We welcome new creativity! If you are interested in becoming a Member of the Toledo Craftsman's Guild, we invite you to apply for membership. We make you jump through a few hoops, but it's really no more information than what you would provide to any other juried art/craft show. If you are accepted for membership, our Jurying Chairperson will contact you with further instructions.
Please note: Our Jurying process has a September 15 cutoff date. Any applications received after September 15 will be held for Jurying until the following calendar year. This gives the Jurying Committee enough time to review applications and gives newly accepted Members enough time to send in their applications to our fall shows. If you are thinking about applying for membership to the Toledo Craftsman's Guild, send your application in early so you don't miss out on any of our craft shows!
Memberships renew on an annual basis.
- You have until January 15 to renew your membership.
- After January 15 but before February 15, a $20 fee is assessed to anyone who pays their dues late.
- After February 15, the Member must re-jury to continue their membership.
- Members receive multiple emails regarding annual renewals. Payment methods currently accepted are cash, checks, and PayPal (available only through online renewal).
Membership Requirements and Scoring Standards
Work that is submitted for jurying must be the original creation of the craftsperson, not produced by employees, and be at least 70% hand crafted. No item may be mass-produced on a duplicating or copy machine. Original art work may be professionally copied, but the items displayed may not comprise more than 20% of the Member’s display.
Food vendors must provide a copy of their Department of Agriculture certification either as a licensed Bakery or a Cottage Food Industry, and follow all state and local laws.
To become a Member of the Toledo Craftsman’s Guild, your art/craft must meet the standards set by the Jurying Committee and will be evaluated for:
- Originality (1-5 points)
- Quality (1-10 points)
- Appearance (1-5 points)
You must receive a total of 14 points to be invited to be a Member.
If you submit an application for membership for multiple categories of art/craft, each category may be juried separately.
Invitations for membership are sent out in the order that the applications were received. Invitations are good for ten (10) days from the date on the invitation. To accept our invitation for membership, you'll need to pay a small Initiation Fee plus your first annual Membership Dues for the category you selected on your application. All the payment and mailing details will be provided once you accept our invitation.
Items not accepted at this time:
- Commercial kits
- Plastic flowers, fruits, or greenery (the only exception will be if the item is not the main focal point of the 70% hand-crafted item)
- Plastic needlepoint
- Quickie decoupage, mod podge, or poured finish
- Jewelry composed entirely of commercial findings and/or pre-cut stones
- Assembled items that are not 70% handcrafted
- Pom-pom, beaded items, and other bazaar items
- Hot-press or heat-transfer items (items made by transferring one substance to another, i.e., paper/vinyl onto shirts/mugs/signs/etc., usually by application of heat and pressure)
- Other items at the discretion of the Jury Committee
Show Fees and Information
- Show fees range from $65-$100 (spring shows) to $70-$110 (fall shows) (subject to change).
- The following are also available for a small fee: wall spaces, tables, and electricity.
- All prices are subject to change.
- Guild show applications are accepted from its Members on a "first come, first served" basis.
Booth Sizes (subject to change)
- “Spring Festival of Crafts” (March) and “Bewitched Harvest Art & Craft Show” (October) have spaces that are 10 feet wide by approximately 8 feet deep.
- “Winter Festival of Crafts” (December) has spaces that are 8 feet wide by approximately 6 feet deep.
- "Spring Crafters’ Showcase" (April) and "Crafts for Christmas" (late November) have spaces that are 10 feet wide by 10 feet deep.
Members must supply their own table covers.
- Table covers must be 100% polyester or other flame-retardant material.
- The color may be navy (preferred color), black, brown, burgundy/wine, grey, or hunter green. The Executive Board may approve other dark, solid, neutral colors at the request of a Member prior to the color being used at a show.
- The table cover must cover all sides of the table and must reach the floor. "Stretchy" table covers are not permitted as they do not go to the floor on all sides of the table and tend to be see-through.
- All demonstration/packing tables with open space under the table top must also be covered (i.e., no "naked" table legs unless table legs are decorative in nature (ex. wooden claw foot tables)).
- Additional table top covers/cloths (lace, draping) may not hang more than twelve (12) inches over the edge of the covered tables.
- Signage is not permitted to be attached to skirting or overhanging covers unless required by law (i.e., food vendor's license).