Welcome to Artcraft, summer and winter juried exhibits organized by Salt Spring Arts and its members in historic Mahon Hall on Salt Spring Island. Each year we present over 100 artists and makers creating unique arts and handcrafts in the Southern Gulf Islands.
Participation in Artcraft is open to local artists from Salt Spring and the Southern Gulf Islands, as well as regional Indigenous artists. Registration for the summer show happens from March 1 to April 15 each year. New participants are welcome to apply to be juried.
Artcraft Summer 2025
June 6 to September 21, 2025
Artcraft Registration and Jury Application ― MAR 1 – APRIL 15
Artcraft Winter 2025
November 21 to December 24, 2025
Artcraft Winter Registration ― OCT 1 – OCT 31
• Residents of School District 64 (Gulf Islands) and Indigenous artists living in the southern Vancouver Island region whose traditional territories include the Southern Gulf Islands are eligible to participate.
• New artists may be invited to join after undergoing the jury process. Please see the information on jurying criteria below.
Participants are required to be current Salt Spring Arts members.
• All items must be of high technical quality.
• Participants must only enter items whose production involves their creative process and that show originality.
Items entered must be for sale and priced the same wherever sold.
Salt Spring Arts recognizes the fact that Indigenous artists who call the Gulf Islands their ancestral home must be included in all areas of our organization – even if our colonial history means those communities may now be located on southern Vancouver Island.
In an attempt to reduce barriers to entry, all Indigenous creatives in our region with ancestral ties to Saturna, Mayne, Galiano, Pender and/or Salt Spring Island are now eligible to apply to Artcraft to show and sell their works. Artcraft will work with successful applicants to arrange transportation of artworks to Salt Spring Island.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth, Artcraft Manager, at 250-537-0899 or artcraft@ssartscouncil.com.
Rates are kept low with volunteer time. We expect all members living on Salt Spring Island to complete one volunteer shift (three-hour equivalent) during the summer.
Fine art and craft commission rate for 2025:
• With volunteer time 40%; without volunteer time 50%
• Books, calendars and music commission rate for 2024:
• With volunteer time 30%; without volunteer time 40%
• Samples of art and craft submitted for jurying must represent the entire range of work the applicant is planning to show at Artcraft.
• Samples submitted for jurying must include retail price.
• Jurying is done by reviewing physical samples. Photos of work can be considered in place of physical samples only for applicants living on the outer Gulf Islands and Indigenous artists living in the southern Vancouver Island region. Photos must meet criteria outlined by the Artcraft Manager, and must truly represent the types and quality of work that would be in the show.
• Work must have been produced within the last two years.
• All prospective participants must submit a description of their design and fabrication process detailing the place of origin of their materials, tools used and number of people involved in production. Incomplete information will result in refusal to jury.
• Artcraft reserves the right to document the pieces being juried to ensure that the work displayed during the season is of comparable quality.
Appeals of jury decisions must be made in writing to the Artcraft Committee and should be sent to the Artcraft Manager (artcraft@ssartscouncil.com) no later than one week after the decision. The Committee will review appeals and shall retain the authority to uphold or set aside jury recommendations.
• All work shown in Artcraft must be substantially designed and produced within School District 64 (Gulf Islands) by people living in the SD64 area. Items such as books and CDs must be written or recorded by people living in the SD64 area. Indigenous artists living in the southern Vancouver Island region are exempt from the residency requirement.
• Any individual artwork can only be entered for a period of two years.
• All entries must be the work of the registrant or done under their direction by an apprentice, an assistant or their studio employees.
• Preference will be given to products with the highest content of local materials and/or labour.
• All work must be original. Reproductions of original work are acceptable providing the reproduction is of high quality and labeled clearly.
• Art prints must be limited, signed and numbered editions and have high aesthetic merit.
• Wall art must be framed and ready to hang, or packaged and mounted professionally. Unframed prints must have protective backing and packaging.
• All items must be complete; i.e if you sell pendants, you must include a chain.
• Work that employs little more than assemblage from purchased components will not be considered.
• Work created using commercial molds will not be considered.
• Some restrictions apply to food items; consult with Manager before registration.
• Work lacking minimum standards of design, artistic content and/or retail sale readiness will not be considered.
Items copied or appropriated from other artists or cultures will not be considered.
Guidelines and policies may be subject to change.
• Decisions around participants’ adherence to policies are made at the discretion of the Manager and/or the Artcraft Committee.
Make sure you have read all of the information for New Applicants, Returning Artists, and/or regional Indigenous Submissions BEFORE submitting your application.
Please read the Guidelines for Accepted Artists before submitting an Artcraft Registration or Jury Application form.
Contact Artcraft Manager Elizabeth Nolan at 250-537-0899 or artcraft@ssartscouncil.com