Indiana Artisan isn’t a moniker. It is a highly respected designation that means a panel of experts has evaluated every aspect of the work and determined it to be among the best made in the state. If your work is exceptional, it is time for you to apply.
The menu of benefits and programs for Indiana Artisan members expands every year. Each artisan can choose from an a la carte menu to get the help most applicable to build their business. This is your chance to leverage the impact of becoming an Indiana Artisan and market your handcrafted items as among the best in the state.
Business-Building Opportunities
Professional Achievement
Exposure of Your Work
Entrepreneurial Development Opportunities
Communications
Click here to read the 2026 ART Application Guidelines or 2026 FOOD Application Guidelines before accessing either application. The guidelines explain the application process and give advice on submitting physical samples of art, food and beverages.
Applicants will receive an immediate email to verify their application has been submitted. COntact Indiana Artisan if you do not receive one.
1:00-2:00 February 23, April 13 and May 11, 2026
Artists and food artisans can learn more about Indiana Artisan and the application process in one of the optional Zoom conversations and Q&A . Please sign up for the Zoom sessions below.
February 23 Zoom Session
March 28-29, 2026
Plan to attend the 14th Indiana Artisan Marketplace in the AgHort Building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to get a sense of the quality, breadth and depth of the work juried in as Indiana Artisan.
Apply by March 1, 2026, to receive one complimentary Marketplace ticket.
Noon, June 2, 2026
Deadline to apply for the 2026 Art + Fine Craft or Food + Beverage jury.
June 10 – July 14, 2026
All Art + Fine Craft applicants must submit samples of their work. Ship or deliver them to arrive no later than 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 to:
Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery
22 N. Rangeline Road
Carmel, IN 46032
Hours: 11am-6pm Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday
11am-8:30pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Monday – by appointment only
This is the Indiana Artisan store in the Carmel Arts & Design District. Include return postage on mailed/shipped samples. Due to limited storage, furniture and large pieces should be delivered on Tuesday, July 14.
Noon, July 16 – 8:30 p.m. July 31, 2026
Art samples will be return shipped or can be picked up at the Carmel store beginning at noon July 16. Indiana Artisan can store work securely beyond July 31 but will appreciate having large pieces removed by Sunday, July 19 and smaller pieces by Friday July 31. If this timing is difficult for you, contact [email protected]
1 p.m., July 21, 2026
All Food + Beverage applicants must submit sample(s) of their product(s). Ship or deliver them to arrive no later than 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 to:
Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery
22 N. Rangeline Road
Carmel, IN 46032
Hours: 11am-6pm Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday
11am-8:30pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Monday – by appointment only
This is the Indiana Artisan store in the Carmel Arts & Design District. The food application guidelines explain how the sample(s) should be submitted and more.
July 31, 2026
Art + Fine Craft applicants will learn via email if their application to Indiana Artisan was successful no later than July 31, 2026.
August 7, 2026
Food + Beverage applicants will learn via email if their application to Indiana Artisan was successful no later than August 7, 2026.
August 25, 2026
All successful applicants are required to attend the Indiana Artisan Bootcamp from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. The central Indiana location will be announced in the acceptance email. It is critical to attend this meeting. If a successful applicant is unable to attend, she/he/they must reapply and go through the entire jurying process again another year. Given the importance of this workshop, please check your availability for this date and time before applying.
Indiana Artisan art and food jury panels review applications annually in July from some of the state’s highest-quality artists and food producers. Please review the time line for this year’s jurying process. Panel members change each year.
Food + Beverage Juries – Juries include dietitians, chefs, sommeliers, food safety experts, educators, retailers, packaging/labeling experts, and others with expertise in Indiana’s food-related laws and regulations. Each application is reviewed in two categories: packaging/labeling and taste/texture. Evaluation criteria are described in the application guidelines.
Art + Fine Craft Juries – Juries include artists, gallery owners and managers, folklorists, museum directors, educators, and others with a broad interest in, and knowledge of, art and fine craft. Each art application is reviewed on criteria outlined in the application guidelines, and each is given equal weight.
Scoring – Once Art + Fine Craft and Food + Beverage reviews are completed, those applicants whose combined scores are above a threshold established at each jury session have their work “juried in” to Indiana Artisan, meaning their work becomes part of the Indiana Artisan brand and they may take advantage of the business expansion opportunities the organization offers. Outcomes of jury panels will be provided to the applicants two weeks after each jury meets.
Final Step – Successful applicants have a final step in the process. They are required to attend a bootcamp, where they meet each other, are given an in-depth explanation of how the organization can be leveraged to benefit their businesses, and are provided an opportunity to ask questions and suggest expansion ideas for the organization and its community of Artisans.
FAQs – There is no limit on the amount of work that can jury into the organization, nor a quota on the number of Artisans producing work in an individual medium or food product line. Successful entry is based on high quality and demonstration of the application criteria as each food and art jury panel determines.
Since the organization’s launch in 2008, evaluation criteria have remained the same. More than 2,500 applications have been reviewed, with fewer than 20 percent of the applications being successful. Unsuccessful applicants are provided with the comments of each jury panel, and there is no limit to the number of times an artist or food producer may apply.
Please select the appropriate application from these two options:
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