• Saturday November 30, 2023 
• 11 AM to 5 PM

Here you will find our vendor application details along with the Holiday Artists' Market guidelines. As indicated in the guidelines, we are requesting all vendors to bring their own tables and display props to define their selling space and to add to the visual ambiance of this seasonal market.

Once we have received and reviewed your application, you will receive a notification email within a week. Space assignment will be announced a week prior to the event.

Vendor Registration

Vendor Guidelines for Artists’ Holiday Market

The Salem Arts Association invites all artists and artisans (aka vendors) to showcase and sell their work at the Holiday Artists’ Market in historic downtown Salem at the Old Town Hall at Derby Square (entrance off of Essex Street).

The Artists’ Holiday Market will feature a quality selection of vendors of artwork and handmade artisan products including photography, jewelry, clothing, paintings, handbags, etc.

All artists regardless of race, gender, belief, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical disabilities are eligible to apply.

Applications will be juried by our event committee. 

APPLICATION, PAYMENT, & NOTIFICATION:

Vendor Fees: 

• $100 for Salem Arts members 
  
• $100 Creative Collective Business Members
• $150 for Non Members 
• Registration fee will be invoiced upon acceptance of your application and due within 5 days. 
  
• • Fees are not refundable

VENDOR SET-UP

Vendors must provide their own tables, lighting, and display surfaces. (We can not guarantee access to electricity to plan on providing your own powered lighting and charging power.) 

• Vendors MUST agree to be present for the entire day of the event. 
• Vendors may not break down their selling space in advance of the closing time.
• Salem Arts Association or our partners are not responsible for any loss or damage. 
  

(Vehicles must be moved before 10:30am. Parking is available in nearby parking lots and parking garages. Parking is Free in Downtown Salem on Small Business Saturday.

Electricity

There is very limited access to electricity available at Old Town Hall. We will not guarantee any access to power. We highly suggest you don’t rely on us providing power. The investment in a small power pack and some lights can really make a huge difference. There are also some great battery powered lights out there. 

INTERNET AND WIFI

WiFi/internet access is not available.  PayPal & Square readers will need to work using your tablet or phone data or hotspot.

CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY 

Vendors will act with respect to others. Physical abuse to others will not be tolerated. All people shall be treated with respect. Vendors will report any inappropriate activity to on-site managers. Violations of this code of conduct will result in immediate removal from the event without refund. Salem Arts Association reserves the right to restrict or terminate any vendor whose activity is disruptive or detrimental to the quality of the event. Salem Arts Association also reserves the right to remove any vendor who misrepresents their products without a refund.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be granted after the application is accepted and paid. If for any reason we choose to cancel the event all fees will be refunded. 

Publicity:

All paid vendors will be listed on the Salem Arts Association Website and Facebook page as well as local calendar pages. We encourage all vendors to list the Holiday Artists’ Market date on their own website and social media pages to increase publicity of the event.

Liability: 

The Collaborators for this event, Salem Arts Association, Creative Collective and the City of Salem Arts and Culture Office, are not responsible for any damage, loss, or theft of personal belongings or merchandise, or loss of any product. Please be careful and responsible for your selling area and we recommend that vendors carry their own insurance. Any accidents caused by a vendors set-up or goods will be the responsibility of that vendor. Artists’ Holiday Market is not responsible for any personal injury during the market events.

Sales Tax/Permits:

All vendors are responsible for abiding by all tax laws, including sales tax collection, licenses, permits or insurance as required by law to conduct your business. Salem Arts Association Holiday Artists’ Market is not responsible for collecting sales tax for vendors from customers.

Media Release/Consent:

All vendors agree to allow Salem Arts Association and our partners permission to display all business information and photos on its social media pages and websites. Further, all Vendors grant permission to publish any photos or video provided in your applications, or taken during the Market, for the purpose of promoting this and future Salem Arts Association events. All media (photos and/or video) will be the sole property of Salem Arts Association and Creative Collective.

Applicants accepted to sell at the Artists’ Holiday Market will be notified by email as soon as possible following the application send date.

Questions? Email Events@SalemArts.org 

Information for Vendors

You may be a bit stressed, excited, nervous, and anxious! We’re here to tell you that it is all completely normal! Take a deep breath, and stay positive. This Holiday Artists’ Market is going to be a great experience. 

The Day of the Artists’ Market

CALL TIMES: 

Setup begins at 8:30 AM Saturday to be ready for 11am open doors. There is an elevator to the second floor. Please bring a cart or dolly to make your move in easier.

If you have special requests for booth space let it be known to us in your application. Note that access to electricity is very limited so we do not guarantee any access to power outlets. 

You can arrive as early as 8:30 AM and no later than 10:00 AM to set up on Saturday. That’s not a lot of time before doors open at 11:00 so please come early and be organized.

When you arrive check in with the Salem Arts table on the first floor and someone will help you locate your market space.

Arriving at Salem Old Town Hall

Address is 32 Derby Square, Salem, MA 01970 

• Remember that Old Town Hall is NOT on a public street. It's part of the downtown walking district. The best path to bring your vehicle to Old Town Hall is a small alley that runs parallel to Front Street. Enter off of Central Street. You can unload on the Derby Square entrance or Essex Street entrance. Derby Square has steps so factor that in. 
• Unload and move your vehicle immediately. Then return to unpack. We have over 50 vendors and we can't block the doors for long periods of time.
• We recommend using a cart. Park nearby and cart your items. 
• There is an elevator if needed. It's small, old and cranky so if you're able you're better off using the stairs if your vendor space is upstairs. 
• If you need help carrying, ask one of our volunteers. 

LOAD IN:

The main entrance to Salem Old Town Hall is around the front side of the building if you’re facing it from Essex Street.  There is a set of double doors.

There are two floors.

Lower floor is straight through the doors in to the hall.

Upper floor uses the stairs to the left of the main doors. There’s a second set of stairs in the back of the lower floor and an elevator in the rear of the hall. Please be patient loading your displays and merchandise as there will be other vendors loading in at the same time.

LOAD OUT:  

Please be patient while loading out. Load in is usually scattered but load out everyone is tired after a long and exciting day.  Take turns and it will all go smoothly. 

PARKING:  You can park along the sides of the Old Town Hall building during load in and Load Out only.  We recommend using a cart to move your stuff from your parking space. There is no parking at Old Town Hall. There is street parking and there are several public parking lots and garages nearby. Also parking is FREE on Small Business Saturday in Salem. Vehicles must be removed from around Old Town Hall before 9:30 AM.

 

PLAN AHEAD…

You are responsible for any tables, displays, and hardware required to hang your work. There will be limited access to outlets so please let us know what special needs you have beforehand. Additional battery powered lighting is encouraged! If you have lighting you can utilize for your space, bring it!  Also bring extension cords and power strips as needed. Spruce up you space with a string of battery powered lights. Note that access to electricity is very limited so we do not guarantee any access to power outlets. 

NO UP LIGHTING!! Up lighting not only can be unflattering to your work but it can be dangerous!! Beyond folks potentially tripping on your lights it can blind them!! Seriously, don’t do it!  

You must bring your own tables!  ALL tables must be skirted! You can get creative here!  Before you go shopping take a look around your house!  A bedside table can be transformed into a display space!  Bookcases are narrow enough not to deter people from approaching your space but have multiple shelves to display framed work or prints!  Some artists bring most of their work in milk crates, then flip the crates over and cover them with a fabric and used the some to stack prints in. Don't overcrowd your space make it easy for people to look and buy.

Think festive holiday decor for your display. 

Your Business Name/Logo MUST be visible as part of your display, banner, and/or signage. Not only does it help management but it also is an essential business practice! You might have bags with ribbons attached for that person who doesn’t want to gift wrap. Or you might include a gift tag with your name on the back. 

Please make sure and have tablecloths that are floor length for all tables. Also make sure that additional stock, boxes, trash etc.. will be hidden under your tables. Displays must be kept tidy, neat and organized.

Keep things neat and tidy and be considerate of your neighbors.  All trash must be kept out of view of the public and must be removed by you at the end of the day. 

The amount of space we provide is approximately 4’ X 6’.  If your work is larger scale we will do our best to figure out the best spot to place you to accommodate a few bigger pieces or larger displays. 

 

TIPS

Here are a couple of helpful tips to ensure you get everything done on time and have a successful Holiday Artists’ Market!

ENGAGE: 

Visualize your space as if you were a guest at the Holiday Artists’ Market. Where would your eyes go, what would keep visitors engaged and interested. Make sure that you're putting your best foot forward.

BUSINESS CARDS:

Don't forget your business cards, if you have them.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Dress nicely; you're representing yourself and your brand.

CHECK YOUR LIST!

Make a checklist and pack your car the night before, this way you can wake up and only worry about feeding and dressing yourself before you're out the door.

BACK-UPS. 

Bring back-up equipment, lights, extension cords, gear etc. You never know what you might need extra of. 

GATHER EMAILS: 

Have an e-mail sign up list! Capture the information of people at the Holiday Artists’ Market. There will be lots of eyeballs. If they're buzzing around your work, or want to know more about you as a talented artist, make sure you find out who they are!

Food and Drinks:  

There are several cafes, restaurants, and coffee shops nearby. Be sure to feed yourself before the Artists Market gets busy. Nobody wants to see you stuffing a burger in to your face while they’re shopping. 

Stay HYDRATED!!  It’s a big day for each of you!! While you might get halfway through the day on adrenaline and coffee! NOT HEALTHY!! Bring your own water for you and your assistants.  Salem Arts will also be selling bottled water.

Internet & WIFI:  

Salem Old Town Hall does NOT provide WIFI or Internet access. There is the City of Salem free WIFI with No Password But it will be slow.  Please do not depend on using the Salem Free WIFI network for any of your presentation or sales.  PayPal and Square readers should work off your phone’s data or consider budgeting using your phone as a WIFI host spot.  If you are intending on having a slide show on a laptop or iPad, please prepare to show it without WIFI.

MAXIMIZE YOUR SALES!!  

We highly recommend getting yourself set up with Pay Pal or Square to be able to take credit cards for purchases!  Signing up with is easy and they send you a FREE reader that can be attached to any smart phone or tablet! Don't forget to have enough change for cash sales.

HOW TO PRICE YOUR WORK:  

No sale signs or discount signs allowed, instead you can offer multiple units for a price. 

People like to know what things cost so keep that in mind when making your pricing signs. 

Across the country the “sweet spot” for pricing tends to be in the $35-$40 range.  That does not mean someone won’t purchase a $1000 original painting, BUT work priced in that range moves the fastest.  If you’re new to selling there is a great app that helps you price your work!  Check it out here:  http://www.artpricecalculator.com/  There is a free trial available or you can purchase the app for $1.99! 

New fans are more likely to consider buying a piece if they can clearly see the price marked.  Make creative tags or use price stickers.

LITTLE EXTRAS: 

Guest LOVE give-aways!  Stickers, small buttons or postcards made to give out to guests in addition to business cards are a great idea. Any type of wearable art is a great tool to extend your promotions beyond the event.  Even a magnet hanging on someone’s refrigerator that catches a visitor’s eye is one more person exposed to your work!   

Hopefully these tips help you have the best Holiday Artists’ Market possible. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. We are so honored to have you participate in the Salem Arts Holiday Artists’ Market!

Questions? Email Events@SalemArts.org