Before the Fair
Day of the Fair
QUESTIONS
Call us: (406) 446-1370 or email: info@carboncountydepotgallery.org
A word about your Art and Fine Crafts at the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery
Thank you for considering a booth space at the 44th Annual Labor Day Arts Fair. The spirit of the fair is to bring unique, hand crafted, original art and crafts to our patrons and unite our patrons with you, the creating artist. In keeping with our mission as a nonprofit organization, we include the same wide range of arts and crafts at this fair as you see in the Depot Gallery. CCAG wants to continue to bring the best art and craft to our patrons through this application process without the need to complete a juried art show application. We rely on you to understand and follow the guidelines and ask us questions if something is unclear.
Over the past few years the Labor Day Arts Fair has grown. We have had comments from our participating artists about whether some items offered during the event are truly created by the artist or simply manufactured goods being resold. We have taken your comments seriously. There has been a significant decrease in manufactured goods being resold and to continue this trend, we want to clarify our policy so you can decide if this event is appropriate for your products.
All of the items you bring to the Labor Day Arts Fair must be made by you. Let us explain.
Sale or resale of manufactured goods is not permitted. This means if you purchase already completely constructed or manufactured items such as shirts, other clothing items, fabric items, towels, bedding, tote bags, toys, etc. embellish them in a mass-produced, similar fashion, and display them on large racks or tables typical of retail stores, then these items are not suitable for this event. Items in original packaging from the manufacturer are not suitable. Items not made by you and clearly marked as made by another company or organization, in the USA or any other country, are not suitable. Flea market items are not suitable. Jewelry that is purchased complete from a manufacturer/wholesaler and no additional creative work is done then this jewelry is not suitable. Antiques are not suitable. If you are a sales associate, product consultant, or distributor for a business/product such as Avon, Scentsy, Home Interiors, etc, these products and the company’s catalogs are not suitable.
Repurposed items are permitted. One-of-a-kind clothing creations are permitted. Wood items that are purchased already cut then hand-painted, embellished, and to be one-of-a-kind are permitted. Beaded jewelry that is hand strung by the artist is permitted. Original art, prints, cards and t-shirts (made from your original art) are permitted.
We allow a couple of participants who represent other artists, arts organizations, and humanitarian causes, both national and international, to bring their members’ arts and crafts to this fair. This is done to support the growth of art around the globe and to support those who are in need of the basic necessities in life. And, this is done in advance of the event with permission from the Executive Director.
To be sure all items are suitable prior to the Arts Fair please include a full description of the items with your application. Use the back of the application if you need more room. Photographs of any items you are concerned about would be greatly appreciated along with your application. If you have hesitation about items, call or email staff to discuss the items before sending your application.
On the day of the Arts Fair, Guild staff will visit your booth. If there are any further questions about the suitability of products or if new items have been added that were not included on your original application, please talk with us at that time.
We hope this information is helpful to you in your decision to participate on September 4, 2023. The Arts Guild is excited to celebrate the 43rd year of the Labor Day Arts Fair and share your active talents to the community and patrons.
About the Resort Tax...
The City of Red Lodge requires, the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery, a non-profit organization, to comply with City ordinances as we transact business in Red Lodge. The Guild is required to maintain a business license, apply for sign permits, reserve park space for our events, and collect and remit the resort tax. Over the years, the City has clarified the requirements for many City ordinances. Most recently, they have provided clearer guidance on the resort tax ordinance, especially for events such as the Carbon County Arts Guild Labor Day Arts Fair. Below is the City’s guidance on resort tax collection.
** The ordinance identifies attractions where goods and services are sold by any business that does not operate more than 90 consecutive days within a calendar year (temporary vendor) within the City of Red Lodge as a luxury and all sales are therefore subject to the resort tax.
As many of you may know, there are costs with owning and operating a business, including business licenses, bond, insurance, record keeping, advertising and marketing As a non-profit organization here in Carbon County, the City of Red Lodge graciously allows us to hold this event under the umbrella of our business license, without requiring you to pay for a temporary business license and pay the $500 bond, with the expectation that all vendors, including food vendors, who participate in the Labor Day Arts Fair will pay the resort tax at the end of the event.
The Guild works very hard to keep your costs to participate in this event as low as possible and ensure this event is successful for you and all artisans and fine craftsmen in the future. You can help us tremendously by submitting the resort tax with the form we provide on all your sales at the end of the event (EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO SALES please fill out and turn in the form). If you have any questions, please call the Guild staff.
**All items are taxed at the Labor Day Arts Show unless you have a Red Lodge business license.
THERE ARE NO NON-TAXABLE ITEMS FOR THE LABOR DAY ARTS FAIR!
