Information for Participating Artists

RISD Alumni Art Sale Policies and Procedures

 Participation in the Alumni Art Sale is one of the benefits offered to RISD Alumni, and is managed by the Alumni Relations Office. In alignment with the goals of the AR office to support student activities and foster student/alumni interaction, tables are offered to RISD students at the spring, fall and holiday sales.

Alumni exhibitors participating in the annual sales accept all risks inherent to participation in the events. Conditions at the sale may include inclement weather (rain, snow, wind and other natural forces), as well as uneven or slippery surfaces. We will tent in case of inclement weather but personal tents are not allowed. Overnight storage, supervised by a security guard, at the RI Convention Center Holiday Sale is provided, although RISD is in no way responsible for lost or damaged property. Alumni, by applying to the sale, agree to accept responsibility to safeguard and protect their property from damage. Alumni exhibitors are also required to observe appropriate business practices and be aware of the rights of consumers. RISD reserves the right to exclude any alumnus at the discretion of the Alumni Relations Office.

Waiting list:

If applications to any sale exceed spaces available, participants are chosen by a blind lottery and all others are placed on a numbered waiting list. Artists on the waiting list will be notified in numerical order if a position becomes available.

The Alumni Relations Office makes no guarantee for any alumni to participate in any sale. If, however, an applicant has been waitlisted for two consecutive sales, he or she may be granted a table in the next sale, assuming the application process is followed for three consecutive sales. 

“Standby” status:

Participants with the numbers one through and including five will be considered on “standby” on the morning of the sale, and will be notified of this status on the day preceding the sale.  Alumni on standby may chose to prepare for the sale and arrive no later than 45 minutes before the start time of the sale. Unoccupied tables will be given by the sale coordinator to standby participants beginning 30 minutes prior to the sale. The use of unoccupied tables MUST be cleared with the coordinator only. Participants are in no way obligated to participate in the standby wait list.

RISD Alumni Art Sale Space Sharing Information:

• You can only share your space with other RISD alumni or current RISD students.

• The registered participant is the person responsible for the table and all the obligations that go with it. The sale coordinator will keep track of the artists that have been added to each shared space, but will only correspond with the registered participant.

• Only one tax permit is necessary per table. When taxes are paid at the end of the day, the artists sharing the table combine their sale totals “on paper” and pay the sales tax collected with one check. It is the responsibility of the “registered” alum to be certain taxes are paid the day of the sale.

• The booth fee is per space, not per person. If you are sharing a space, you are responsible for paying the table fee.

RISD Alumni Art Sale Tax Permit Information

 WE’VE UPDATED OUR TAX POLICIES, PLEASE READ THEM AS THEY CAN IMPACT YOUR FUTURE ELIGIBILITY IN THE RISD ALUMNI SALES.

All exhibitors, including those from out of state and those selling non-taxable items, must be in compliance with Federal, State and Local laws and regulations regarding sales tax issues. This includes obtaining and displaying a retail sales permit.

Exhibitors must either:

Note your permanent RI Retail Sales Permit number on the application in the space provided and turn in your taxes quarterly as you normally would.

OR

1. 2.      Request a Temporary Retail Sales Permit be issued to you. You can do this by checking “yes” when asked on the application. RISD will procure a one-day tax permit for you. You will receive your permit the morning of the sale in your registration packet. You will also need to include a separate $10.00 check or money order payable to the RI Tax Administrator with your registration payment, and you must pay your sales tax on the day of the sale at the end of the sale.

 As the sale promoter, RISD is required to collect checks for the sales tax due from all exhibitors who purchase a temporary tax permit. You must collect and remit 7% sale tax on all taxable items, and report your total sales, taxable or not, at the end of the show. Any sales tax due must be submitted in the form of a check to the RI Tax Administrator. We send your check and a copy of your tax permit to the state within one week of the sale.

NOTE: If you do not pay your taxes at the end of the sale, fail to report tax information, or fail to purchase a temporary tax permit, you will be immediately placed at the bottom of the waiting list for the next sale to which you apply. Second offenses will result in a one-year ban from any alumni sale and third offenses will render an alumnus ineligible to participate in all future sales.

By applying to the sale you ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE to the following conditions:

Only RISD alumni may participate in the sale.

• If there are more applicants than tables, a lottery will be used to select exhibitors.
• Table locations are selected randomly.
• All work must be your own and comply with all applicable laws, including but not limited to copyright.
• Withdrawing yourself from the sale twice or more in a row after being assigned a spot will result in automatic placement at the bottom of  the waiting list for the next sale to which you apply.
• RISD reserves the right to give away your table if you are not present at least 30 minutes before the start of the sale.
• Failure to show up 30 minutes before the start of the sale will automatically make you ineligible for the next two consecutive sales.
• The sale of RISD indicia goods is prohibited without RISD’s express consent.
• You must purchase and display appropriate sales tax permits. If issued a temporary sales permit, taxes must be paid before departing the sale for the day. If you do not pay your taxes at   the end of the sale, you will be automatically waitlisted for the next sale in which you are eligible to participate. Second offenses will result in a one year ban from any alumni sale and third offenses will render an alumnus ineligible to participate in all future sales.