Christmas Showcase | Herts Visual Arts
2020 Christmas Showcase

Registration opened 1st November, and is now closed

Christmas Showcase 2021: 19th November - 31st December

You need to be a member and also logged in to the website first though.  

There’s plenty of help in the sidebars (desktop) or at the end of this page (mobile phone). Check out extra Christmas Showcase pages and explainer videos (registration, application guidelines, terms and conditions, help and support, event graphics and more) here and in the Members-only pages. When you register, you'll receive a confirmation email with more useful content too.

Read more and join Herts Visual Arts now

Registration deadlines extended! Quick - Initial registration now closes 8am Thursday 11th November, Online Exhibition content upload now closes 8am Friday 12th November. 

CLICK ME TO REGISTER FOR CHRISTMAS SHOWCASE 2021

What is it?

Our very popular Christmas Showcase is back for 2021, at exactly the right time for our wonderful customers to prepare for Christmas. We're showcasing the very best of local art and craftsmanship in time for the festive season, with an online exhibition and 2 livestream presentations.

From 19th November to 31st December 2021, our Christmas Showcase will be online, a fabulous opportunity to get your work in front of a wide Hertfordshire (and beyond) audience and develop your skills. Imagine a beautiful display of gorgeous, individual, high-quality hand-crafted objects ... Now visualise the work that you can bring to this virtual Christmas table.

  • Christmas Showcase participants will be able to present at one of our two Facebook Live events. On either Saturday 27th November 4pm or Sunday 5th December 5.30pm you can join our live-stream artist tours and presentations, experience live-media, video and more on Herts Visual Arts and other social media accounts.
  • In addition, participating artists will be able to display 3 items in our Christmas Showcase Online Exhibition.

Of course, the real benefit of an online event is it’s accessible to a far wider audience who can ‘travel’ and ‘visit’ from the comfort of their own home, at whatever time suits them.

We're taking full advantage of our website and strong social media presence for this event. It's a fantastic celebration of our artists and artisan-makers across Hertfordshire as they share their work - a great experience for our visitors and artists alike.

Members: everything you need will be here and in your Account when registration opens. Once registered, you will also receive exclusive support emails. 

Non-members: it's simple to become a member of Herts Visual Arts. Once a member, you can be part this event and take advantage of all our other benefits too. What are you waiting for? Click our Member registration page to find out more and join us.

How much does it cost?

For just £20, key benefits include:

  • The opportunity to present at one of our two Facebook Live events
  • Three fabulous images in our online Exhibition Gallery.

There is no commission on sales, however, if you sell, you may like to consider donating a % to support HVAF and our events (Donate button available on most pages).

What is included in my entry fee?

  • Your pitch at one of our online Christmas Showcase Live Facebook events, plus the chance to practice beforehand at a specially available session
  • 3 pieces in our Christmas Showcase Online Exhibition
  • Entry in Christmas Showcase Flipbook and video
  • Downloadable promotional materials for your personal use
  • Support sessions before the Christmas Showcase Live events
  • Targeted press and social media promotion and coverage.

Why take part?

You will be part of our fabulous Christmas Showcase, and in addition, HVAF is again delivering on our community values, so you will also benefit from:

  • Wider visibility/engagement: great exposure comes from the many visitors to the Christmas Showcase Exhibition and Live events. Alongside increased website and social media visits/activity, this is putting you/your work in front of 10s of thousands of potential art lovers and customers.
  • Increased fellowship and connections: collaborate, support and celebrate. Event feedback clearly shows the benefit of reviewing/presenting art/practice and getting to know fellow artists.
  • Support on your journey, including Digital Skills: Being part of an Art Fair, selecting and displaying your work, keeping your Gallery content fresh, social media and events are all stepping stones on our respective journeys.

The main strands:

  • Christmas Showcase Online Exhibition on our Website: our Big Art Fair 2021 shows the format 
  • Christmas Showcase Flipbook and video, live Social Wall
  • From mid November: Targeted promotion and social media presence 
  • 27th November and 5th December: Christmas Showcase live streams.

Plus behind the scenes:

  • Website extensions to deliver the event
  • Regular Insider Newsletters for registered participants
  • Downloadable promotional materials
  • Video explainers: how to register/upload content
  • 1 support session: 16th November (online content, preparing for live events and more)
  • 2 safe practice sessions: 25th November and 3rd December (to prepare for Live Stream events)
  • Professional advertising: event video and exhibition promotion.

What do you need to do?

Focus on what you create, start thinking about what you will bring to #HertsChristmasArts and how you can describe it. What would you display and how will you set it out? Who are your customers and what do they want to see?

  • Register to take part (see dates below)
  • Check our resources page for more guidance about your exhibition entries and Gallery
  • Prepare your exhibition entries (image, title, description, price)
  • Make your Gallery even more beautiful, add video if you haven't already, make sure there's contact information
  • Submit up to 3 exhibition pieces during the upload window
  • Check our logged-in member resources for event graphics, support sessions and behind the scenes
  • Join in with our support sessions
  • Throughout November/December: share content online if you can, use the hashtag #HertsChristmasArts
  • Promote the event, your participation, your work, use our branded graphics (login to visit resources)
  • Invite friends, family, customers to the the Christmas Showcase Live events
  • Join in - with our Showcase Live events and online
  • Keep up to date by opening and reading Christmas Showcase Exhibition Fair Insider newsletters.

How do you get on the Social Wall? 

  • Post on your own Twitter or Instagram account using #HertsVisualArts throughout the year, as well as #HertsChristmasArts during November and December.
  • Software magic then adds your post to the Wall.

Don't do social media?

As long as you sign up/upload content by the various deadlines, you can come to our support sessions and be part of our Christmas Showcase Exhibition, and the Christmas Showcase Live events.

What else?

Please pay attention to these very important dates, and prepare what you need in advance: watch explainer videos, read the guidelines.

Please use our branded graphics and remember to tell your family, friends, customers and other audiences all about it.

(Please Note: these may change/be adjusted as we finalise the program).

Key Dates

Monday 1st November:  

  • Registration opens, visit our registration page or log in and go to your account home page
  • Exhibition content upload opens for registered artists
  • Upload up to three high quality images (less than 5MB) before the image deadline
  • Remember to include your image description, dimensions and price
  • (Please do not leave it to the last minute).

Thursday 11th November (8am): 

  • Registration closes - no late entries can be accepted (sorry).

Friday 12th November (8am): 

  • Exhibition image upload deadline - images can't be accepted after the deadline (sorry).
  • Christmas Showcase Exhibition Flipbooks/video creation begins.

Tuesday 16th November (6pm):

  • Join our Chair, Sally Taylor in the PRIVATE Facebook Group to learn about Live events
  • Bookings open for for online presentation slots.

Friday 19th November: 

  • Event opens online, Christmas Showcase Exhibition launches on our website
  • Event hashtag #HertsChristmasArts is live on our Social Wall
  • On social media (Twitter, Instagram, etc.), use #HertsChristmasArts in your posts to feature on our live Social Wall. 

Thursday 25th November (2pm):

  • Safe and supported Live event help/practice session for our 1st Live event.

Saturday 27th November (4pm): 

  • Get ready to join in with our special Christmas Showcase Live event across social media
  • 1st Facebook Live.

Friday 3rd December (5.30pm): 

  • Safe and supported Live event help/practice session for 2nd Live event.

Sunday 5th December (5.30pm): 

  • Get ready to join in with our special Live Christmas Showcase Exhibition across social media
  • 2nd Facebook Live.

31st December: 

  • Event Closes.

Background

Our very first Christmas Showcase was in 2020. This year it will be bigger and stronger, allowing people who are unable to travel or who are busy during the day, to join in, view and purchase beautiful creations made by our members.

Christmas Showcase 2021 will share creativity through the online Exhibition itself, gallery tours, videos, Flipbook and video, and social media Live events. Participating artists will be using the hashtag #HertsChristmasArts, collated onto our social media wall. 

Artists who want to take part, but are not yet members, can easily join Herts Visual Arts. They can then take full advantage of all member benefits, including networking, exhibiting at events and sharing on-line galleries. Membership for 2021/2022 is now open.

Non-members, to hear more about our year in art, why not sign up to our newsletter (further down the page)?

‘More creativity, more fun, more buzz, more laughter in our lives’

Have a look at last year's event and be inspired! Lots of creative gifts and desireable items.