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Wednesday, April 30th
6 - 9 p.m. - Artist unload/booth set-up
(no earlier than 6 because of activities on campus)
Thursday May 1
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Artist unload and booth set up (no earlier than 8:30 because of school drop off)
11 - 12:30 p.m. - Designer Sneak Peek (please see below)
5 - 6 p.m. - Show opens for Harding community only
6 - 9 p.m. - Show opens to the public for Opening Night (21 and up)
Friday May 2
12 - 5 p.m. - Friday at the Harding Art Show (open to all ages)
6 - 9 p.m. - Friday evening at the Harding Art Show (21 and up)
Saturday May 3
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Family Day
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Show hours
4 p.m. - Artist breakdown/pack up
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The layout is a fluid item that gets solidified in the coming days before the show. Upon load in, you will be given your booth location. All booths are 3 panel booths.
The booth panels are professionally painted, 4ft x 8ft white pegboard. The holes are 1/4” wide and they holes are 3/4” apart.
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We recommend bringing a variety of sizes and price points. The most popular price range for our show has been $500 - $2,000, but note that pieces above this range will sell.
Our recommendation is that you bring 25-35 pieces. You are welcome to bring additional inventory (if you sold out last year, please bring a lot more work); we will have a secure room on site to store any additional pieces that do not fit in your booth. This is the only location on campus where you may store additional pieces. It’s better to have more than not enough.
Jewelry and ceramic artists should bring much more than 35 items.
Please note that you were selected based on the style of work you submitted with your application. Keep this in mind when building your inventory for the show.
We have a secure (locked) room to store excess inventory. During show hours, our goal is to have a volunteer present in the excess inventory room at all times so that the door may stay unlocked but the room is secure. All artwork in the booth must be hung. Artists CANNOT store anything behind their booth or behind draping. This will be strictly enforced. We want to keep art secure and all passages safe and unobstructed in case of emergency.
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Several artists have reached out to the Chairs recently with questions regarding booth planning. In the welcome email/ FAQs, we stated that all artwork must be hung. However, it will be acceptable to place some additional artwork on the floor, leaning against the interior walls of your booth. You may also bring a small table, basket, rug/ floor covering as long as all additional items fit inside your space. Footprints of the booths will be approximately 9 ft wide and 3 ft deep. Please remember that we will have a secure space to store additional art and you may use this to replenish your panels after initial artwork is sold. One artist recently shared that she tapes out the panel sizes on a floor to get a sense of what artworks will fit onto the panels. (Amazing idea!)
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We have 100 total artists this year! 80 artists will be exhibiting in the indoor spaces (Gym and Theater) and 20 artists will be exhibiting in the tent located on the turf field.
Our 2025 Featured Artist is Laura McCarty (@lauramccartyart) of Panama City, FL
You can access the list prior to it being published:
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Wednesday, April 30th, 6 - 9 p.m.
Thursday, May 1, 8:30 a.m. (not before because of school drop off)
Volunteers will be on site to assist you in unloading and finding your booth. More details will be shared later.
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Harding will provide each artist with:
"S hooks" to use to hang artwork on the pegboard
A booth name plate (centered in the top of your booth- please plan for this when organizing your layout prior to the show) exact measurements will be posted when they go to print.
QR Code sign that will direct buyers to the online transaction for purchasing art.
Art price/ info tags and a pack of putty to stick them on the peg board
One power strip for plug-in lighting
Other artists have found it helpful to bring a small step stool to use while hanging art in the booth.
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Artists are required to supply their own lighting for the booth and many artists choose to bring a plug-in lighting strip to attach to the wooden beams at the top of their booth. This lighting strip is recommended:
Globe Electric 60024 22" 3-Light Plug-in Track Lighting, Matte White, 15 Foot Cord, in-Line On/Off Rocker Switch, Kitchen, Bathroom, Home Essentials, Ceiling Light, Dorm, Dining Room, Hallway https://a.co/d/h2rROKH
It can be attached to beams with zip ties, example here: https://a.co/d/iGlMSCh
Artists have found it helpful to bring a small step stool to use while hanging art in the booth.
Many choose to bring a small chair or stool but no tables unless they are very small as they won’t fit in the booths. If there are prints, they need to be in a folio or small basket.
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All booth signage and price tags will be provided to you. Your booth name tag will be placed at the top center of your booth. Please make note of this for layout planning.
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On Thursday, May 1 from 11am - 12:30pm, we will host an Interior Designer Sneak Peek. This event is for local designers to shop and purchase art before the show opens to the public that evening. Ideally, artists will have their booth set up near completion so the designers will have a full view of your work. We suggest you are present in your booth during this event to interact with the designers: many of them will be buying and/or suggesting pieces for their clients who will be attending later. Many promote HAS artists and the event on their social media.
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Participating in the online show is an easy (and lucrative) way to increase your brand awareness. In 2024, the online portion of the show represented over $70,000 of revenue, and we expect even more this year. The online show will open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 1 and close at noon on Wednesday, May 7.
All you need to do is simply provide your inventory and images and our team takes care of the rest! There is a specific upload template that you will be provided in the coming weeks. Our selling platform is Shopify. Our inventory team will build your storefront for you. When an item sells you will receive a sales receipt email directly from Shopify. Inventory counts are live so there is no need to worry about double selling an item.
Shipping and handling of the artworks is coordinated directly by the artist and buyer. This detail is specified when a buyer purchases artwork. The customer’s information (Name, address, email, phone number) will be on the sales receipt email for you.
While participation is not required, it is highly encouraged. We hope it will be as beneficial to you as an artist as it is to our school community.
If you choose to bring any of the art that you had listed for online sales to the in-person show, simply notify your liaison and they can be easily transitioned to "in person" status. At the end of the show on Saturday, if there is inventory that you would like added to the online portion, we can do that as well.
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A member of the Inventory Team will help you through the process of uploading your inventory starting in April. All inventory is due by April 18th.
An example of the template that will be used for organizing artwork can be seen below. Keep in mind this is just an example
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YES, all artists are expected to be present during show hours. We will have volunteers available to stand in booths for brief periods if needed. You are welcome to bring an assistant. Please provide us with your assistant’s name, so we can make a name tag.
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Yes you may bring one assistant. All registered assistants will be provided with show credentials so they may access the various areas and hospitality.
If an assistant plans to attend, their contact information must be provided in advance for security check in. Here is a link to the Security Form.
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We want you to be comfortable during the show. Casual dress is appropriate. During the evening (21+ events), people tend to dress up more. We do request that the provided name tag is worn the entire time on campus.
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Absolutely! We will provide forms during the show to facilitate these transactions. The buyer will be responsible for paying Harding 30% at the show, and the artist and buyer will work out the details for the 70% balance due to the artist.
Note: Taking commissions on the side is in direct violation of the signed artist agreement and will impact future participation in our show. -
Harding Academy takes care of all financial transactions. When a buyer wants to purchase a piece of art, the artist directs the buyer to scan their individual QR code, which will be provided to each artist to hang in their booth. The buyer is able to complete the transaction on their phone while at the booth, then will show the artist the email receipt as proof of purchase in order to collect their artwork. It is very important that the artist checks the receipt!
If the buyer does not want to use the QR code/ phone transaction, they may complete the transaction at the show checkout desk.
Direct deposit is required for all artists. We will send you a direct-deposit form prior to the start of the show.
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Within three weeks of The Harding Art Show’s closing date, each artist will receive a direct deposit comprising 70% of their gross sales. A detailed report, listing all items sold will also be available. Please note that NO checks will be cut; ALL monies will be via direct deposit.
Exhibiting artists are responsible for Tennessee sales tax, if any, due as a result of the sales contemplated herein, on the portion of the proceeds (70% which represents the fair market value and sales tax collected) received by the artist.
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In addition to our print media campaign and signage displayed across the Nashville area, we heavily promote our show via our social media outlets. We hope you will follow @thehardingartshow on Instagram and share our posts! We will promote each artist individually and will require you to submit several high resolution images for these posts. We also encourage you to post information about the show on your personal social media accounts and be sure to tag @thehardingartshow and use #thehardingartshow and #thehardingartshow2025 hashtags. Instagram stories are incredibly popular and a great way to promote yourself and the event.
Note: Should any artwork be sold or commissioned as a direct result of Harding’s promotion of you in the upcoming show, contact the art show chairs to facilitate the transaction. An example of this would be a new client commission or purchase of a specific piece we promoted of yours. -
We provide meals for artists during show hour. We will also have refreshments and light snacks available in between meals. If you have specific dietary restrictions, please plan accordingly.
Thursday: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Friday: Lunch & Dinner
Saturday: Breakfast & Lunch
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We are working on some room block options and will update as they develop. But here are some close options.
Courtyard by Marriott Nashville - Green Hills or Brentwood
3800 Bedford Avenue
Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 298-7700
Green Hills - 4.5 miles from campus
Brentwood - 8.7 miles from campus
Hyatt Place Nashville/Green Hills
3818 Bedford Ave
Nashville, TN 37215
~4 miles from campus
Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville - Green Hills
2324 Crestmoor Road
Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 777-0001
~4 miles from campus
3801 Cleghorn Ave,
~4 miles from campus
101 20th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 551-2700
5.6 miles from campus
Brentwood, Bellevue, and Cool Springs are good options as well - you will find less expensive room rates about 15-25 minutes away from Harding Academy (170 Windsor Drive, Nashville, TN 37205). Many artists also book short-term rentals through AirBNB or VRBO.
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Harding Academy is a warm, welcoming community focused on each child's learning, growth, and personal development. Harding is committed to the Pre-K through eighth-grade experience as an expression of the conviction that children thrive in an environment intentionally designed to meet the developmental needs of children between the ages of four and fourteen. Harding does not want to accelerate the precious years of childhood unduly; instead, they want to guide, inspire, challenge, and support children through adolescence and in doing so, prepare them personally, socially, and academically for the dynamics and decisions of high school.