MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival 2027

Overview

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival 2027 is a juried art fair in Fort Worth, Texas. The festival is open to artists working in ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, metalworks, mixed media, painting, photography, and printmaking.

Key dates

• Submission deadline: October 9, 2026

Eligibility

Open to artists. An Emerging Artist category is reserved for artists who have never juried into a large show previously and reside in Texas, with priority given to Fort Worth/Metroplex artists. Emerging Artists may only apply once in that category and may not apply in both the Emerging Artist program and the regular Exhibiting Artist program simultaneously.

Images required

• Four images must show individual pieces of consistent body of work to be showcased at the festival.
• Booth image must be of a single display booth in an outdoor, daytime setting, shot full front (side to side and top to bottom), not at an oblique angle.
• Emerging Artists may substitute a work image for the booth image; simply designate one image as 'Booth Slide.'
• Booth image must show overall continuity, scale, and presentation matching the submitted body of work.
• Booth image must not reference the artist's name, company name, or include the artist or collaborators in the shot. This is a blind jury.
• Work inconsistent with the application shown in the booth image will not be tacitly approved for display; only jury images determine work approved for the festival.
• Failure to follow booth image parameters may delay or jeopardize fair review of the application.

Artist statements

• Short artist statement (100 characters): Read aloud to the jury as images are shown. Include processes and materials; avoid abbreviations and text-style language.
• Long artist statement (mandatory): Provides information about process, philosophy, and methodology. Used during initial review and may be referenced during jury deliberation.

Categories

• Ceramics: Original clay and porcelain work (excluding jewelry). No machine-made or mass-produced work. Multiple identical pieces must each be signed.
• Digital Art: Original work created or manipulated by the artist using a computer. Must be limited edition, signed and numbered on archival materials. Traditional photographs taken with digital cameras go in Photography; digitally manipulated photographs go in Photography or Mixed Media.
• Drawing: Dry media (chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, wax crayon) or fluid media (inks and washes applied by pen or brush).
• Emerging Artist: For artists with no experience exhibiting and selling artwork, based in Texas (emphasis on Metroplex). Upon acceptance, Emerging Artists pay lower booth fees, receive a provided tent, and receive mentoring from veteran artists.
• Fiber: Basketry, embroidery, weaving, tapestry, and papermaking. No machine tooling, machine-screened patterns, or mass production. No factory-produced wearable items.
• Glass: No mass production permitted.
• Jewelry: All jewelry from any material (metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic, etc.). No commercial casts, molds, or production studio work.
• Leather: Works from leather only. No production studio work. Belts, buckles, straps, or other accessories are not allowed unless specifically shown in jury images (not booth slide) and approved by jury.
• Metalworks: Non-sculptural, non-jewelry metal works. No production studio work.
• Mixed Media: 2D and 3D works incorporating more than one type of physical material.
• Painting: Oils, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Photography: Photographic prints made from the artist's original image, processed by the artist or under direct supervision. Must be properly signed and numbered as limited edition. Artists must disclose both creative and printing processes.
• Printmaking: Printed works where the artist's hand manipulated plates, stones, or screens. Must be properly signed and numbered.

Notes for applicants

Any requested image changes will be made by email and must be completed by the deadline. Applications submitted late in the process may not allow sufficient time for full review. The jury images—not the booth image—determine which work is approved for display at the festival.