Vendor applications for Riverside's 2025 Holiday Art Fair are officially open!

We don’t usually open four separate opportunities for artists at once. But right now, we are — and not by accident. We're doubling down on what we believe: that supporting artists is community work.

This month, you’ll find open calls for the RAC-A-Fair (a one-day pop-up at an EMU football game), the Holiday Art Fair, our Eight Walls Gallery, and the Ypsi Fine Arts Club Online Gallery. Each one is a little different. All of them are designed to put your work in front of people who care. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to submit, here it is!

- Liz Warren, Executive Director, Riverside Arts Center

Ypsi Fine Arts Club

Join our creative community!

The next two Ypsi Fine Arts Club meetings take place August 20th, and September 3rd!

On the first and third Wednesday of each month, artists and art lovers alike gather to share their work with each other. Everyone is welcome from Ypsi and beyond! Attendees are not required to present. Anyone is welcome to simply gather with our community and enjoy the incredible artwork.

Doors open at 5:00 pm and presentations start at 5:30 pm. YFAC wraps up around 6:30pm.

Cyanotype portrait presented at an Ypsi Fine Arts Club

PTD Productions Present: Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig

George and Charlotte Hay, a husband-and-wife acting team, are touring Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives in Buffalo, New York. The Hays receive word that Frank Capra is coming to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel. However, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, including a love triangle, a show-within-a-show, and a visit from Charlotte’s stage-manager mother. The play is a commentary on the theater business and the power of love and laughter. Moon Over Buffalo is a side-splitting farce with a sense of absurdity, running gags, and comic invention.

Performance Dates:

August 14-17 & 20-23 | Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 7:30pm Sunday, August 17th & Wednesday, August 20th matinees at 2pm.

Ticket Costs:

Adults/general admission: $20. Students, seniors, and active military: $15. Thursdays are pay-what-you-can.

Artist Opportunities at RAC

Call for Exhibitions - DEADLINE EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 11:59PM!

RAC is now accepting exhibition proposals for our North Gallery to be presented in 2026! This includes groups of artists, guilds, and collectives. This call prioritizes collaborative, thematically-driven shows that foster dialogue, experimentation, and community engagement.

Our North Gallery is best suited for projects that benefit from a shared curatorial vision, multiple artistic voices, and dynamic use of space. While we appreciate the ambition of solo exhibitions, proposals that feature two or more artists tend to be a better fit for the scale and intent of this gallery.

We encourage artists to think beyond traditional exhibitions—consider proposals that include participatory elements, site-specific installations, public programming, or community partnerships.

Call for Vendors - Riverside's 2025 Holiday Art Fair!



Riverside Arts Center is now accepting vendor applications for our annual Holiday Art Fair, a vibrant indoor market celebrating handmade goods, vintage treasures, and small-batch artisan products. We’re looking for a diverse mix of artists, makers, collectors, and premade food vendors to join us for the third annual Holiday Art Fair.

We welcome applications from vendors offering:

• Handmade art and craft (prints, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, etc.)
• Vintage items (clothing, home goods, accessories, records, collectibles)
• Home & body products (candles, soaps, skincare)
• Small-batch packaged foods (baked goods, jams, teas, spice blends, etc.)

This is a non-commissioned event. Vendors pay a flat tabling fee and retain 100% of their sales.

Location: Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron St. Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Timeline:

• Application Closes: October 1, 2025
• Acceptance announcements: October 15, 2025
• Holiday Art Fair Load-In: November 21, 2025, 11AM-7PM
• Holiday Art Fair: Saturday, November 22, 2025, 11AM-6PM, and Sunday, November 23, 2025, 11AM-4PM

Fees:

• Booth Fee: $125 for a 6-foot table or $90 for a 4-foot table
• Nonrefundable application Fee: $12 

Space is limited! Vendor selection will be juried to ensure quality, variety, and fit with the spirit of the event. Early applications are encouraged.

Ready to be part of a festive, high-quality holiday market in a beautiful, art-filled space? Apply today!

Call for Solo Exhibitions - Eight Walls Gallery | 2025 - 2026 Season

Riverside Arts Center is piloting our newest gallery program: Eight Walls Gallery. This gallery is located in the Off Center, utilizing our new portable gallery walls. This program is designed to serve individual artists working in 2D mediums, by providing solo exhibition space for either one to two days or four to six week periods. 

Timeline:

Application Closes: November 1, 2025

Acceptance announcements: December 1, 2025

Exhibition Dates: TBD 2026

Call for Art - Riverside's Ypsi Fine Arts Club Online Gallery | 2025 - 2026 Season

The Ypsi Fine Arts Club is launching an online-only gallery to showcase and promote the work of our talented members. This digital exhibition is designed to support artist visibility and aid in the sales of member work through our website and social media channels.

Artists may submit 1–3 works of art. All pieces will remain in the artist’s possession unless sold. When a sale occurs, Riverside Arts Center will facilitate buyer communication and coordinate pick-up or delivery with the artist and buyer.

A 20% commission will be retained by Riverside Arts Center on all sales. There is no fee to submit or participate.

Timeline:

Submission Deadline September 15, 2025

Decision By: Sep 19, 2025

Exhibition Dates: Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025

Eligibility Criteria:

Open to current members of the Ypsi Fine Arts Club. If you’re not yet a member, please attend a YFAC meeting on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at Riverside Arts Center.

Invitation to Apply - RAC-A-Fair | Presented by Riverside Arts Center & EMU Athletics

Riverside Arts Center is teaming up with Eastern Michigan University Athletics to host the first-ever RAC-A-Fair, a pop-up art fair during EMU’s home football game on Saturday, October 25.

We are inviting anyone who has participated in Riverside’s Holiday Art Fair to apply. We are accepting 15 local artists to join us for this one-day, outdoor celebration of creativity and community.

This is an invitation-only opportunity. All past Holiday Art Fair vendors will receive an email invitation with a link to the application.

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