Alley & Marketplace Rules
The Space
Artists must have the capability to and be actively engaged in producing original artwork while occupying their table. Artists who are only displaying items for sale, who have no capability to produce art are not eligible for space in the Alley.
Space: Artists are each allotted three feet of space at their table. All of their belongings must be kept on or under this space.
Displays: Artists may have 14”x14”x14” display (a standard wire cube) on which they may place merchandise or example work. The remainder of the three feet of space can be used for producing art, display of art books or prints, commissioning information, etc. Artists with larger displays will be asked to downsize or remove them. We want every artist to be fully seen by our attendees regardless of position and this ensures no one is hidden behind another artist's display!
Banners: Artists may have an overhang over the front of their table with their name or displaying some of their original artwork, so long as it does not interfere with the display of numbers or exceed their allotted space.
Power: THERE IS NO POWER AVAILABLE IN THE ALLEY! Midwest FurFest is unable to provide power in the Alley. Now that we are located in the convention center, the penalties for plugging a device into an outlet are severe, and artists will be liable if they choose to violate the no-power policy. Portable batteries are encouraged.
Trash: All belongings and trash must be removed by the artist when they leave their space. Failure to do so will result first in a warning, then removal of Alley privileges. The convention accepts no responsibility for items left unattended.
Pre-Made Merchandise: Artists can sell pre-made merchandise in the Alley as long as they are also actively producing art while seated. Merchandise in the alley is limited to 3 types of pre-made items (e.g. buttons, stickers, plushies, pins, t-shirts, etc.)
Fursuit parts and partials are allowed for sale, but These parts do count toward your item quota for pre-made goods, and must still fit comfortably within the space of your table without impinging on your neighbors.
Lamination: There will be a laminator at the staff table that is free for use, but artists must provide their own lamination sheets. Please note staff will not laminate for you, and is not responsible for any damage that may be incurred to artwork.
Noise and Lights: Items that generate an unacceptable noise level, distracting and/or flashing lights are all prohibited. The Alley can be an overwhelming space with the sheer number of artists and attendees without the addition of music and bright lights. This includes excessive volume of one's voice, personal music, computers/tablets, hand-held games, etc. Headphones are strongly encouraged for artists who want to listen to music. Repeated complaints will result in loss of Alley privileges.
Visitors and Helpers: Space behind tables is very limited and, in many cases, shared with the artist sitting behind you. Visitors and non-seated artists are not permitted unless it is to view or commission work; however, we understand that some artists may require assistance due to a disability. We will gladly provide accommodation for these circumstances. Unnecessary clutter is not permitted, and aisles must be kept clear for traffic and fire exits must not be blocked.
Tip Jars or Printed Solicitations: Tip Jars and solicitation are prohibited in the Alley & Marketplace. If a tip jar is set out, the artist will first be asked to remove it. Failure to comply may result in removal from the Alley/Marketplace. Please note we encourage buyers tipping, but not open solicitation for them!
Leaving the Space
Short Breaks: Artists must remain at their space at all times during open hours if they wish to retain it. We allow a fifteen minute break period for artists to utilize the facilities, quickly grab food, meet with commissioners or friends, or generally any brief break an artist may need to take.
Long Breaks: If an artist wants to leave for an extended period of time, they must check out of their table and place themselves back into the lottery. Note that extra time will be given to those with disabilities if they require it.
Sales & Merchandise
Only artwork created by or featuring the seated artist may be sold. The Alley is not a free alternative to the Dealers Den or Art Show. For that reason, we cannot accept any agents reselling another artist's work. If there are any doubts that work is appropriate, please contact the Artist Menagerie staff prior to the convention.
Artwork must be appropriate for a furry convention space, and no more than half of displayed work may be non-fandom related.
Sales are only allowed in the Alley. Artists may not make sales in any other convention spaces. This is a violation of both the Alley policy as well as Midwest FurFest's Code of Conduct and may result in not only losing Artist's Alley privileges but also convention privileges, up to and including expulsion from the convention.
As the Alley is not a paid-for space, Midwest FurFest has chosen to limit the type and amount of merchandise that can be sold in the Alley space. These rules are revisited and may change on a year-to-year basis.
Acceptable items for sale include the following: Original Artwork produced before or during the convention (including sketchbook commissions), prints of original artwork, books of original artwork or writing and small crafted items to include buttons, stickers, handmade plushies, figurines, swag, magnets, and other small wearable items. Clothing and DVDs and CDs may be sold but are limited to two displayed designs. The Artist Menagerie staff reserves the right to interpret what is appropriate and what is not.
Important note: Original Artwork refers to art created by the seated artist. This can include collaborative work but may not be another artist's exclusive work. We understand that some work may be produced by others, and that may be displayed if it features the seated artist's work.
Art that is not acceptable for sale in the Alley include: Consumables of any kind (no food or drink), copyrighted/trademarked items of any kind including commercially produced plushes, clothing, buttons, toys, etc. This also includes items that are too large for the allotted display area.
If an artist has questions about the suitability of their merchandise, please contact the Artist Menagerie staff, preferably before the convention.
"Generative AI" or "AI Art"
There is no acceptable use of "AI Generation" in the Artists Alley and Marketplace. Artists found utilizing AI generative tools will be removed from their tables and will not be invited back into the space for the remainder of the event. Marketplace artists will not have their table costs refunded. There will be a one-year ban on returning to the Artists spaces at Furfest (Dealer's Den, Artists Alley, Artists Marketplace and Art Show).
If there is a reasonable concern or claim raised about an artist's work utilizing generative AI tools, the Artists Alley/Marketplace staff has the right to investigate accordingly, fairly and discretely. Investigations will be conducted with minimal interruption to creative work and sales, though we do require cooperation from the artist until it is completed.
The Artists Alley & Marketplace spaces are designed for live creation. The underlying desire here is to bring the audience in to witness the creative process and underline respect for the hard work that goes into each and every piece. Use of generative AI violates this idea between artists and commissioners and it will not be tolerated.
By agreeing to participate in the Artists Alley/Marketplace you are agreeing not to utilize any kind of AI generation tools or AI generated material in your work.
Ratings & Minors
The convention center Alley space is one large room, open to minors and adults alike. Minor badges are clearly displayed, and it is an artist's responsibility to ensure they are aware of who they are dealing with. Artists who sell, commission, or display any adult artwork to a minor will be removed from the Alley for the rest of the convention. This is a zero-tolerance policy.
Artists will keep their adult artwork covered/censored (sticky notes, washi tape, and stickers all work well) at all times and kept in clearly marked binders. Binders will be closed when they are not being browsed. The exception to this policy is when adult work is actively being created. The responsibility is on the artist to keep that work discreet to prevent purposeful viewing by a minor.
Underage artists must either be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times, or have their parent/guardian discuss permissions with the Artist Alley/Marketplace staff.
Crafted items of an adult nature may not be displayed in the Alley space.
Be aware that the Artist Alley/Marketplace staff have the final say on what is or is not appropriate to display. We retain the right to require an artist to remove a specific piece from display at any time for any reason.
Food & Drink
Only closed, sealed containers are allowed on tables. Beverages in cups or cans are not allowed. All drinks must be sealed when not being consumed to prevent accidental spills. No artist wants their work ruined by an accident.
Candy and other finger foods may be offered by artists, provided they are in wrappers of some kind. Open water cups or containers ARE permitted for the production of art.
Taxes
Per Illinois law, any vendor selling items at Midwest FurFest is required to collect sales tax. The collection and remittance of taxes to the Illinois Department of Revenue is the responsibility of the individual artist. Information on filing can be found at the Illinois Department of Revenue's website (https://www.revenue.state.il.us/). Midwest FurFest is required to provide the names of all vendors to the Illinois Department of Revenue, and we are not able to offer assistance with tax questions. Required paperwork is available through the Department of Revenue's website. Please note: The city of Rosemont's sales tax is 10.25%.
Artist Menagerie staff cannot answer any questions regarding taxes, except to direct artists to the information above.
Communication
Artist's Alley/Marketplace staff will post any announcements and/or policy changes at the administrative table during the convention, as well as be available for feedback and comments.
Alley/Marketplace staff and Midwest FurFest cannot be held responsible for communications between artists and customers for any reason. Contact information provided by the artists to the Alley staff is confidential and will not be shared with attendees without the expressed permission of the artist; however, artists are expected to provide customers with an appropriate method of contacting them, whether it be business cards, website links, email, messenger usernames and so on. Artists who show a pattern of misconduct related to business conducted with customers in the Midwest FurFest Artist's Alley/Marketplace will no longer be welcome in the space.
Questions before the convention can be addressed to the Acting Artist Menagerie Director and Vendor Team Lead, Nall, via email: artistsalley@furfest.org.
Final Word
The Artist Menagerie Staff has the final say on anything not immediately covered by the rules in any section of this page and are responsible for resolving any disputes regarding it.
Questions?
Please email artistsalley@furfest.org.