The 2025 Mother of All Pottery Sales - Union Projects (Due Dec. 3)
The 2025 Mother of All Pottery Sales - Union Projects
Deadline: December 3rd, 2024
The 2025 Mother of All Pottery Sales will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
The Mother of All Pottery Sales (MOAPS) is a celebration of all things clay. This colossal event features over 40 ceramic artists, stunning ceramic artwork, clay demonstrations, and a hands-on clay activity!
Union Project invites all ceramic artists to apply! MOAPS features an impressive selection of ceramic artwork by clay artists from Pittsburgh and beyond.
The MOAPS Jury selects artists based on the quality of work, our commitment to curating a diverse and inclusive sale, and the availability of space.
Artist applications for booth and Spotlight Gallery will open on October 15, 2024. The deadline to submit artist applications is December 3, 2024.
IMPORTANT DATES:
October 15, 2024: Artist applications open
Virtual Open Office Hours to ask questions and get assistance with your application:
December 3, 2024: Artist application deadline
December 20, 2024: Artist notifications sent
January 24, 2025: Non-refundable booth fee and artist Participation Agreements due
February 12, 2025: Artists are announced
February 17, 2025: Promotional toolkit delivered to all event participants
April 26 – May 3, 2025: Spotlight Gallery artists deliver artwork during designated times
May 10, 2025: Mother of All Pottery Sales Event Day
Booth vs Spotlight Gallery
Artists may apply to sell work in their own booth and/or Union Project’s Spotlight Gallery.
A booth artist receives a 6’x6’ booth space to set up their work. They pay a sliding scale booth fee, run their own sales, and take home 100% of their event income.
Spotlight Gallery (SG) artists drop off their work prior to the event. Union Project employees staff the Spotlight Gallery, share information about the artists, run sales, and pack up sold artwork. Artists receive 70% of the sales of their work.
Accepted booth artists will:
Be able to select their booth rate. In an effort to make participating in the sale as accessible as possible, we will be offering a sliding scale booth fee of $75-125. Check out this link if you’d like to learn more about the sliding scale.
Indicate if they want to use a table provided by Union Project or plan to bring their own furniture.
Indicate if they need access to electricity or have some other placement preference.
Select one of two load-in times on the day of the event.
Sign a Participation Agreement that outlines their responsibilities leading up to, during, and after the event.
View a list of tips compiled by UP Staff to help artists have successful sales during the event.
Complete their setup before the event begins and be present for the entire event.
New this year, current and former participants in Bridgeway Capital’s ACRE and/or ErieMade cohort programs have the opportunity for Bridgeway Capital to cover their booth fees if selected. There is a simple checkbox to self-identify as one of these participants below. Note: This opportunity is only available to artists applying for a booth.
Accepted Spotlight Gallery artists will:
Sign a Participation Agreement that outlines their responsibilities leading up to, during, and after the event.
Drop off their work prior to the event.
Jury Selection Process
Artists will be selected based on the quality of their artwork, Union Project’s commitment to curating a diverse and inclusive sale, and the availability of space. Each year, the number of artist applications increases, and the caliber of the work improves, making the selection process more competitive. The MOAPS Jury includes professional ceramic artists, curators, and craft experts from both Union Project’s staff and the greater clay community. Jurors use a numeric scoring system based on the quality and originality of work to select artists. Artists who are not selected may request juror feedback and are encouraged to apply again next year.