The Artist Alley is a place for artists to sell their original, unique, and handmade wares at MomoCon. If you are selling licensed or mass produced goods, please consider selling in Vendors instead as it will be a better fit for your shop.
MomoCon
Artist Alley & FAQ
Applications available 8p EST on 11/3
In order to better prevent proxies, art theft, and AI art from entering the Artist Alley, we will be changing our application requirements for the 2D art category. From this point going forward 2D artists will be required to provide some type of process content, whether this is line art, Procreate videos, links to recorded streams, or social media reels; we need to know that your art is your own.
However, this will also mean that we will be shifting our application window to provide ample time for our jurors. Our new Artist Alley application window will be November 3rd through November 17th, 2024.
However, this will also mean that we will be shifting our application window to provide ample time for our jurors. Our new Artist Alley application window will be November 3rd through November 17th, 2024.
Important Dates
- Nov 3rd, 2024 at 8:00pm (EST) – Application Opens
- Nov 17th, 2024 at 8:00pm (EST) – Application Closes
- Jan TBD – Jurying Results Sent Out
- Jan TBD – Invoices Sent Out
- Wednesday, May 21 – Load-in Begins
- Thursday, May 22 at 2:00pm (EST) – Exhibit Hall Opens to Attendees (Convention Starts)
- Sunday, May 25 at 5:00pm (EST) – Exhibit Hall Closes to Attendees (Convention Closes)
Application for Artists Alley
Cost (2025): $375 + Eventeny fees
Cost (2025): $625 + Eventeny fees
Not Allowed Merchandise
Momocon is home to a large number of people of all ages. Please use your best judgment regarding subject matter. Momocon reserves the right to remove any artwork deemed inappropriate.
However, the following are not allowed for sale at Momocon:
- 18+ / adult / explicit materials
- food (including teas or dried foods) and drinks
- Traced art from official or non original sources
- Official merchandise
- Bladed weapons
- AI-generated art
- Drug paraphernalia
Because we receive many questions about it, we will reiterate that all foodstuffs are not allowed in the Artists Alley, especially hand-made foodstuffs. The Georgia World Congress Center has strict food rules and even approved vendors (such as the food carts you see in the hall set up by the venue) carry millions of dollars in insurance coverage. This includes all food products, including dried foods or consumables. At this time, we do not permit AI-created art in the Alley or for sale that utilizes art samples not created by the applicant.
Jury Process
Based on feedback from artists and applicants in the past several years of MomoCon’s Artists Alley, we will be continuing with a jury system for future events. The Jury Process typically opens in December before the event, with notifications going out to all applicants on or before mid-January before the event. The Jury System is based on (in order of importance):
- Adhering to Artists Alley rules/guidelines, removing incomplete applications
- Variety of products/offerings/artwork (categories of many types)
- Professionalism and completeness of portfolio
We are here to answer any questions about the process should you have them. No system will be perfect for every artist, but we are built on feedback and will strive to improve with any system from year to year.
Our Artist Alley Application Committee selects the artists for each year, based on the following criteria:
- Following the Alley rules: Many applicants will be rejected for not reading and understanding the Alley rules, see the section above for more details.
- Differentiation of product: Our #1 goal is to have a diverse Artists Alley, with representation from crafts, 2-D art, clothing, trinkets, jewelry, photography, comic artists (as part of the Comic Artists Alley) and unique offerings. We look for a good mix of artists who have been a great part of the alley in the past and new artists (both new to MomoCon or selling in Alleys in general). The highest concentration of applications comes from the 2-D prints art category and as such is one of the more competitive categories and many artists are waitlisted in this designation. This is not a reflection of the art itself, but the sheer number of these artists means that many will not make the first pass and may be waitlisted.
- Professionalism and Preparation: We love artists who are enthusiastic, bring a good amount of work, and are raring to go for the Alley! Applications with only a small few pieces of work or people who are unprepared and might only have a very sparse table at the event are less likely to be accepted.
The Artist Alley Application Committee consists of highly experienced Artists Alley former participants, professionals, artists, and crafters. We have no preference at MomoCon for any style of artwork over another; 2-D prints, original art, painters, photographers, crafters, jewelry makers, trinket makers, and clothing craftspeople are all welcome in the Alley and we take great care (it is in fact our #1 goal) to have a very balanced amount of each type of product in the Alley, providing the best selection for our attendees!
Tips For Applications
In 2024, we received more than 6 times as many applications than we had spots in the Artists Alley, with the majority being in the 2-D/traditional art category. We have moved to a juried process to improve based on prior year feedback from many artist participants and applicants. We will be checking for violations on the first pass, including, but not limited to:
+People who violated the stated rules of the artists alley. Notable rules that are more commonly pushed/broken include:
Logos of official licensed properties
Traced/copied official artwork, or very slightly altered work (splatter trace of official art)
Very slightly altered official merchandise
Food or beverage products (including dried food), due to stringent contracts with the GWCC that prohibit food sales
+Incomplete applications. No names, no websites, no examples
+Scope. MomoCon encompasses Animation, Gaming, and Comics, with a secondary focus on Physical Arts and Cosplay. Some folks apply for the Artists Alley who are very talented authors, science fiction aficionados, fan groups/clubs, and charity groups. These groups are not within the scope for the Artists Alley and will be rejected. We have sections in the Exhibit Hall (while supplies last) for fan groups/clubs and charity groups elsewhere.
I’ve Been Waitlisted, Now What?
Everyone that isn’t accepted during the initial jury review selection (or rejected) is added to our waitlist. If an accepted artist withdraws their application, or misses a post-approval deadline, then their table will be forfeit and offered, in order of the review results, to an artist on the waitlist during the original determination and whose material isn’t a violation of the Alley’s rules. IF the waitlisted artist who received the rollovered table also withdraws or misses a deadline, then the table will rollover to the next artist on the waitlist, etc.
There are many many MANY reasons applications are not accepted or are waitlisted for the Alley, including (but not limited to):
- incomplete applications
- breaking one or more of the stated rules
- misspelled emails (if we can’t contact you, we can’t approve your application!)
- The quality of artists that submitted their application in a specific category is higher than in previous years
- The quantity of artists that submitted their application in a specific category is higher than in previous years
Please keep in mind that no decision is ever personal. Our Artist Alley Application Committee members will recuse themselves for any applications of friends with close ties to ensure the best experience. Please keep in mind that our current policy is that we do not offer portfolio feedback and/or waitlist position, as we receive a lot of applications and unfortunately do not have the time or resources to offer detailed critiques/placement for all of them.
I’ve Been Accepted, Now What?
After your application is accepted, you will be contacted by the Artists Alley team to confirm your registration and arrange payment. Due to some extremely egregious abuses in the past, we will require upfront payment for the spaces when invoices are sent/tables are assigned, and table transfers to another artist are no longer permitted. In the event that you are unable to attend the convention, a refund can be requested, and the Artists Alley team will pass your table to the next artist on the waitlist. Cancellations and refunds will be available for 30 days after payment per our standard online payment processor procedure. Payments for Artists Alley tables may be made only via PayPal account or credit/debit card (the processor is PayPal but you can use any type of credit or debit card without a PayPal account). We will not take checks or cash at any time, please make accommodations.
Payments: Payments for Artists Alley tables may be made only via PayPal account or credit/debit card (the processor is PayPal but you can use any type of credit or debit card without a PayPal account). We will not take checks or cash at any time, please make accommodations.
Why the strict rules about upfront payments, transfers, and refunds? In the past years prior to policy changes, a large number of artists would reserve tables, pass many payment deadlines, receive accommodations from the Artists Alley volunteer staff, and still drop their tables at a late date close to the convention – many times due to being accepted at another concurrent convention or our established rules regarding proxies instead of legitimate issues preventing attendance. This causes much frustration for our room designers, Artists Alley volunteer staff, accounting, and many others. Additionally, finding artists that are ready to claim and pay for tables at the last minute is difficult resulting in empty spaces and negative sentiments over being unable to move to them for perceived increased sales, and it’s is also extremely disrespectful to those artists who were unable to secure a table during the initial reservation period due to the high number of applicants and demand, only to have that taken table be tossed aside at a late date when the original waitlist artists (who were very interested) did not have time to make accommodations to sell. We ask those who are interested in selling at the MomoCon Artists Alley make that decision before the refund deadline to make the process smoother for everyone and allow those who would like to sell the opportunity to do so with enough time to prepare for the event.
Why Was I Not Accepted?
There are many many MANY reasons applications are not accepted, or are wait listed, for the alley, including (but not limited to) incomplete applications, breaking one or more of the stated rules, misspelled emails (if we can’t contact you, we can’t approve your application!), and more than anything a large number of qualified applicants in a specific category. There are far too many artists for the spots available, and no decision is ever personal. Our Artist Alley Application Committee members will recuse themselves for any applications of friends with close ties to ensure the best experience.
Can I Share A Table With Someone?
Artists may share their table with other artists who have been accepted to the Artist Alley, provided both artists (either together as a single portfolio or separately) have been accepted into the Alley. If the other artist was independently accepted, but you plan on sharing a table, please let us know via email. Only one artist will be the primary contact for the table and accept any and all legal responsibility for the space.
Artists may NOT share table space with artists who were rejected or waitlisted, this is a common tactic to avoid the jury process and cannot be used to subvert the process. If you would like to add another artist’s work to your submission during the jury period starting early Nov 2024 please contact our Artists Alley team.
Are There Age Requirements?
While we do not have a minimum age for Artists Alley participants, someone 18 or older must e-sign all AA contracts (parent, guardian, table partner, etc. for those under 18).
Please have the legal party fill out the contact information with details about the artist in the text field.
Is Fanart Allowed?
Fanart is allowed unless we receive notification from copyright-holding parties to limit its presence. However, fanart is defined as merchandise and prints that include the likeness of a character, symbol, or other copyrighted property, not official goods. Any goods traditionally qualified as “bootleg” (manufactured in China, unofficial, intended to appear official or defraud) will not be allowed.
In previous years major anime companies have been present at MomoCon and are likely to be again, including Crunchyroll, Sentai Filmworks, and Viz Media. Any requests that they have for copyright violations will be taken with utmost seriousness upon presentation. Some IP holders have stipulated that any use of official names and/or logos (i.e. labeling things “Hetalia” or using Dragon Ball Z logos) will have a zero tolerance from the official company representatives. MomoCon will comply with any requests from US license holders.
How Big Is The Artist Alley This Year? How Many Tables Are There?
The Artists Alley for MomoCon 2025 will be about the same as the 2024 event. We care about the variety and ability for sales for our Artists and thus always try to avoid overfilling the room and positioning tables behind or too close to columns. Tables themselves are 6 foot long by 2 foot wide by 30 in. tall.
What Comes With a Table Purchase?
As with the previous years, each table purchase comes with a 6-foot table, 2 chairs, and 2 memberships. If additional badges are needed for assistants, they may be purchased at regular con price, or obtained from other artists who do not need their second badge (either through purchase at a reasonable price or donation; more information available after application processing).
How Are Applications Handled? Is It a Juried Process?
Based on feedback from artists and applicants in the past several years of MomoCon’s Artists Alley, we will be continuing with a jury system for the 2025 event.
The Jury Process will open December 2024 for applications. The Jury System will be based on (in order of importance):
- Adhering to Artists Alley rules/guidelines, removing incomplete applications
- Variety of products/offerings/artwork (categories of many types)
- Professionalism and completeness of portfolio
We are here to answer any questions about the process should you have them. No system will be perfect for every artist, but we are built on feedback and will strive to improve with any system from year to year. For more information, please see our The Jury Process section.
Where Is The Alley This Year? Is It In The GWCC?
The Artist Alley will be located in one of the Exhibit Sections with exclusive entry through Hall B, located alongside the Dealers. There is no physical divider between artists and dealers for optimal flow.
How Many Tables/Spaces Can I Get?
Artists are only allowed to purchase a single booth or table.
How Do I get Power/Water/Wifi?
If you want to order power or internet for your booth, you can order it through the GWCC’s Exhibitors Site.
Is There A Special Rate/Code For Parking?
We do not offer a special parking rate just for artists. Please use the MomoCon Parking page for additional details on how you can reserve your parking.
Is There A Special Rate/Code For Hotel?
We do not offer a special hotel rate just for artists. Please use the MomoCon Hotels page for additional details on how you can reserve your hotel.
Can I send Someone to Operate My Booth if I Cannot Attend?
Artists that apply and are accepted into the Momocon Artist Alley are expected to be present at the convention while tabling; sending a proxy to sell or manage your table on your behalf while selling at other events will result in removal from the Artist Alley as this type of proxying isn’t fair to other artists that have committed to being present at the convention and have made travel and housing arrangements, either.
However, if the artist is unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances and they are part of a joint partnership or studio, they can request to have another representative from that studio/partnership table the booth. These are handled by the Momocon Artist Alley team and are approved on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the Momocon Artist Alley team if you feel you fall under this category.
Failure to notify the Artist Alley team before sending someone to attend the convention in the artist’s stead is considered unapproved and will result in table cancellation and removal from the Artist Alley.
Can I show up at the convention and buy a table there?
If there are any open tables once the convention begins, we will be in the process of reaching out to our last minute waitlist artists to fill them. Because of this, we do not allow onsite purchasing of artist alley booths.
Do I need to sign up for a seller’s permit to vend in the Artist Alley?
Currently, you do not need to register for a seller’s permit for the artist alley.
Does Momocon handle the tax paperwork for the artists?
Currently, you will need to print out the tax form(s) and handle that yourself.
I have already paid for my booth but I can’t make it, can I sell it to another artist?
No, we do not allow subletting of the artist alley booths. If subletting is identified, the recipient artist will be removed from the convention space and both the original artist and the recipient artist will be banned going forward.
I only need one of the two badges that I receive with my booth, can I give one away?
While we do not prevent an artist from managing their own badges, please keep in mind that they are associated with your booth and you are accountable for the behavior of the people with those badges. Please only provide these badges to people who are assisting you with your booth and/or someone you trust.
Note: since these come with the booth, you also should not be accepting payment for handing out these additional badges. If we find that badges are being subletted to other individuals, you will be removed from the artist alley.
How can I buy badges beyond the two that we receive with the booth?
The Exhibit Support booth within the vendor hall will have the ability to receive payment and issue additional exhibitor badges. Please keep in mind that these badges are linked to your booth and you will be held accountable for their behavior.