Arts in the Middle Local Artist Information

Dear Local Artists!

Applications are now open for Arts in the Middle’s Local Artist Tent for 2026.

Arts in the Middle Fine Arts Festival, held just outside Urbanna, is consistently rated one of the best art shows in eastern Virginia, and a universal favorite among vendors. Every year local artists are invited to exhibit in a shared tent where their work is highlighted.

The Local Artist Tent is a large pavilion directly adjacent to the entrance, a prime location for visibility and sales. We are continuing to work on increasing visibility and access to visitors in the design of the tent layout.

NOTE: Due to financial restrictions and the increased cost of the tents, we will only be able to accommodate 10 local artists this year. We encourage those of you who are selected to participate on both days of the festival to provide greater visibility of your art, to encourage sales to patrons who return on Sunday in order to purchase items that they did not buy on Saturday, and to accommodate inclement weather on either day. We do recognize, though, that there may be extenuating circumstances that would prevent you from being in the tent both days. Therefore, this year, we are testing the opportunity for up to 4 artists to share 2 of the 10 spaces. This means that 2 artists would be in the designated spaces in the tent on Saturday, and 2 different artists would be in the spaces on Sunday. If this were to occur, eight artists would have to commit to attending both days of the festival.

Each local two-dimensional artist receives up to 2 racks of wall space and may put out a browse bin for prints. Three-dimensional artists such as potters and jewelers will each have access to a 6-foot table. A fee paid by each local artist helps defray the cost of the tent. There is an award for Best Local Artist presented at a reception on Saturday night.

For artists living in the Middle Peninsula or Northern Neck, it’s a great opportunity to sell work at a high-profile show. It’s also a chance to connect with a thriving network of other local artists. And for artists who haven’t done an outdoor show before, the local tent is an ideal way to test the waters.

Applications are open until March 31st. Applicants are juried, the results of which will be made known by April 15th.

We hope to see you at Arts in the Middle! If you have any questions, please contact Beth Bader at babader@vcu.edu or (804) 615-0352.