Location:  SE Minnesota (Winona, Fillmore & Houston Counties)
Phone:   651-307-6373 (Sue)
Event Dates:  April 25-27, 2025
Application Deadline:  December 10, 2024

Please read entire application completely for submission requirements and artist performance requirements.

About the Event:

2025 is the 24th annual presentation of the Bluff Country Studio Art Tour.  Always held the last full weekend in April, this loved event draws approximately 2,500 visitors each year. Participating locations see between 40-400 visitors at each of the 20+ sites. Over 90% of participation fees are used to promote the event using a mailer to previous attendees, printed tour map, website, social media posts & ads, press releases and printed signs & ads and various other promotions.  Because the event is a studio tour, our preference is for artists to open their studios to the public to demonstrate and show visitors their work process. To maintain our studio tour status, no less than 50% of participants must be presenting in a studio location.  Host locations area available for artists from outside the tour area or for artists who have studios not conducive to tours or are not handicap accessible. Hosted space is limited, may have additional fees (rent) and are subject to review & approval by the tour committee.

Participation Categories/Fees:

Artist Category - The artist category should be used by all individuals whether at their own studio, being hosted at another artist's studio or presenting at the shared site in Lanesboro (or other shared sites that may become available).

Emerging Artist Category - This category is designed specifically for artists who have little or no experience exhibiting and selling their artwork in an art fair/tour environment. A limited number of Emerging Artist participants is limited. Artists who meet this requirement are encouraged to apply, Emerging artists will be provided a location to display their work at hosted site or may display at their studio location.

Gallery Category - Gallery applicants must be year around retail businesses presenting the work of two or more artists at their location on an ongoing basis.  Artist demonstrations are encouraged, galleries may have one demonstrating artist available at any given time during the tour to demonstrate their creation process.  A different demonstrating artist each day is encouraged to provide a diverse variety of mediums demonstrated. Demonstrating artists must be represented by the gallery and all sales during the event are sales from the gallery inventory. BCSAT may tour applying gallery locations before acceptance into event. The gallery category should not be used for a location to invite multiple guest artists to participate in the event, this practice is not allowed.

Fees (non-refundable, only collected after acceptance into event) - 
Artist - $175
Emerging Artist - $100
Year Around Gallery (representing 2 or more artists) - $350

Any questions on what category would be appropriate for your situation please contact the number at the top of this application.

Process:
Applications are due by December 10, 2024. Jury of Emerging and new artist or gallery applicants will be completed by December 15, 2024 and those artists will be notified.  Email invoices for participation fees will be sent to all artists January 1st with payments due January 31, 2025.

Artists Receive:
Each artist and gallery receive a page on the tour website with site specific information and a slideshow of work, as well as the location they are presenting being shown on our website tour map. We will be mailing oversized post cards to our mailing list and creating a downloadable/printable brochure/map that will be on our website and available at artist locations during the tour. Post cards are mailed to approximately 12,000 addresses of past patrons and an additional 4,000 are distributed by participating artists and local businesses, visitor's centers, art festivals, and art organizations. Additionally, the tour is promoted in print ads, TV and radio promotions, local chamber promotions and social media. Each artist is expected to provide a mailing list for the tour mailing and to distribute promotional materials to potential attendees.

Image Submission Requirements:
Each artist shall provide 6-10 high res. 300dpi photos with a maximum of 1920 px on the longest side. These photos will be used to jury new and emerging artists, for the artist's info page on our website, print materials and ad design as well as social media promotions.

Quality photographs are extremely important. The majority of photos should be of artist's current work, however, please also include 1-2 photos of the artist working.

Images should be titled with the applicant's name and image number (ex. - Pariseau1).   If you have a preference what photo is used for the featured image, use name & "feature" (ex. - PariseauFeature) and upload it in the "Photo #1" slot. If you don't have a preference, our graphic designer will select a photo they feel fits best with the design need.

Photo Uploads

Image Requirements:
Each artist shall provide 6-10 high res. 300dpi photos with a maximum of 1920 px on the longest side. These photos will be used to jury applicants, on the artist's info page on our website, mailers and ad design as well as social media promotions. Quality photographs are extremely important. The majority of photos should be of artist's current work, however please include 1-2 additional photos of the artist working. It is also helpful to have photos in various aspects (landscaped, portrait or square ) so there are a variety of sizes and shapes to select from when utilizing photos in our promotions.

Images should be titled with the Gallery name or artists last name and image number (ex. - Pariseau1). If you have a preference what photo is used for the featured image, use name & "feature" (ex. - PariseauFeature). If you do't have a preference, our graphoic designer will select a photo they feel fits best with the  design need.

Photos of insufficient quality will not be used and may reslt in not being accepted as a participant.

Acknowledgement & Agreement

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund. As such, preference is given to Minnesota artists. Out of state artists wishing to participate are encouraged to participate by being hosted at a Minnesota artist's site or the group site in Lanesboro MN (additional costs may be associated with hosted sites).

Bluff Country Studio Art Tour is run entirely by volunteer participating artists.

All artists assist with distributing promotional materials and are asked to assist with tour planning activities by picking up tour materials in a timely manner, responding to tour emails and discussions, providing opinions, tour promotions, and interacting with social media efforts. A wide range of volunteer opportunities are available with varied time commitments.

BCSAT RULES:

1.  Application deadline is December 10, 2024.
2.  Participation fees are due January 31, 2025.
3.  All application fees are non-refundable.
4.  New participants will be juried and event organizers reserve the right to pre-screen locations for eligibility.
5. All participants are encouraged to carry appropriate liability insurance to have the public visiting their studio or showing their work at their location of participation.
6. All proceeds of sales belong to the artist/gallery and each artist/gallery is responsible for collecting and reporting sales tax to the State of Minnesota.
7. All participating locations must be open during all tour hours Friday - Sunday 10am - 5pm.
8. All participants agree to allow BCSAT to use information and photos submitted for promotional purposes.
9. All work displayed at artist locations must be the work of the participating artist and similar in nature to the photos submitted with application.  Guest artists are not allowed unless they have also applied and been approved through the jury process.
10. Hosted locations other than the Lanesboro Community Center or another participating artist studio are subject to approval by the BCSAT application committee.  Proposed sites must be handicap accessible and must not have other items for sale by persons not participating in the tour. Each artist at a hosted location must apply in the artist category and be juried into the event. Individuals are responsible for any costs relating to a hosted site.
11. Failure to comply with these rules may result in participant being prohibited from participating in future tours.