Exhibiting at SAAF

Welcome to the SAAF 2024 Call for Artist information page!

Please carefully read all of the information below before submitting your application. We welcome both artists and artisans at SAAF.

Sat. June 22 | 10am - 5pm

Sun. June 23 | 10am - 5pm

What you should know about SAAF

The Sweetly Affordable Art Fair (SAAF) is an outdoor art show taking place at Wesley Clover Parks (located at 401 Corkstown Road) in June, on Saturday June 22nd and Sunday June 23rd.

SAAF is an "affordable" art fair. This means that the cost to participate as an exhibitor is priced competitively relative to other art shows in Ontario, and other costs (e.g. tents, parking, commission) are not an added expense for our exhibitors. The affordable model also means that the event is free for visitors to attend!

In the spirit of affordability, we also ask our exhibitors to have some pieces for sale that are $50 and under, and to try to have most of the pieces at the show be under $1,000.

Applying to SAAF

All applicants will be asked to submit 5 - 10 images of their work, in addition to a brief artist statement, and url links to your online presence.

The application must be submitted through the SAAF Exhibitor Application in Google Forms. (You can also access this by using the "Apply Now" button below).

Applications now closed.

RESULTS

If you do not receive an email from us by May 10th, you have not been selected for SAAF this year.

Eligibility Criteria

SAAF welcomes both emerging and established artists and artisans.

Mediums and art-forms that we are currently accepting applications for, include:

Painters: oil, acrylic, watercolour
Wax artists: cold wax, encaustic
Drawing artists: pastels, graphite, ink
Glass workers: stained glass, blown glass
Fabric and Fibre artists: tapestry, macrame
Potters and Ceramicists
Woodturners and Woodworkers
Photographers
Jewellers

*If you don't see your medium or art-form listed, please apply anyway, as we will evaluate your application on overall merit.

IMPORTANT: All pieces must be original, handmade or hand-crafted, or prints of your own original art.

Evaluation Criteria

Your application will be evaluated by a Selection Committee, using the following areas of consideration:

Is the quality of the work professional?
Do the images clearly depict the work? (i.e., proper lighting, resolution, focus, etc.)
Does the artists statement clearly explain the body of work in context of the medium being used?
Is there a professional online presence? (i.e. website and social media)

Registration Fees

Once you have been selected, you will receive further instructions for the registration process. Registration will be through Eventbrite, at which point you will be able to select your booth location. Please note that this will be on a first come first served basis, and are therefore encouraged to register early to secure your preferred spot.

What your fee includes:

SAAF is an outdoor show, on the Wesley Clover Parks grounds, in their stabling area. Exhibitors will receive one 10' x 10' ft booth, with four hard-plastic walls, a door, and a canopy roof. The stabling area is a series of horse-stalls, with a fine-gravel ground, and ample room to drive up to your booth for loading and unloading. Your fee also covers some of advertising from us, but in order to make this an affordable event, all exhibitors are expected to participate in promoting the show. Please review the FAQ section at the bottom of this page for more details.

Booth Fees:

$260 - PREMIUM - (closest to main entrance and event features)

$230 - STANDARD - (midway through the site, neither close nor far from event features)

$200 - BASIC - (furthest booths in the site / least close to entrance or event features)

$20 - add-on for corner booths (in any tier)

We do not charge any commissions; exhibitors get to keep 100% of their sales!

Set-up and Venue

We strongly encourage you to check out the Venue info page, for pictures and detailed information pertaining to measurements, set-up ideas, and more. We also ask that you review the FAQ section at the bottom of this page.

Venue Location

Wesley Clover Parks

401 Corkstown Road (located by the Moodie exit off Highway 417)

Venue Type

Outdoor, in the stabling area of Wesley Clover Parks.

This is an equestrian competition site.

See photos of the booths

SAAF Dates and Times

(June 22) Saturday 10am - 5pm

(June 23) Sunday 10am - 5pm

Set-up Time

(June 21) Friday 12pm - 4pm

(June 22) Saturday 8am - 10am

Exhibitors are strongly advised to set-up on Friday if it is feasible.

Exhibitors may however set-up on Saturday morning if needed.

Vehicle Loading/Unloading

You may drive up to your booth area for loading and unloading but only during designated times:

(June 21) Friday 12pm - 4pm

(June 22) Saturday 8am - 9am

(June 23) Sunday 5:30pm - 7pm

Parking

There is ample parking on site.

Exhibitors MUST park in the grass parking zone outside of "Vehicle Loading/Unloading Times" indicated in the above sections.

Exhibitor Guide

Registered Exhibitors of SAAF are expected to carefully review the Exhibitor Guide.

Site Maps

The best place to get information about the venue is to visit our Venue Details page. We will make all maps available here, but you can also refer to the maps included in the Exhibitor Guide.

FAQ

What are the hours SAAF will be open to the public?

Saturday 10am - 5pm (June 22)

Sunday 10am - 5pm (June 23)

When will exhibitors be able to set-up?

Friday (June 21) from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Saturday (June 22) from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Exhibitors are strongly advised to set-up on Friday if it is feasible. Exhibitors may however set-up on Saturday morning if needed. Exhibitors are permitted to use both set-up times if desired.

What size is the booth?

10' x 10' ft, by approximately 15' ft tall. For full measurements, please review the Venue Details webpage.

Do I get to keep all of my sales?

Yes! SAAF does not ask for any commissions, so exhibitors get to keep 100% of what they make.

Will there be food available on-site?

Yes! There will be an assortment of food vendors on site during the event days. We do however recommend that you come prepared with snacks or lunch if you have particular dietary needs or restrictions.

Does the venue have overnight security?

While you are welcome to leave things in your booth overnight, please know that there is no overnight security per se: the access gates are locked overnight however. You are permitted to lock your booth, and you may bring a chain and lock or wire bike lock to keep the door of your booth locked, and/or other locks to secure items to the inside of your booth. You're strongly advised to take valuables home with you. Neither Wesley Clover Parks nor Wall Candy are responsible for missing items, so please do come prepared to lock-up your booth.

Will there be bathrooms?

Yes! We will be supplying porta potties again this year, along with hand-washing stations.

Are the stalls clean?

Yes! Wesley Clover Parks will be refreshing the stalls for our event. Please note that this is a horse stabling area at an outdoor venue, which means the ground in the stall may be un-even, and the walls may have some staining. While this is still considered "clean", come prepared to be in a farm-style setting.

What do I need for setting-up my booth?

We are providing exhibitors with the booth space (i.e. four walls, a roof, and a door). You may bring grids, easels, tables, or any other creative display you might have for your work. It is not permitted to drill or nail anything into the walls. You may however use chains, zip ties, etc. For examples of set-ups from last year (photos and videos), please visit the Venue Details webpage.

Is there Wifi or Electricity?

As with many other outdoor art shows, exhibitors are expected to be prepared with their own internet data solutions and back-up batteries as needed.

What type of advertising will there be?

We are committed to always advertising this event (including social media ad campaigns, press releases, various local event calendars, cross-promotion collaborations, and more depending on the event) - however, in order to keep SAAF affordable, all exhibitors are expected to promote the show to their communities and networks.

FAQ