About the 200 Best
The 200 Best is a ranking of the nation’s most profitable art and craft festivals, released annually in Sunshine Artist's August/September issue. Each year, artists and craftspeople are asked to list their 10 bestselling events from the previous year. These results are compiled into the 200 Best list — the Top 100 Fine Art & Design (FA) shows and the Top 100 Classic and Contemporary Crafts (CC) shows.
Definitions
Fine Art & Design (FA)
The Fine Art and Design category is geared toward fine art, including 3D works, featuring primarily one-of-a-kind items and many museum-quality pieces. Examples of works within this category are oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings; fine sculpture; drawings and pastels; art glass; and art photography
Classic and Contemporary Crafts (CC)
The Classic and Contemporary Crafts category is geared toward traditional, country, and modern styles of craftwork, handmade by exhibitors. Examples include woodworking; metal crafts; fiber and wearable art; ceramics and pottery; some jewelry; and home décor items.
Voting
Voting opens in mid-February and ends in late April.
The ballot opens with the February/March issue (mails mid-February), and online ballots can be submitted at https://sunshineartist.com/200bestballot during that time. The deadlines are published in the February/March issue.
How To Vote
Artists choose up to 10 shows they attended last year where they grossed the highest sales. That is the only criterion for placement on the 200 Best list — where they, the creators, made the most money.
How To Promote
Promoters are encouraged to share the 200 Best ballot with their artists through email and social media.
How the 200 Best List Is Determined
Each show earns points based on the gross sales indicated on the ballot, from one point for sales of less than $2,000 to four points for sales over $10,000. The combination of the reported gross sales and the number of artists who vote for a show determines each show’s final score.
The artists are also who determines the category the show gets placed in, FA or CC. The category with the majority of votes is where the show is placed.
Announcement
The 200 Best list is published in Sunshine Artist’s August/September issue and online at https://sunshineartist.com/200-best.