follow the display guidelines for each sale. In general: don’t set up over your allotted space, and don’t block anyone else’s work. Personal tents are not allowed, sorry.

No, sorry. It isn’t possible at our street sale. Be sure to bring a portable battery charger to keep your mobile device charged throughout the day!

No, sorry. You’re welcome to log into RISD’s guest wi-fi, but service isn’t guaranteed, so please plan ahead with a data plan if you want to accept credit cards. VisitSquare or PayPal to learn how to accept credit card payments on your mobile device. Also bring a portable battery charger to keep your phone charged throughout the day!

Sorry, no. By committing to the show, you are agreeing to bring enough product and remain set up for the duration of the show. Booth displays must remain intact until the show ends. Failure to respect the time frame will result in future ineligibility.

We cannot guarantee sales and do not offer refunds. We do our best to make sure that every artist has a good experience and hope that the exposure and connections made with customers will add value.