Artist Alley Policies

Ohayocon’s Artist Alley is committed to respecting and preserving your artistic rights. We come together as fans and friends each year to celebrate anime, manga, and video games. These forms of media are all, at their heart, the culmination of the creative talents of artists. We think it is disingenuous to celebrate their creative work while simultaneously exploiting it. Our commitment does not end in the Dealers Room or screening rooms. We would be remiss to enforce a policy against bootlegs, piracy, and fan-subs, yet fail to protect an artist’s rights in our own venue for the display of artistic talents, the Artist Alley.

The following items are permitted in the Artist Alley:

* Original two-dimensional art: art featuring characters of your original design in original format and print form

* Original plush toys and dolls: toys, dolls, and plushies depicting characters of your original design

* Original sculptures: sculptures of your originally designed characters

* Handmade jewelry: no copyrighted or trademarked images or designs are allowed.

* Self-published works: this includes manga, prints, art books, etc. to which you own the sole rights and produce personally. This also includes bookmarks, badges, buttons, mouse pads, etc., that are your own works.

* Bags and containers featuring your own work or designs

* Original clothing and accessories

* Original hentai, yaoi, and yuri: adult-oriented pieces are subject to the Adult Content Rules.

* Original shonen-ai and shojo-ai: adult-oriented pieces are subject to the Adult Content Rules.

* Commissioned sketches and artworks: you are allowed to take commissions for work to be completed during or after the convention. We are not responsible for enforcing arrangements you and your clients agree to. Commissioned art is the only context in which fan art is permitted in The Alley. Adult-oriented pieces are subject to the Adult Content Rules.

 

What is Not allowed in Artist Alley:

* No fan art: artwork that is based on a character, costume, item, or story that someone else created.

* No selling, reselling, or distributing commercial products. This includes first-sale or repurposed products.

* No licensed work: this is not permitted even if the work is your own. If you have rights to sell licensed merchandise, you belong in the Dealers Room.

* No edible food or beverages. ?Examples include: handmade food or drink, Pocky, Koala Yummies, Ramune, etc.

* No weapons, real or prop, are allowed. If you have a prop and it is part of a cosplay, panel, or workshop, you must check it with Artist Alley staff.

* No commercial publications such as magazines, books, etc.

* No reproduction of officially licensed cosplay items, or cosplay items of trademarked characters. This includes clothing, accessories, wigs, etc.

* No bootlegs or pirated items, including unauthorized productions of video or manga as well as self-printed copies of artwork to which you do not have rights.

* No garage- or yard-sale items.

* No buttons, pins, hats, T-shirts, cups, mouse pads, jewelry, etc. which incorporate existing or pre-made licensed or copyrighted works. You may not use a copyrighted or licensed image as a component of another product.

* No unlicensed reproductions of existing merchandise, including plushies, accessories, jewelry, etc.

* No art that emulates an existing product of licensed or copyrighted characters.

 

Adult Content Rules:

Art containing adult content is permitted in the Alley, but is subject to additional restrictions. Adult content is anything that would not be legally permissible to display to minors. We will identify adult content during the portfolio review process. Adult content may only be viewed or purchased by people 18 years or older. Artist Alley coordinators are the final determiners of what is adult content at Ohayocon.

Adult-oriented artists will be placed near the Alley operations table.

Sexually explicit works must be covered and labeled as “Adult Content 18+”. If you are wondering if your work will be considered adult content, please ask the Artist Alley coordinators.

Work depicting extreme violence or murder, etc. will also be subject to review.

You are responsible for verifying the age of your customers, by photo ID, before allowing them to view or purchase works containing adult content. Failing to do so may result in your removal from Artist Alley.

If a commission is requested of you that falls under the Adult Content Rules, you must confirm that the person requesting the commission is not a minor. Failing to do so may result in your removal from Artist Alley.

 

Artist Code of Conduct:

The following is a list of rules you must follow. The Artist Alley Coordinators reserve the right to institute further restrictions on-site as needs arise. We do not like to speak to you in this tone, but experience has taught us we need to be frank about our expectations. Please read these, and then we’ll all get back to our lives. Thank you again for submitting your application!

While in the Alley, all convention rules as well as local, state, and federal laws will apply. If you break any convention rules, you may be removed from Artist Alley.

You will be required to prominently display your badge at all times.

You must be present at the convention and participating in the Alley for your work to be displayed. This allows for registered assistants and guardians to operate a space for their artist. However, a registered artist may not display or sell works of an artist not present at Ohayocon and registered with the Alley. An artist may not operate in the Alley as a “stand-in” for an artist not present at Ohayocon as a registered artist in the Alley. Additionally, members of an art studio may not sell or display the work of other members of their studio not present at Ohayocon as registered artists in the Alley. For example, a studio with five total members and two present as registered artists in the Alley may not sell the work of the other three members of the studio.

You are not permitted to resell your space, in whole or part, to a second party. You may not give away your table space to another artist.

The venue is a tobacco-, alcohol-, and drug-free environment.

No weapons, real or prop, are allowed. If you have a prop and it is part of a cosplay, panel, or workshop, you must check it with Artist Alley staff.

No running, screaming, yelling, rough-housing, sparring, fighting, or use of excessive obscene language will be tolerated. This applies for attendees as well as the artist.

No equipment or supplies that will produce noxious fumes or excessive noise are permitted. These include things like T-shirt presses, soldering irons, fixatives, epoxies, etc. You must respect the rights, health, and comfort of the people around you.

No raffles or auctions are permitted.

You are not permitted to use your booth as a coat check or any other paid service not pertaining to your art.

No sleeping in the Alley.

Once Alley hours are over, you must leave until the Alley opens again.

If you accept commissions requiring a live model during Alley hours, you must conduct these commissions in a manner which does not disrupt attendees, staff operations or fellow artists. Live models should be placed so as to not interfere with the flow of traffic or the space and operation of other artists.

No hawking. Anyone using any unclaimed space without the permission of Artist Alley coordinators may be removed from Artist Alley. This includes setting up shop, displaying advertisements (flyers, signs, pamphlets), and loitering anywhere within the Alley.

All displays must be secured and stable.

No element of your display may extend higher than eight feet from the floor.

You may not display outside of your designated space.

No outside tables are permitted by the venue. Display hardware may be incorporated in your space, but additional tables of any size are not permitted.

No tape, staples, glue, adhesives, gum, or tacks on the walls, columns, floor, or ceiling. The use of any display which could cause harm to the venue space is prohibited.

Music will be permitted but the volume must be kept at an acceptable level. Keep in mind that Artist Alley is located right above the Dealers Room so everything will be noisy as is. Also, the music selection must conform to a PG-13 rating. If anyone complains about the music, we will ask you to turn it off.

The Artist Alley is a “closed alley” which means it will be locked down. However, Ohayocon and the venue are not responsible for anything lost or stolen from your space.

You must be respectful of other artists in the Alley. Attempts to vulture sales, disrupt business, or bad-mouth fellow artists will not be tolerated.

Harassment of any kind is not allowed and will result in immediate removal from our Artist Alley.

Please be kind and clean up your table and space when closing.

While in the Alley, you are expected to act in a manner which is safe and respectful of the rights of the people around you, including other artists, attendees, venue employees, and staff.

No yelling at or to the customer.

No sexual advances or requests for sexual activity or other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature in lieu of money for items being sold. We can’t believe we have to say this.

Artist Alley staff reserves the right to investigate grab bags and ask you to remove them.