Whether you’re more about arts and painting or handmade crafts, showing your work at art shows and festivals is a critical part of getting your work seen by a larger audience, as well as getting it sold to interested parties. However, there are certain parts of the process that can make the experience more of a pain than a pleasure.

One of these things is definitely the required fee attached to juried art shows. Jury fees are what you pay in order to have your art evaluated and considered for inclusion by a panel of judges. Some shows charge relatively reasonable jury fees. However, others can be a bit on steep side.

So what gives? Why are so many jury fees so high and what are artists and craftsmen really getting in return for their money?

A Look at What’s Covered By Jury Fees

Unless a given artist has ever been on the inside looking out, it can be tough to really know what goes on behind the scenes of a juried craft show or art festival. They assume that the jury process involves someone taking a minute or two to glance at each piece. However, there’s actually a lot more involved than that. For instance, consider the following:

• Jurors take the time to go over and fully evaluate each and every application whether the person ultimately winds up getting into the show or not. This takes time, effort, and manpower naturally.
• In regards to most art festivals and craft shows, the applicant’s entire submitted portfolio is actually reviewed multiple times before being scored – up to four or five – as opposed to just given a quick once-over.
• Jurors also go beyond just reviewing a given artist’s application before making a final decision. Artists are usually also Googled. Their personal websites are viewed and many applicants also wind up receiving phone calls with requests for more information about them and their work.

All in all, the jury process actually takes quite a bit of time and effort in order to be done properly and jury fees help to cover that. Generally speaking, higher fees are attached to more thorough jury processes, so in light of this, some artists and craftsmen may consider them worth paying in order to ensure that their work is adequately evaluated before a decision is reached.