Selected vendors will receive a stipend of $200 for their participation in the Indigenous Art Fair.
Instructions
Please submit your intention to participate in the art fair and images of your work that represent what you plan to present/sell at the festival. Please also include a brief biography of yourself, personal artist statement, and proof of Tribal Affiliation. If you have any questions please contact, Delia Touché, Curator of Indigenous Programming at dtouche@plainsart.org. Read below: The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
Dates and Deadlines
- Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 30, 2025
- Notification of Status: Friday, April 11, 2025
- Art Fair Time and Date: Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, 2025, from 10 am-5 pm at Plains Art Museum.
Artwork Specifications
- Applicants to the Indigenous Art Fair must be enrolled members of a United States or Canadian federally-recognized tribe or Alaskan Corporation, and must submit proof of enrollment in the form of a legible copy of the applicant’s enrollment card, a Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB), Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), or a Secured Certificate of Indian Status Card (CIS/SCIS) (Canada). The enrollment number must also be included on the application form.
- Artists who do not have a CIB/CDIB/CIS/SCIS or official tribal enrollment card can provide a tribal certification from a federally recognized tribe. However, the Plains Art Museum will review documents used as proof of Native standing and have sole discretion of accepting documents for eligibility. If your enrollment is pending, you may apply and indicate such. However, if your status is not confirmed by jury time, you will be disqualified from participating.
- All works need to be original. No pieces that are commercially reproduced or supplied by third-party vendors are allowed.
- You may use backboards and display systems, but space is limited. The museum will provide one 8-foot table and two chairs.
- There is a limited number of spaces for the festival; only 30 artists will be selected for the event.
- There is no entry fee and Plains Art Museum does not collect commissions. All sales and transactions are solely the responsibility of the artist.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. For a first time violation of the Act, an individual can face civil or criminal penalties up to a $250,000 fine or a 5-year prison term, or both. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000.
Under the Act, an Indian is defined as a member of any federally or State recognized Indian Tribe, or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian Tribe.
The law covers all Indian and Indian-style traditional and contemporary arts and crafts produced after 1935. The Act broadly applies to the marketing of arts and crafts by any person in the United States. Some traditional items frequently copied by non-Indians include Indian-style jewelry, pottery, baskets, carved stone fetishes, woven rugs, kachina dolls, and clothing.
All products must be marketed truthfully regarding the Indian heritage and tribal affiliation of the producers, so as not to mislead the consumer. It is illegal to market an art or craft item using the name of a tribe if a member, or certified Indian artisan, of that tribe did not actually create the art or craft item.
For example, products sold using a sign claiming “Indian Jewelry” would be a violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act if the jewelry was produced by someone other than a member, or certified Indian artisan, of an Indian tribe. Products advertised as “Hopi Jewelry” would be in violation of the Act if they were produced by someone who is not a member, or certified Indian artisan, of the Hopi tribe.
If you purchase an art or craft product represented to you as Indian-made, and you learn that it is not, first contact the dealer to request a refund. If the dealer does not respond to your request, you can also contact your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and the local District Attorney’s office, as you would with any consumer fraud complaint. Second, contact the Indian Arts and Crafts Board with your written complaint regarding violations of the Act.
Before buying Indian arts or crafts at powwows, annual fairs, juried competitions, and other events, check the event requirements on the authenticity of products being offered for sale. Many events list the requirements in newspaper advertisements, promotional flyers, and printed programs. If the event organizers make no statements on compliance with the Act or on the authenticity of Indian arts and crafts offered by participating vendors, you should obtain written certification from the individual vendors that their Indian arts or craftwork were produced by tribal members or by certified Indian artisans.