Tephra ICA Arts Festival 2027

A competitive juried outdoor arts festival at Reston Town Center. Selected artists exhibit original work in assigned booths during the May 15–16, 2027 festival. Eleven conditional artist awards of $500 each are planned, including ten Awards of Excellence and one People's Choice Award; award recipients are jury-exempt for the following festival but must still apply. The awards are not guaranteed participant compensation.

Submit four images of artwork and one booth image for blind jury review. The booth image must not show identifiable signage or the artist; a front view showing three walls is preferred. The official page contains conflicting application limits: its requirement summary says up to two applications, while the festival details say up to three when entering multiple categories. Jewelry requires a separate jewelry application and may be shown only if accepted in that category. Emerging artists are not accepted. Eligible work must be original and handcrafted by the applying artist; production-studio, employee, assistant, third-party, buy/sell, kit, commercial-design, commercial-mold, class/workshop, imported, and commercially manufactured work is prohibited. Medium-specific definitions and exclusions apply to artisanal food, ceramics, digital art, drawing and pastels, glass, printmaking, jewelry, metal, 2D and 3D mixed media, painting, photography, textiles, sculpture, and wood. Participating artists must attend their booths during festival hours, and booth sharing is prohibited. The jury fee is $55 through the preferred January 3 deadline and $65 during the January 4–17 late period. Accepted artists must also pay a booth fee, ranging from $575 to $1,875 according to booth category, size, and placement. An invitation does not guarantee booth space; invitees who do not pay by the booth-fee deadline may be moved to the waitlist. A Certificate of Insurance naming Tephra ICA as additionally insured is required in advance, and artists are responsible for insuring and protecting their work and booth. Booth structures require approval, must fit the assigned footprint, and generally require at least 65 pounds of weight per leg; EZ-up and lightweight accordion-style pop-up tents are prohibited. Setup is May 14 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and artists may not break down before the event ends. The application fee is non-refundable. Cancellations before March 15, 2027 incur an $80 cancellation fee; later cancellations receive no refund.