ARTISTS ALLEY
Thank you for your interest in being a part of our Artists Alley at Setsucon 2025. We have updated some of our rules and policies, so please take the time to read them carefully before submitting your application. If you have any questions, please contact the Artists Alley Coordinator.
Artists Alley applications will be open from July 31, 2024 until September 4, 2024 11:59:59 PM EST. Accepted applicants for the Artists Alley will not need to purchase a separate convention badge, as that is included in the Artists Alley registration. You will be contacted by the Artists Alley Coordinator informing you whether or not you have been awarded a spot in our Artists Alley the week of October 7, 2024 to October 11, 2024. If you have been accepted, you will be contacted by the Artists Alley Coordinator to confirm your registration and arrange payment. Payment may be made via our online payment system only; cash and check are not accepted.
A 6ft table registration is $115 and includes:
Electricity is available to artists for an additional $50 fee. Please indicate on your application if you would like electricity. Any changes to this must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by January 1, 2025 11:59:59 PM EST. Any electricity requests after contract acceptance and initial payment may be paid for via our online payment system on or before January 1, 2024. No electricity requests may be made at-con.
Additional Artists Alley badges are available at the rate of $35/person. Initial requests for additional Artists Alley badges should be made on your application. Any changes to the number of requested additional badges must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by January 14, 2025 11:59:59 PM EST. Any additional badges requested after contract acceptance and initial payment may be paid for via our online payment system on or before January 14, 2024. Additional badges can be purchased via cash only at-con for the at-con registration price of $45/person.
Full refunds of the registration fee will be given for any booths cancelled by November 30, 2024. Any cancellations must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by November 30, 2024 11:59:59 PM EST. Cancellations after that date will result in the registration fees being non-refundable and non-transferable.
Items that MAY be sold in Artists Alley include:
Important Note: Artists Alley is not a replacement for the Vendors Room. If you’re selling retail items, selling licensed merchandise (other than your own), or doing a high volume of sales, you should apply for space in the Vendors Room.
Items that MAY NOT be sold in Artists Alley include:
Any violation will come with a warning, at which time you will be asked to remove the offending merchandise from the premises. Failure to comply or a subsequent violation is cause for removal from the convention and forfeiture of all fees.
Setsucon has a strict, NO BOOTLEG policy. We will have zero-tolerance for any artists that do not comply with our policies regarding bootlegs and trademark violations. Failure to comply with this policy is cause for removal from the convention and forfeiture of all fees.
New for 2025, we will be offering table options at a reduced cost to those artists that are interested in showcasing their original manga. These tables are for the sole purpose of advertising and selling your original manga works; these are not a replacement for an Artists Alley table. As such, only the original manga and artwork created based on that manga are permitted to be sold at the table; other products, fan art, and items not related to your original manga are not permitted to be sold at one of these tables. The purpose of these tables is to highlight original manga creators in our community; in supplying these tables at a reduced cost while being fair to other artists in the space, we appreciate you being respectful of the differing policies that are in effect with these tables.
If you are interested in showcasing your original manga in addition to selling fan art and other non-original manga related products, you must apply for a standard Artists Alley table.
ALL HENTAI and PORNOGRAPHY are BANNED.
We ask that Exhibitors (Artists and Vendors), particularly those who sell adult material, keep in mind that this is a family oriented event and minors will be present. Think PG-13. The acceptability of displays of material is at the discretion of the Exhibitors Coordinator.
Any material that contains nudity, is extremely or graphically violent, or is otherwise unsuitable for minors (anyone below the age of 18) is prohibited. This includes artistic nudes.
Exhibitors who display prohibited adult material in the general public’s view or attempt to sell it will be reminded once about our adult material policy. Failure to comply with warnings is cause for removal from Exhibitors Rooms (Artists Alley and Vendors Room) and forfeiture of all fees.
Prior to setting up your table, all artists must check-in with the Artists Alley Coordinator. Here, you will obtain the finalized location of your table and your badge(s). More details about this will be provided to accepted artists closer to the convention weekend.
Artists are solely responsible for moving in all necessary merchandise and equipment. The Artists Alley is located on the lower level of the Blair County Convention Center. It is recommended that you park for unloading and loading inside the parking garage of the venue. There is an elevator available for use in the parking garage. There is no guarantee that the venue or Setsucon can provide hand trucks or dollies during load-in and load-out.
Check-in must be done prior to 09:00:00 AM ET on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Any tables that have not been claimed by that time will be forfeited without refund and become available for general purchase starting on Saturday morning. Artists Alley will be open Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. While we do have minimal programming occurring during the evening of Friday, January 31, 2025, Friday will be exclusively for set-up and there will be no public hours during this time.
Artists will have until 7:30 PM on Sunday, February 2, 2025 to completely clear out any and all merchandise and equipment brought into the venue.
Contracts and payment information will be sent out within two weeks of the notification period. All contracts are due signed and completed at the time of payment. All payments will be completed via our online payment system. We will not accept any cash, check, or money order.
Setsucon is not responsible for obtaining any licenses or permits required by local, state, and federal law for any artists within the Artists Alley. More information on the taxes and licenses required by Pennsylvania law can be found at https://www.pa100.state.pa.us/.
Setsucon is a convention created by fans, for fans, and we want to encourage creative originality in all of our valued attendees. This is especially true for the Artists Alley. Setsucon supports the rights of artists and other creators regarding their intellectual property. We have a strict no bootlegs policy regarding bootleg, counterfeit, or unlicensed resale of merchandise in the Artists Alley, and we take its enforcement seriously; however, we also recognize that our fandom has a long tradition of fan art and fan fiction. Doujinshi, fanzines, fan fiction, and fan art are part of what makes fans, fans. They are creative ways for creative people to celebrate what we love.
Unfortunately, a lot of fanart risks running afoul of intellectual property rights laws, which weren’t written with fans in mind. Characters and names can be (and often are) protected under international trademark and copyright laws. You’re really not supposed to use them without paying for a license.
Setsucon is choosing to encourage original art, and yet we remain supportive of fan works, to the extent that we can legally do so. To that end, we are providing some general guidelines to help you in determining what is generally okay, and what is generally going to get you into trouble with somebody’s lawyers eventually.
So when you sign up for a table in the Artists Alley, we ask that you sign a contract that makes it clear you understand and accept all the terms and conditions — and that any violations of copyright, etc. are the responsibility of the individual artist and not the responsibility of Setsucon.
Though it is not a constant problem, it has come to light on occasion that an artist may overstep the limits of the table space that they have purchased for the convention. We do understand that more space means more products that you can sell, however, encroaching on someone else’s space can be both annoying and possibly dangerous.
It is out of respect for everyone’s happiness and safety that we ask you to take consideration when coordinating your designated space in the Artists Alley.
To eliminate conflict, keep in mind that you and your neighbors share a limited area. This means that your personal effects should not impede your neighbor’s ability to sit, get in and out of, or move about their space during the course of the convention. Displays should be of a manageable size and utilize your space as efficiently as possible. If you have any surplus items or boxes, we also ask that you do NOT block any exits or fire exits in the case of an emergency. Remember too, that displays shouldn’t extend into the walking paths of attendees, as the room has heavy foot traffic.
Please complete the below application to the best of your ability and as complete as possible. This application, and the contents held within, shall be used by our Artists Alley jury to select the room for Setsucon. Please ensure that you read all policies and information ahead of applying, as submitting an application binds you to these policies, if accepted.
Do note – this is not a first-come-first-accepted system. We will review all applications equally and fairly once applications have closed and will select from the list of applicants for the room. The more clear your application is, such as information on what you plan to sell, representative images of your stock and past booths, and anything else that can make your applications be clear and stand out, the better your chance of acceptance is.
Founded in 2007 by the Penn State Anime Organization, Setsucon brings anime, manga, and Japanese culture to the winter months in Central Pennsylvania.
