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ARTIST ALLEY

Artist alley vendors will be selected based on their applications and submitted portfolios. The application period is in January 2026. Dates, table sizes, and prices will be published closer to the application time!

The artist alley is open on both days of the event, and all the tables are for the entire weekend.

You can apply for a table either alone or with a friend. However, all artists whose works will be sold on the table must be mentioned in the application form, and it is not possible to add new artists to the table later.

Artist alley vendors are chosen through portfolios. In other words, all applicants are asked to provide sample images of their art or products when applying. Detailed portfolio instructions can be found below. Please read them carefully!

New at artist alleys?

Kummacon’s artist alley is especially aimed at newer artists and craftsmen who may not have a lot of artist alley experience under their belt! People with more experience will also be chosen, but for veteran vendors we recommend applying for artisan tables as those are specifically meant for experienced sellers.

The artist alley also has a set number of tables that will only be given to people who are very new at selling at artist alleys. You may apply for these ”beginner artist spots” if you have previously sold your products at a maximum of two artist alleys, artisan tables or other such convention vendor tables (vendor tables outside the convention scene do not count). We do not prohibit beginners from applying for a regular artist alley table, but it is easier to get a beginner artist spot due to the lower number of applications.

Our artist alley coordinator is happy to answer any questions you might have on applying or preparing for the event!

PORTFOLIO INSTRUCTIONS

Don’t let the fancy word intimidate you: in practice, a “portfolio” just means a file with pictures of your art or products. In your portfolio or application, tell us what kinds of products and themes you plan to sell on your table. When choosing portfolio pictures, select the ones that reflect the products you plan to sell at the event. If you don’t have all the products ready yet, you can tell us what you’re working on – but remember to reserve enough time to make the products, as the results of the application process will be announced approximately two months before the event.

Please read the following instructions carefully! Applications with portfolios that do not follow the instructions will be rejected.

• The portfolio should contain a maximum of 8 images.
• If you intend to share the table with other artists, you can send either a joint portfolio or separate portfolios for each artist. For shared tables, there must be some kind of pictures of products or art submitted from all the participants. Joint portfolios may also have a maximum of 8 images per person (example: a shared portfolio of two people can have a total of 16 images). It is good if the jury can clearly see from the portfolio which work is made by which artist.
• If you sell jewelry, please state in your application exactly which parts you have purchased ready-made and which you have made yourself! The more you tell about the manufacturing process, the better.
• If you sell 3D printed products, please state in your application whether you have made the print files yourself or whether you are using ready-made files.
• If you sell handicrafts where an external party is significantly involved in the manufacturing process (e.g. a factory makes decorative embroidery on the fabric), please state in your application how much you have created yourself in the whole and what the factory’s share of work is!
• AI generated art, i.e. art that is either completely or even partially generated by artificial intelligence, is not allowed to be sold at Kummacon’s artist alley!

Technical instructions for portfolios

• There is a section in the application form where you must put a link to the portfolio. The portfolio must therefore be uploaded on the internet – please do not send a link to the location on your computer (e.g. in the format C:\Users\OMISTAJA\portfolio…..).
• The portfolio can be a PDF file or a web page, but you may also link to a folder on Imgur, Google Drive, or such.
• Please do not link your entire social media gallery (e.g. an Instagram gallery)! Applications that have a social media link instead of a portfolio will be rejected. We only accept applications where the portfolio consists of a limited collection of pictures.
• If you link to a file on Google Drive, please make sure the link works and the file opens for people other than you! You may have to change the sharing settings for this. It is always a good idea to test the link on a different computer to make sure it will open on the jury’s computer.
• If you are unable to upload the portfolio online, you may also send it by email to the artist alley coordinator (taidekuja@kummacon.com). In this case, the maximum file size is 25 MB. If you apply for a beginner table spot, you are also allowed to send individual images as an email attachment. In this case, the maximum number of images is 5 images and the total maximum size is 25 MB. If you send the images or portfolio by email, you must also submit the application form! Make sure to mention the applicant’s name as stated in the application form in the email, and send the application and email within 24 hours of each other!

About the selection process

• The artist alley has a beginner quota – specifically, we have a minimum number of tables that will be given to beginners.
• The jury pays attention to the turnover of alley artists compared to last year, so only a limited number of alley artists from the previous year will be accepted into the alley.
• The selection of artists aims to bring as much diversity to the alley as possible, both in terms of themes and products. In addition, the special themes of the event are considered an advantage in applications: Kummacon is an event that focuses on all kinds of popular culture (including literature and Western popular culture), so the diversity of fan cultures will also be taken into account when choosing artists.

Any questions? Artist alley coordinator can be reached at taidekuja@kummacon.com!

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ARTISAN TABLES

This year, vendors for artisan tables will be chosen based on applicants’ portfolios. The application period will be in January 2026. Dates, table sizes and prices will be published closer to the application time!

Instructions and rules for artisan tables are a bit different from artist alley instructions, so please read them carefully!

What is the difference between the artist alley and an artisan table?

Kummacon wishes to give people with less artist alley experience an opportunity to sell at an artist alley. While the alley also accepts artists with more experience, alley veterans have a slightly lower chance of getting into the alley than beginners. For this reason, we offer experienced creators a separate opportunity to get a sales spot at Kummacon: artisan tables. If your product range is very large or you have a lot of experience selling at events, we recommend considering applying for an artisan table. (However, we do not prohibit anyone from applying to the artist alley!)

If you wish, you may send an application both to the artist alley and for an artisan table! Artisan table vendors will be selected first. If you submit an application to both and are chosen for an artisan table, your application will be removed from the artist alley selection process. Therefore, if you apply to both, you cannot make your artist alley application your primary application: please only apply to both if you are ready to accept an artisan table.

About the selection process and criteria

Artisans will be selected by a jury consisting of con organizers. In some cases, the jury may utilize a lottery after a pre-judging round.

The jury aims to bring a diverse selection of themes and products to the artisan tables. Vendors whose products fit the con’s themes have an advantage: Kummacon’s focus is on popular culture (including literature and Western popular culture), so the jury wishes to fill the artisan tables with different themes and fan cultures.

For artisan table vendors, we require the vendor’s own creativity to have a strong presence in the products. Crafts and jewelry must meet the threshold of originality, meaning that one person’s individuality and creativity must be sufficiently visible in them. For example, simply putting pre-purchased jewelry parts together does not meet the threshold of originality. If you are selling crafts or jewelry, please state in your application or portfolio exactly which parts you have made yourself and how, and which parts are ready-made parts! If you suspect that your products do not meet the threshold of originality, you are welcome to apply to sell them at regular vendor tables.

Art sold at the artisan tables may not be directly copied from the official illustrations of the series or other model images that the artist does not own the rights to.

AI generated art, i.e. art that either has been completely generated or utilizes parts generated by artificial intelligence, may not be sold at Kummacon’s artisan tables. Bringing such products to your table will result in a ban on selling at subsequent Kummacon events.

Portfolio instructions

• When applying, you must submit a link to a file or a web page where you have collected sample images of your products or art. For artisan table portfolios, there are no restrictions on the number of images; the most important thing is that the portfolio gives a clear idea of what kind of products you will offer. (Despite this, we hope that you do not submit a huge number of images – going through more than 25 images is quite a job for the jury.)
• The portfolio can be a file or a web page, but you can also link to a folder on the internet (such as an Imgur or Google Drive folder).
• Please do not link to your social media gallery (e.g. an Instagram gallery)! The jury wants to know specifically what kind of products you are bringing to Kummacon: please link a portfolio that showcases this!
• If you wish to share the table with other artists, you can send either a joint portfolio or separate portfolios for each artist.
• If you sell jewelry, please state in your application or portfolio exactly which parts you have purchased ready-made and which you have made yourself.
• If you sell 3D printed products, please state in your application whether you have made the print files yourself or whether you are using ready-made files.
• If you sell crafts where an external party is significantly involved in the practical production (e.g. a factory makes decorative embroidery on the fabric), please state in your application how much you have created yourself and what the factory’s share of the work is!

Questions? The artist alley and artisan table coordinator can be reached at taidekuja@kummacon.com!