Artist Alley

• All convention rules, as well as all local state and federal laws apply inside the Artist Alley.
• An artist may not sell their table to a third party/another artist without express permission from the Artist Alley Coordinator.
• No running, screaming, yelling, roughhousing, sparring, etc. Please try to remember that professionalism is a must.
• No equipment that will produce noxious fumes are allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, t-shirt presses, welding equipment, and so forth. (if you are unsure about a piece of equipment, ask)
• No squatting. If you did not pay for the table, it is not yours.
• All displays must be secured and stable. Any artist with unsecured stands will be asked to take them down.
• Each table comes with 2 chairs. Please do not move provided chairs to other tables. No more than 2 chairs should be behind a table at any given time (though artists may bring additional chairs from home if they wish).
• Displays should be no more than eight feet in height, when measured from the floor. And please do not attach things to the wall.
• No smoking or drinking will be permitted in the alley.
• No third party sales. Each artist must be selling their own work, not that of other people. Collaborative works, where multiple artists worked on a single project, are acceptable and must be noted beforehand.
• You must be 18 years or older to rent a table. Photo IDs will be needed when checking in.
• Any explicit content must be unavailable to underage eyes and be clearly labeled as such.
• No food or drink of any kind is permitted to be sold at Artist Alley tables.
• The Artist Alley is in a 24 hour open area. While there will be security present, please secure your belongings and take your valuables with you. The convention claims no responsibility for any losses acquired should valuables be left behind.

• Space in the Artist Alley includes one 6-foot table, two chairs, and two Exhibitor badges for $200.
• The primary applicant (Artist) is legally responsible for the table. The primary applicant must sign in for the table and the name on their application must match their legal ID.
• The Studio/Artist name is the publicly listed name for each Artist’s table. This will be listed by in the Con app, website and Artist Alley map. The Studio/Artist name must be unique to each application. If several members of the same studio are applying, they should differentiate somehow rather than having the same moniker.
• The email address used on the application must be current and checked often. We will not accept communication on the artist’s behalf from any other email address. Please note that email is our primary form of communication for status updates on applications and important updates. If you would like to change the email address associated with your application, you must email us from the original email address requesting this change. Please remember to set your email filters to accept all emails from @mtac.net email addresses. It has happened in the past that artists missed their chance for a table because the acceptance email went to their spam. Don’t let this happen to you!
• Only those with an exhibitor’s badge may run a table. People with a regular attendee badge may assist, but there must be someone with a Exhibitor’s badge at the table at all times. Artists may purchase one additional exhibitor’s badge in addition to the 2 provided with the cost of the table when paying for their table. Artists can give the second and third exhibitor badges to either a secondary collaborating artist or a table assistant.
• A table assistant is someone you trust to help you set up, man your table and sell your artwork while you are not there.
• Table sharing policy: Artists may share their table with other artists who have been accepted to the artist alley. You must have included the other artist’s work as part of your portfolio submission, or they must have applied themselves before the deadline. If the other artist was independently accepted, but you plan on sharing a table, please let us know via email. One artist will be the “primary applicant,” who will sign the contract and be legally responsible for the table. Artists may NOT share table space with artists who were rejected, waitlisted, or whose work our Portfolio Committee did not see. To add another artist to your table that was not listed on your original application, you will need to withdraw your initial application and reapply with their information included, or they will need to apply and be accepted separately. This option is not available after applications close.
• If circumstances arise where you cannot attend the convention or attend your table for the entirety of the convention, you must email us before the withdraw deadline. If you have already paid for your table you may receive a refund prior to one month before the convention begins, but no refunds are available after that date.

• If your portfolio does not meet these standards, your application will be rejected.
• Your portfolio must consist of at least 12 pictures or examples of your art. These pieces should showcase your best work, and be representative of what you will display or sell at your table.
• Your portfolio should be available at a single URL. We do not accept emails with attachments or multiple URLs. If you do not currently have such a page, you can create one for free on sites such as deviantart.com or wix.com.
• Your portfolio link should continue to be available throughout the time you are being considered for a table. If our judges attempt to visit your site and it at any time does not meet the 12 piece minimum or is otherwise unavailable, your application will be rejected.
• The portfolio link you submit should NOT include blog posts, profile pictures, or cosplay pictures (unless you are selling cosplay pieces).
• No sketches or incomplete works.
• All the artwork in your portfolio should be your own. We allow for collaborations with other artists, but these should be clearly identified as such.
• We are currently not accepting artwork created primarily through AI generation.
• There should be no tracing or reproduced art, such as cuttings from comics or photocopies from an official source.
  *We may make exceptions for artists of less common types of art. Please consult with Artist Alley directly before submitting your portfolio, as the 12 piece rule may not apply to you. For instance, an author’s portfolio might consist of photos of a stack or two of books they plan on selling, a picture of the book’s cover, your table at another convention or the display you plan on using and a sample chapter for our Portfolio Review Committee judges to read.
• Two types of works may be brought to the convention:
  • Items for Sale – 2D or 3D artwork or crafts that you have brought to sell.
  • Display Only – artwork that you are not selling. For example, original pieces to serve as examples for commissions or of which you are selling prints.

• Fan art is defined as “An interpretation of an existing character in the artist’s own style, falling under fair use.”
• Fair Use is defined as “a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of creative work.”
• If you did not come up with the character on your own, but you drew it in your own style, this would be fan art.
• Fan art must be an original design, drawn in your own style with your own poses and ideas. (Tracing, duplication of an existing pictures will be considered blatant copyright infringement and will not be allowed; the use of licensed fonts and logs also falls under copyright infringement)
• Buttons, pins, hats, t-shirts, jewelry, and bags bearing official art of a licensed character are not allowed. This list is not inclusive.
• If it can be purchased in the dealer’s room as official merchandise it has no place inside the artist alley.
• If an artist has and can produce proof of explicit permission from the copyright holder to use, the then items will be allowed. The liaison must first be contacted and shown proof of this permission. The permission must be displayed at all times at the table.

• Original artwork. The more the merrier.
• Fan artwork.
• Parody work. (Existing characters and situations used in a work of parody in the artist’s own style.)
• On-site commissions.
• Original plush toys, dolls and other similar items. Toys, dolls and other items depicting the artist’s original designs are allowed.
• Hand-made jewelry.
• T-shirts/bags featuring the artist’s original designs or work.
• Original/handmade clothing and accessories.
• Original sculptures/figurines.
• Perler bead sculptures are allowed but count towards your 70% fan art work.
• Props. (props are subject to follow the event’s weapons policy)

*Any and all adult work must be labeled and out of view of minors.

• Duplication/Reproduction of licensed material.
• Reselling of commercial products.
• Food or drink to be sold from the table as product.
• Weapons (This does not include props).
• Bootlegs or piracy.
• Mass-produced prints or merchandise.
• Items modified from bulk product or products that can be edited or altered for resell. (Example: Dice earrings, turning Gashapon into keychains, etc.)