The call for Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair vendors is over, and now the Crafty Jury (which includes the Directors of Hello Craft),
is gearing up to review the plethora of vendor applications that we received.

With more than 450 individual applications to review and only 150 vendor spots to fill, the Crafty Jury is psyched and ready for a weekend of reviewing and rating all of the vendor applications.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Crafty Bastards Jury works, here’s an inside glimpse into how the vendors have been selected for every show since the first one 6 years ago.

How long does the Jury process take?
The Crafty Jury meets for two days, approx. 10 hours per day.

How are the applications judged?
Each application is reviewed one by one, with special attention paid to the 3 photos and vendor statement. From there, each juror rates the applicant on 9 craftigories; the first 8 craftigories receive a score of 1-10. The last craftigory is an Overall score, which is worth 20 points.

So the best possible score for an applicant would be 100 craftaculous points! The lowest is 9.

All of the applicants’ ratings are then compiled and each applicant is given a total score based on the average score from all 7 jurors.

At the end of the jury process, those applicants with a score of 75 or higher are automatically accepted into the fair. We then take a look at the categories of craft that we might be missing, and try to fill in the gaps from there. For example, if there are 5 spaces left in the fair, and we have not accepted any ceramic artists, we will take a look at the highest rated potter applicant and may decide to accept them into the fair.

This process allows for an excellent shopping experience for our attendees, and a profitable day for our vendors.

What are the Craftigories?
1.) Craftsmanship/Skill
How well-made are the crafts? We keep in mind some things are meant to look rough or undone.

2.) Inventive use of materials?
Does the crafter use pre-manufactured materials or do they make their stuff from scratch?

3.) Labor/Time Investment
Does it look like there was time invested in the concept/design/product?

4.) Physical Design – How much thought was put into the aesthetics/function of the work?

5.) Alternative Subject Matter/Vision?

6.) Rarity/Singularity – How unique are the products?

7.) Excitability – Would we buy this or recommend it to someone?

8.) Appeal – Does this vendor appeal to a large group of shoppers, or would their products only appeal to a very niche group?

9.) Overall (worth 20 points)

Why do you use this rating system?
This rating system provides an equal opportunity for all crafters to have a chance to vend at the fair. Where some applicants might get a high score in the uniqueness of their work, others may get a higher score in how well their products are made.

Is there a wait list?
Yes. We usually pick a small number of applicants with scores closest to 75 to be on our Pending List. Those on the Pending List will be notified of any booth space that may open up for various reasons.

Who is on the Jury?
The Crafty Jury is comprised of award-winning art critics and designers, as well as the crafters and Directors behind Hello Craft.

Meet the Jurors:
Kriston Capps

Kriston Capps writes about art around the nation and life in the District. His writing appears in the Guardian, Dallas Morning News, Art in America, DCist,  and other places.

Jeffry Cudlin

Jeffry Cudlin is an artist, curator, musician, and award-winning art critic. Since 2004, he has written features about museum and gallery shows for the Washington City Paper. He has been recognized with First Place awards for Arts Criticism from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies in both 2008 and 2009. His visual arts blog, Hatchets and Skewers, is nationally recognized.

Since 2007, Cudlin has served as the Director of Exhibitions for the Arlington Arts Center. There, Cudlin curates five exhibitions of contemporary art each year, focusing on the work of mid-atlantic artists, but also bringing national and international art stars to the D.C. area in themed exhibitions exploring topics of the moment. His current show at the AAC, PARADOX NOW!, features historical reenactments, parodies, and anachronisms, and includes video works by New York new media artist Mark Tribe and British filmmaker Anna Lucas.

As an artist, Cudlin has organized projects in Washington, Baltimore and Richmond. In 2007, his mockumentary, Ian and Jan: The Washington Body School, appeared at DCAC and received accolades in the Washington Post. For that project, Cudlin and his collaborator, Meg Mitchell, performed an art-historical intervention by interviewing local art luminaries and asking them to describe a nonexistent D.C. art movement. Cudlin will have a one-man show next June as part of Flashpoint’s 2009-2010 season.

Jeffry received his M.F.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his undergraduate degree in studio art from the University of Virginia.

Pete Morelewicz

Pete is the former art director of City Paper and currently designs several magazines you’ve never heard of. You may have seen him at Crafty Bastards’ in the past, whether squishing Crafty Bastards pennies, selling his paintings of Bob Ross, schlepping tables in the pre-dawn darkness, or just generally harassing the vendors. This is the fourth year Pete has had the honor of sitting on the Crafty Bastards jury, and in the process has learned more about sculpey than he ever thought possible.

Tina Seamonster

Tina Seamonster is a podcaster, blogger, crafter and mom to 4 year old twins. She usually writes in third person like this because it either scares people or makes them laugh.

Seriously, I really am honored to be a part of Crafty Bastards. This is my 6th year as a vendor and 2nd or 3rd as a member of the team. My credentials for job as juror include my many trips to shows with my own products (this includes getting into shows AND being rejected from them),
my work with organizing the Craft Mutiny’s local holiday shows, blogging for the Etsy Storque, Cut the Craft Blog and Hello Craft. My newest and most loved project is a listener-generated podcast for Hello Craft, where crafters call a toll free voice mail line and tell me their stories. I love the stories that I hear from crafters and customers. If punk rock saved YOUR life, indie craft has saved mine.

You can check out what I make (including my world famous line of Zombies Plague Holiday Cards) at tinaseamonster.com. You can check out my podcasts at hellocraft.com and televisionzombies.com.

Kelly Rand

Kelly Rand is an arts writer for DCist.com, lead writer for Crafting a Green World, and is co-founder of Hello Craft, a non-profit trade association dedicated to the advancement of indie craft and the handmade movement. This will be Kelly’s second year serving on the Crafty Bastards jury. Kelly received her BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is a compulsive knitter and avid maker. Kelly believes that handmade will save the world.

Kimberly Dorn

I’m a crafter and an event planner with a penchant for all things Hello Kitty, Lingonberry Juice at Ikea, and crafts that combine cute with functionality.

When serving on the Crafty Jury, I’m looking for crafters that take an innovative approach to whatever they do. My favorite category to review is Housewares, because I like to see how crafters merge their design ideas with functional pieces.

My background in crafting started with a BFA in Sculpture from SUNY Albany, which eventually turned into printmaking, which led to photography, and now also includes knitting, paper arts, making hair accessories, silk screening, and leaving trails of yarn, felt, fabric and other craft bits all over my house.

Being part of the handmade community has been an awesome experience, and has led me to meet many amazing, motivated and inspirational crafters and artists. As one of the Festival Directors behind the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair and the Handmade Mart, as well as being the Executive Director of Hello Craft, I’m excited to once again serve on the Crafty Jury.

Sara Dick

I enjoy fresh produce, bumpy yarn, Etsy browsing, craft brews, Frank Zappa and smart people. I make stuff and love to buy handmade.

As a crafter, I’ve sold my work at Renegade Brooklyn, Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh, Holiday Heap and Pile of Craft in Baltimore, Crafty Bastards and a handful of smaller shows in the DC area.

I’ve helped organize and curate Crafty Bastard since 2004, putting the number of CB vendor submissions I’ve reviewed somewhere in the thousands. The past two years I’ve worked with DC’s Craft Mutiny to produce the Holiday Booty Market and most recently, curated Hello Craft’s Show of Awesome.

As a handmade shopper, I am proud to have supported artisans (and filled my apartment) with purchases at craft shows like Renegade Chicago, Crafty Wonderland’s Super Colassal Holiday Show in Portland, Bust’s Spring Craftacular and all the shows of which I’ve been a participant. Can’t wait to see what I’ll be buying this year!

Good luck to all the applicants!
Please feel free to leave questions in the comment section.