Call to Artists for ‘Outside the Box’ Boxes

Call to Artists for Outside the Box

Get into your mind. Think outside the box. Join in the fun of creating a one-of-a-kind box (or two) that only the depths of your imagination can conjure. Both AiA Members and Salem area artists are encouraged to participate in this annual fundraising event which is held concurrently with the Salem Art Fair & Festival. The donation of your artistic talent in box form is greatly appreciated by the AiA organization as well as the recipients of the objects d’art. We all enjoy seeing the fantastic creativity that has surfaced over the years. All boxes will be featured in a gallery on the AiA website.

You can get details on submitting your boxes in the Outside the Box Donation/Participation Form. You can also contact Lorraine Dye or Diane Trevett directly with questions or email them at AiA@ArtistsInAction.org.

Call to Artists Outside the Box 2025 HandoutDownload

AiA’s Outside the Box Annual Fundraiser is held at the Salem Art Fair & Festival. Artists in Action will have a booth at the fair which will be held in Salem’s Bush Pasture Park on September 12, 13 & 14, 2025. If you would like to volunteer, click on the OTB Volunteer Opportunities link off to the right.

Booth Sitters and Art Fair Volunteer Passes: Deadline to sign up: Sept. 3rd. If you have signed up to sit the booth, you will receive free admission via a wristband by checking in at the volunteer booth at the Bush Barn Entrance location each morning.  For non-sitters “volunteers”, admission to the fair is $10.

Booth Setup: Thursday September 11, 12:45-4:00pm.
Booth Take-Down: Sunday, Sept. 14, beginning at 5pm and going until 9:00 if needed. Vehicle load out begins at 6pm. Also, Monday beginning at 7am if needed (should not need Monday).

Booth Shifts: Need two people for each 3-hour shift.  See booth schedule on AiA website to sign up. https://artistsinaction.org/sheet/outside-the-box-volunteer. Sign up by September 3rd to receive a free admission wristband when you check in at the volunteer booth at the Bush Barn Entrance.

Parking: Allow at least ½ to 1 hr. before your shift to find parking and walk to the booth.

Questions? Contact Lorraine Dye 503 569 7757 or Diane Trevett 503 559 5210

Box Ideas & Guidelines

Purpose:  Members of Artists in Action, as well as non-members, are asked to create and donate one or more embellished boxes to be silently auctioned at the Salem Art Fair in our booth in the Cultural Community Circle.  ALL proceeds go to Artists in Action! The purpose of having a booth at the Art Fair is to promote Artists in Action and its members.  This is also an opportunity for artist’s work to be seen at the Fair.

The Box: The box can be any type of container, any shape, with or without a lid. It can be functional or purely decorative. Boxes must be original, well constructed and finished (no raw edges, sloppiness, unevenness). They should be professional, artful and reflect a minimum value of $25.

Medium:  They may be painted, and decorated in a variety of ways using an existing box or creating your own box. All mediums are acceptable including ceramic, paper, wood, tile, mosaic, metal, fiber, fabric, glass, etc.

Size: Any size box is ok, but if small, you may want to do a set of boxes, such as stacking or nesting. We want the bid item to be as substantial as possible to increase value and bidding activity.

Acceptance: AiA reserves the right to not accept any donations that do not meet the criteria. To see a gallery of previous boxes, go to  https://artistsinaction.org/events2/outside-the-box/call-to-artists/ and look at the right side menu.

Additional Details

The 2025 event is getting close. Get your boxes ready!

Deadline:  Drop off your box at the Elsinore Framing and Fine Art Gallery, 444 Ferry St SE, Salem, between TUES. SEPTEMBER 2  &  TUES. SEPTEMBER 9TH.   Hours: Monday-Friday, 9-6; Saturday, 10-5. Closed Sunday. 444 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR 97301.

The booth last year was on the grass area opposed to under the trees. This layout is bigger and better than ever! It’ll be easier to catch a show during the day with the new stage location–and you’ll be closer to the food and beverage courts. Here is a map of the 2024 layout:

The light red arrow points to the location of the AiA Booth – CU 1 . For pre-registered booth sitters the volunteer check in is in the lower right, near the Bush Barn Art Center. This the location for getting the admission booth sitter T-Shirts/passes.

You can get details on submitting your boxes in the Outside the Box Donation/Participation Form.