Artist Application

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AVAILABLE FROM AUG. 15 – OCT. 31, 2026

Please read through the full guidelines before applying; the $35 application fee is non-refundable.

IMPORTANT 2027 DEADLINES & DATES:

Artist Application Deadline: October 31, 2026.
- $35 application fees are non-refundable.
Blind Jury Notification: Mid-November, 2026.
Booth Fee Due: January 8, 2027.
- Before Feb. 15, 2027: Written cancellations are eligible for a refund, minus a $50 administrative fee. After Feb. 15, 2027: Fees are strictly non-refundable.
Artist Setup in the Parks: Friday, April 16 (parks/8 am-noon, streets/12 noon-9 pm).
Event Dates/Times: April 17 & 18, 2027.
Saturday 10 am – 5 pm & Sunday 10 am – 4 pm (be ready by 9:30 am).
Event Breakdown: April 18, 2026 (after the show closes at 4 pm).

CASH AWARDS - $10,000+ TOTAL

Best of Show – $2,000.00.
2. Award of Excellence – $1,000.00.
Additional Awards – The Festival uses a weighted award system for the balance of award prize monies to be divided among categories up to the total prize money amount.
Recycle Content Art Award – $300 – Voluntary participation open to all artists in all mediums.

2027 Festival Information

LeMoyne’s Annual Chain of Parks Art Festival is a multi-day Fine Art event that includes a two-day outdoor artist exhibit, with approximately 170 juried artists who qualify for cash awards of over $10,000.

The Festival continues to stand among the nation’s top fine art events, earning its place in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s prestigious 200 Best list for 12 consecutive years, and making an impressive 8th appearance in the Top 10 for Fine Art Festivals in the Nation. For 2026, the Festival secured the #5 Fine Art & Design Festival ranking in the Nation, maintaining its position as the top-ranked Fine Art Festival in Florida.

According to an independent economic impact study conducted by Downs & St. Germain Research and Visit Tallahassee, the 2026 Chain of Parks Art Festival generated $2.797 million in total economic impact for Leon County—an 18.3% increase over 2025, proving the Festival’s vital role as a primary driver of cultural tourism and economic growth in Tallahassee.

Held in a group of city parks known as the ‘Chain of Parks’ in downtown Tallahassee, Florida, the Chain of Parks Art Festival has been recognized as a Legacy Event by Visit Tallahassee due to the 45,000+ visitors and patrons it attracts. All proceeds from this juried Fine Art festival benefit LeMoyne Arts, a non-profit community-based art center.

The Chain of Parks Art Festival is designed for exhibiting artists who create and execute their own original, professional-quality art. All work displayed MUST be produced by the exhibiting artist or a two-person team collaboration and consistent with the images submitted to the jury.

Categories are outlined and developed as a tool to organize works into logical, related groups for judging competitions. The Festival reserves the right to add media categories or change an artist category.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO BE AWARE OF:

ARTIST AMENITIES

Artist Awards of over $10,000.
Artists retain 100% of sales of artworks sold.
Artist hospitality area with complimentary refreshments and reserved portable toilets.
Welcome Reception for attending artists and guest. Date & location to be announced.
Onsite badge for artist and collaborator or associate provided for hospitality access (2 badges max per booth).
Complimentary quality style event T-shirt (sizes 2XL & 3XL additional $10).
Volunteer booth sitters.
Combined artist sales of over ½ Million.
24-hour on-site security provided by uniformed Police Officers (Tallahassee Police Dept.).
Festival website includes artist image and live link to the artist’s website.
High-quality printed program with sample images and website information for each artist.
Digital marketing opportunities provided.
Social media feature available for a nominal fee of $15, limited opportunity, must submit required content by Feb. 1 to be included in the social media campaign.
Complimentary reserved parking (limited offering).
Limited, first-come-first-served basis, complimentary RV parking located close by.
Friday set-up beginning as early as 8:00 am.
Top award winners automatically juried into next year’s Festival.
Cover artists selected from participating Festival artists.

BOOTH PURCHASE & FEES

Application Fee: $35.00 (non-refundable).
Juried Artist Booth Fee: 10×10 standard booth/$375.00.
A limited number of Double, Corner and Priority Placement booths are sold for an additional charge on a first-come basis.
With the exception of paid upgraded priority booths, specific location/area placement may be requested in application comments, but they are NOT guaranteed.
Layout map to be provided to accepted artists before purchasing.

JURY PROCESS

Participation is determined by a 3-5-person blind jury who do not see the artist’s name. Jurors are provided only the artist ID, prices, three required art images, booth image, and artist statement. Your name or business is not to appear in your application images.

Jurors often use the booth image to finalize acceptance scoring, so use a booth shot that shows high-quality displays of current work. Jurors are keenly interested in the process and techniques used to make your work, so descriptions with process details are important, as it can often be critical in determining originality and the handcrafted nature of presented work.

We allow 500 characters in the application Artist Process Statement for this purpose. Jurors evaluate work based on originality, concepts, execution, and consistency of style & presentation.

They will also heavily consider artist pricing for the artist to achieve a positive selling experience at the Festival. Artist feedback generally indicates that this should include those whose main body of work is priced under $2,000, with a wide variety of purchase points below that. We strongly recommend that you show your price range that patrons can expect when visiting your booth.

Note: If selected to participate in the Festival, Image #1 will typically be used to represent your art in the printed program.

GENERAL SHOW POLICIES

Open to all artists 18 years or older and are accepted for participation by a blind jury.
Images submitted for jury acceptance must be of artwork created within the last 3 years and consistent with the work to be displayed in your booth.
The Chain of Parks Art Festival is a family-oriented event, and exhibits must be in keeping with this atmosphere.
Artists are REQUIRED to present and sell their own work. Absolutely NO agents, dealers, or sales representatives may work the booth in place of the artist. Applicants found to be submitting work not their own before selection will be disqualified without refund. If discovered after acceptance, the invitation will be revoked and the booth fee refunded. If discovered during the Festival, the artist will be disqualified from awards, and will not be invited to return.
At least 50% of the artwork displayed in your booth must be original, artist-created work. Signed and limited edition, numbered reproductions of your original artwork may be displayed, but only in conjunction with the originals. Open edition or unnumbered reproductions (such as prints) may be displayed in bins only, not hung or prominently featured.
THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH ITS COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING A HIGH-QUALITY FINE ART EVENT. Dealers, buy-sell products, and other infringements on this core mission will be addressed on an individual basis. If discovered onsite, the artist will be disqualified from awards and will not be invited to return.
SALES & TAXES: Each artist is responsible for collecting and reporting 6% Florida sales tax + 1.5% local sales tax and remitting it to the Florida Department of Revenue (FDoR). We are required to provide the FDoR with your name and contact information only as a record that you participated in the event.
Participation during all advertised hours and both days at the Festival is mandatory. If an exhibitor abandons their booth during the Festival weekend without permission from Festival Staff, they jeopardize being invited back.
CHECK-IN & SET UP
All artists are required to check in on Friday, April 17, at LeMoyne Arts Education Center, 121 N. Gadsden Street, and show proof of identity. Check-in at LeMoyne is open from 10 am-7 pm. No-show artists – artists who do not alert the Festival of their cancellation – are subject to non-acceptance for future shows. Vehicles parked within Festival streets without a Festival-provided access permit during set-up or breakdown will be subject to towing.
Set Up: Booths located on the streets, set up only after street closures, generally noon on Friday. Based on booth location, specific setup times are provided to artists after acceptance. All vehicles are to be removed to designated parking areas immediately after unloading to allow others access. Failure to comply with this courtesy can affect artist placement in future requests. Set up must be complete no later than midnight on Friday.
Breakdown: Breakdown is prohibited prior to 4:00 pm Sunday. Once the festival closes, booths need to be broken down and items packed prior to retrieving vehicles. Streets will be reopened at 8:00 pm by TPD, and all booths must be moved off streets by this time. Public parking guidelines will prevail after this time. Failure to comply with these courtesies can affect artist placement requests at future events.
SECURITY: Overnight security is provided by the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) on Friday and Saturday nights, allowing artists to leave exhibit displays. We strongly recommend that you pack up all valuable merchandise and equipment to keep with you. LeMoyne and TPD are not responsible for any loss.
ARTIST CANCELLATION POLICY: Booth Fees are due on January 8, 2027. Once paid, these fees are generally considered non-refundable; however, a refund for cancellation submitted to Festival staff in writing prior to the Festival program production date of February 15, 2027 is allowed. They are subject to a deduction of $50.00 for fees retained by ZAPP and LeMoyne Arts administration processing fee. After Friday, February 15, 2027, absolutely no refunds will be made. We understand emergencies will happen requiring an artist to cancel after that late date, but they are not exceptions to our policy. After that date, all processes to include each artist and their booth have been completed and are set for the event. Application fees are always non-refundable.
EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY: The Festival is a fundraising event run by a non-profit community art center supporting artists. Booth fees go directly to advertising and operations for the event. With a rain-or-shine policy, the Festival will remain open in inclement weather, cancelled only if the safety of the artists and patrons is deemed at risk or mandated by local, state, or federal governmental agencies. Should we be required to cancel, we will contact participating artists to evaluate options for a ‘Plan B’. However, if the event is canceled on or before February 15, 2027, we will be offering full booth fee refunds to all artists. If the event is cancelled after February 15, 2027, we will be offering at least* 50% refunds as well as a rollover opportunity. Application fees are always non-refundable. *Our event runs on a very tight budget, and this amount will be based on what we are able to return after advertising and operational costs spent up to the point of cancellation can be evaluated.

THE FOLLOWING ARE PROHIBITED

Unapproved artwork using our logo / or Festival branding.

Unsigned reproductions of original artwork.
Unsigned artwork or work not using archival materials.
Copies of works reproduced or copied from works of masters, advertisements, commercial or widely circulated photographs, or offset prints.
Generative AI tools are permitted solely for preliminary ideation or draft compositions; however, the final artwork submitted, displayed, and offered for sale must feature substantial original human artistry, execution, and manipulation.
Work purchased from an outside source for resale.
Any artwork produced using production or cottage labor.
Work created by kits, manufactured or kit jewelry, pre-assembled supplies, decoupage, and ceramics cast from mass-produced commercial molds.
Mass-produced note cards, commercial books, etc., unless of the exhibiting artist’s works.
Framing at the Festival.
Artwork not in the medium/ category in which the artist applied and was accepted.
Generators are generally not allowed, but if deemed necessary, they must be approved by Festival staff prior to use. Allowance based on necessity, booth location, and decibel rating.

During the Festival, all displays will be visited by the Review Committee to ensure that the displays and artwork follow Festival guidelines. It is our exclusive right and responsibility to remove work that is not in compliance. An Officer of the Festival will make the final decision. Non-compliance can result in expulsion and ineligibility for judging, awards, and potentially future Festival participation.
Artists provide their own white tents, which must meet all fire codes. All tents must be weighted, not staked – even those exhibiting on grassy areas due to City Park restrictions. Please ensure your tent and display setup are sturdy and capable of withstanding gusty wind and rain.
The area provided to exhibit is typically 11×11, most with storage behind them; however, some booth spaces in our highest traffic areas like Lewis Park do not have side or backspace. Some street booth locations will be allowed to bring an umbrella for extra shade around their booth area. Artists are requested to exhibit within their designated space. There are also private residences and businesses located within the festival footprint—please be respectful of these spaces as well as avoid encroaching beyond your assigned booth area. Please note if you have storage requirements or special requests in the comments section of your ZAPPlication.
As an outdoor event, surfaces may be uneven, especially within the grass areas of the park. While street booth locations tend to offer flatter, more stable ground, artists should be prepared for some environmental irregularities. Natural drainage issues may occur due to weather and terrain. Our team works hard to manage these challenges, and we appreciate your understanding.
Electricity is not available. Artists are encouraged to bring rechargeable or battery-powered lights and fans.
Artists are provided a standard tent ID card at check-in for the judging process and to help patrons locate artist booths from the Festival map. Artists are required to affix these to the front of the tent so they are clearly and easily visible.
The artist will receive check-in times, a locator map, a temporary vehicle Festival Access Pass and Exhibitor Parking Permit, State of Florida sales tax information, along with other relevant information on a date closer to the event. Please be sure to check for communication messages via ZAPP.
We respectfully ask that you consider using sentence case in your ZAPP application, including your profile. Please do not use ALL CAPS or all lowercase. Anything not provided in sentence case requires retyping into our artist rosters and can be a point for typo errors.

For additional questions, feel free to email: Sheri@LeMoyne.org

Recognitions

Chain of Parks Art Festival continues to stand among the nation’s top fine art events, earning its place in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s prestigious 200 Best list for 12 consecutive years, and making an impressive 8th appearance in the Top 10 for Fine Art Festivals in the Nation. For 2026, the Festival secured the #5 Fine Art & Design Festival ranking in the Nation, maintaining its position as the top ranked Fine Art Festival in Florida. First launched in 1993, Sunshine Artist Magazine’s 200 Best rankings are based on a weighted survey where participating artists cast votes nominating their highest money-making shows from the previous year. Because the rankings focus solely on artists’ reported gross sales, they offer the most objective indicator of a show’s artistic and commercial success.

Additionally, the Festival, presented by Mad Dog Construction, won the Tallahassee Democrat’s Community Choice Award for “Best Community Event” and achieved its largest attendance to date, welcoming over 45,000 visitors to downtown Tallahassee. This achievement highlights the vibrant community support, talented artists, and exceptional outdoor cultural experience that define the event year after year.