Bead Making

If a craftsperson makes his/her own beads, he/she may sell them either individually or strung as a piece of jewelry. If the bead maker creates a string of beads which includes his/her handmade beads as well as purchased beads, the rules for Bead Stringing are applied.

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Bead Stringing

Beads cannot be sold exactly as purchased. When strung by the craftsperson, their design must be different from the original purchased design. Individual beads not made by the craftsperson cannot be sold separately. No purchased bead, shell, bangle, or crystal may be attached to a store-bought neck ring or chain.

Earrings and Stickpins: Earrings and stickpins must have a minimum of two (2) components in addition to their “findings” (working parts, such as ear wires, jump rings, catches, posts). A commercially manufactured pendant may be permissible in an earring when the pendant has been determined by the Advisory Committee to be an integral element of, and/or subordinate to, the total design of the earring. Handmade clasps may be acceptable as components, but handmade jump rings are not. Chain must be broken and a design structure added; cord must be braided, knotted, or cut between the clasps.

Pendants: The pendant, stomacher, brooch, cameo, and medallion part of the bead art object for sale must be an item predominantly created or altered in form by the street artist or craftsperson. Exception: A commercially manufactured pendant may be permissible in a beaded necklace when the pendant has been determined by the Advisory Committee to be an integral element of, or subordinate to, the total design of the necklace.

Bead Stringing (using only commercially manufactured beads): The Advisory Committee shall verify whether the beadcraft item’s commercially manufactured bead components are significantly or predominantly altered in form by the item’s design arrangement. No more than 15% of an artist’s total displayed beadcraft may be of items comprised entirely of the same type of bead. No commercially manufactured pendants are allowed unless approved as an integral part of the item’s design arrangement. At least two dozen finished samples of each type of beadcraft jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, earrings) are required to be submitted for certification.

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Button Craft Jewelry

Commercially manufactured buttons used as jewelry must be predominantly and/or significantly altered on the face of the button—for example, with painting, carving, collage—or they must have two or more integral parts—for example, additional buttons, beads, feathers, or metal parts—that significantly alter the commercially manufactured button.

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Candles

Wax, as a raw material, may be changed into any variety of forms by direct manipulation; candles dipped, fabricated, and molded from original designs are acceptable. Candles made from molds not created by the craftsperson must show a change from the original mold. Candles made from kits are not acceptable.

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Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture

If the finished item is produced by starting from raw materials by reduction or fabrication, it is considered handcrafted. Original molds from non-original objects are acceptable only if of a highly innovative nature, or only if they represent a new way of conceptualizing the original object. Ceramic glazes containing lead will not be allowed on kitchenwares.

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Coin Cutting

Same criteria as for Fabricated and/or Cast Jewelry.

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Computer-generated and “New Technology” Art

The artist must demonstrate, in front of the Advisory Committee, creating his/her own images on a new disk on a computer or other equipment. The artist is required to bring a computer or other equipment with extension cord and necessary components to demonstrate creating the art with the equipment.

Images not of the artist’s own creation must be significantly altered in form and shall be examined for approval on a case-by-case basis.

All computer-generated or other printed work must bear the artist’s printed signature, initials, logo, or name of business on or near the image.

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Decoupage

The craftsperson must use original work or original photography, or else the pictures must be on self-made backing which in itself would qualify as a handcraft.

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Doughcraft

Same criteria as for Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture.

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DVD's/Cassette Tapes/CD's

In its examination, the Advisory Committee shall listen to and/or view the DVD/cassette tape/CD for which the artist seeks certification and shall hear and view the live performance. A copy of the artist’s DVD/cassette tape/CD shall be given to the Street Artists Program and shall be part of the artist’s file. The artist’s DVD/cassette tape/CD must be copyrighted with the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, and a photocopy of the copyright form(s) shall be given to the Street Artists Program and shall be part of the artist’s file. The artist/performer of the DVD/cassette tape/CD shall not have to be the author of the performance. Other artist/performers involved in the recorded performance may be eligible for certification to sell the DVD/cassette tape/CD under the following conditions: (a) the performer(s) must apply for certification as family unit members with the primary artist of the DVD/cassette tape/CD. (A “Family Unit” consists of two or more persons jointly engaged in the creation or production of an art or craft item no one of whom stands in an employer-employee relationship to any of the other members thereof); (b) a technician involved in the recording of the performance may be considered as a “family unit” member if the technician uses the technology as an instrument in the performance.

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Enameling

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Engraving

The only items that may be engraved upon and displayed are items that have been certified as the artist’s own creation.

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Fabricated and/or Cast Jewelry

The craftsperson must make jewelry by fabricating and/or casting with raw materials such as silver, gold, bronze, etc. Casting from commercial wax patterns is not acceptable; the craftsperson must make original molds from original work. Assembly alone does not constitute being handmade. If items are fabricated or cast, the craftsperson does not necessarily have to do his own lapidary work, but stones not cut by the craftsperson cannot be sold separately. (Stones cut by the craftsperson can be sold separately; see criteria under the section for Lapidary.)

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Feather Art

The feather work must be constructed by the craftsperson, using feathers and other accessories. Pre-strung boas, pre-glued mats, and other pre-constructed pieces are unacceptable. No items containing feathers from endangered species will be allowed.

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Fiber Art

Macramé, crochet, knitting, weaving and other fiber crafts start with unknotted cord, string, rope or yarn, producing a finished product using a series of knots, braids or other manipulations, with the option of including other materials. Fiber spun and dyed by the craftsperson can be sold unknotted and braided.

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Found Objects

See criteria for Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture and Miscellaneous. No endangered species, in whole or in part, will be allowed.

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Glass Art (Blown Glass and Stained Glass)

Blown glass is heated and blown by the craftsperson. Stained glass is cut by hand and painted or silk-screened or arranged to produce a design or pattern.

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Kite Making

See Miscellaneous Items.

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Lapidary

The artist must cut, polish, and engrave all stones to be sold, and must demonstrate knowledge of the tools of lapidary.

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Leathercraft (Including Belts and Soft Clothing)

All tooling must be done by hand. No machine design work, “rolled” or “clicker” is allowed. Sewing machine applied designs are allowed. No belt buckle may be sold separately unless it is made by the craftsperson.

Buckles and Belts: No commercially manufactured buckle may be displayed without being functionally attached to a certified belt.

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Millinery

A hat body must be significantly altered in form by the artist through the process of blocking or shaping, with the addition of adornments and trim (examples: ribbons, feathers, flowers, etc.).

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Miscellaneous Items

Any craft which takes a material and changes it into an entirely different shape, design, form, or function is acceptable as a handcraft. Any purchased kit is not acceptable, even though it may be assembled by hand. An exception may be made for certain kits such as extremely complicated model airplane kits.

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Musical Instruments

Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture and Woodcraft criteria apply, except in exceptional cases.

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Painting and Drawing

All traditional and experimental works are acceptable, as long as the artist is the instigator, maker, or collaborator on work containing his own signature. (For multiples, see criteria for Printmaking.)

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Paper and Papier Maché Jewelry

The criteria for Sculpture and Fabricated Jewelry apply to papier maché. Handmade paper is acceptable if the artist works from the raw materials to the final product.

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Photography

The artist must do the original shooting of the subject. Self-developing film camera work should be employed in some conceptually unique manner. Street artists must attach to the back of each print a statement containing the artist’s name and the type of print (for example, laser print, inkjet print, silver print; woodblock print; etching). The statement may be enclosed with the print in clear plastic or other means.

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Pipes

See Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture; Miscellaneous Items; Woodcraft.

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Plants and Dried Flowers

All dried flowers must be collected by the artist and not purchased, unless the flower container is handmade. No plants are acceptable unless their container is handmade.

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Plastic and Metal Arts

See criteria for Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture; Glass Art; Woodcraft.

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Printmaking

The artist must do the original artwork. If prints from the original are also done by the artist, or by a commercial printer or print shop, etc., the street artist must attach to the back of each print a statement containing the artist’s name and the type of print (for example, laser print, woodblock print, etching). The statement may be enclosed with the print in clear plastic or other means.

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Puppets and Dolls

See criteria for either Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture or Sewn Items.

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Sewn Items (including some puppets and dolls)

If the artist begins with a basic fabric, cutting and sewing it together to produce a finished product, the item is acceptable (examples: garments, toys, appliqué, pillows). But application of mass-produced commercial patches or iron-ons is unacceptable.

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Shell Jewelry

The craftsperson may not mount a shell on a store-bought neck ring. If the shell is worked on and then mounted on a store-bought neck ring, it falls into the acceptable Lapidary category. No endangered species will be allowed.

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String Sculpture

See Miscellaneous Items.

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Terrarium Making

The terrarium must be planted by the craftsperson, or, in the case of an unplanted terrarium, it must be constructed by the craftsperson from raw materials. Bottles by themselves are unacceptable. Plants by themselves are unacceptable.

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Textile Arts

Handmade textiles are defined as follows: Beginning with cloth or garments and making or changing or adding a pattern or design—for example: batik, tie dye, handpainting, airbrushing, silkscreening. Mass-produced, commercial decals are unacceptable.

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Toy Making

Toys must contain no toxic materials; the toymaker must demonstrate that the toys are safe. Toys are generally covered under the criteria for Castings, Ceramics, Sculpture; Woodcraft; and Sewn Items. All other toys will be generally considered under Miscellaneous.

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Woodcraft

The craftsperson must start with a rough piece of wood, slab, or log, and change the shape of the wood into a finished product. Staining a pre-cut or pre-routered shape is not considered a handmade craft.

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