Artisan Scholarship and Mentor Program
Artisan Scholarship and Mentor Program
The DIY Festival nourishes individual artisans and small business owners in Utah by promoting DIY culture and providing them with opportunities to attract new customers, promote their work to new audiences, seek new opportunities and grow their sales. Craft Lake City wants to ensure that these opportunities are available to all Utah communities.
In support of this goal, Craft Lake City has designed the Artisan Scholarship and Mentor Program, which will benefit five first-time DIY Festival exhibitors. The scholarship includes waived booth fees, business training, networking opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship before, during and after the Festival.
Mentorship is provided by seasoned makers with a history of participation in the Craft Lake City DIY Festival. Artisan Mentors are paired up with Artisan Scholarship recipients and assist them as they build their skills and develop their creative business endeavors. Artisan Mentors act as a bridge between Craft Lake City and Artisan Scholars, providing critical knowledge and experience that helps prepare recipients to exhibit at the DIY Festival.
In the run up to the Festival, Craft Lake City holds a Participant Mixer that allows all Festival exhibitors, including Artisan Scholars, to meet and network. Craft Lake City also hosts business training for Artisan Scholarship recipients. Artisan Mentors share their experience by teaching basic entrepreneurial skills to scholarship recipients, including subjects such as:
- Booth Display: Discuss booth design and merchandising concepts, and offer ideas about how to best present their products.
- Sales and Lead Generation: Provide guidance about strong customer service, effective sales pitches, and tactics for gathering potential customer information at the Festival (and following up on leads post-Festival).
- Promotion: Present options for self-promotion at the Festival, such as flyers or business cards with branded contact information, social media links, etc.
- Money Management: Present basic principles and techniques for budgeting and tracking expenses, dealing with taxes, etc.
Mentors also provide logistical and emotional support to their designated exhibitors before, during and after the Festival. Mentors’ booths are placed adjacent to their Artisan Scholar’s so they can easily help support them during Festival load-in and throughout the Festival. After the Festival, Craft Lake City hosts a group celebration and feedback session where Mentors and Artisan Scholarship recipients share their successes and discuss their experiences.
If you are interested in becoming an Artisan Mentor, contact us at (801) 906-8521 or info[at]craftlakecity.com.
How do I know if I qualify?
Following are the qualifications for the Artisan Scholarship and Mentor Program:
- You must be a first-time Craft Lake City DIY Festival exhibitor. You may apply for the scholarship if you have applied to but have not yet exhibited at the Festival.
- Your annual household income must fall below the 50% AMI (Area Median Income) bracket of your county of residence. Refer to this chart. For example, if you live in Salt Lake County, your annual household income must be $36,100 or less to qualify for the program.
| State | County | MSA | 50%AMI |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT | BEAVER COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | BOX ELDER COUNTY | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | $32,550 |
| UT | CACHE COUNTY | Logan, UT-ID | $28,600 |
| UT | CARBON COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $31,900 |
| UT | DAGGETT COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $34,850 |
| UT | DAVIS COUNTY | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | $36,750 |
| UT | DUCHESNE COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $32,650 |
| UT | EMERY COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $31,700 |
| UT | GARFIELD COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | GRAND COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | IRON COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | JUAB COUNTY | Provo-Orem, UT | $33,800 |
| UT | KANE COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $31,750 |
| UT | MILLARD COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,700 |
| UT | MORGAN COUNTY | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | $36,750 |
| UT | PIUTE COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | RICH COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $31,650 |
| UT | SALT LAKE COUNTY | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,100 |
| UT | SAN JUAN COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | SANPETE COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | SEVIER COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | SUMMIT COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $36,100 |
| UT | TOOELE COUNTY | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,100 |
| UT | UINTAH COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $34,700 |
| UT | UTAH COUNTY | Provo-Orem, UT | $33,800 |
| UT | WASATCH COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $37,100 |
| UT | WASHINGTON COUNTY | St. George, UT | $27,450 |
| UT | WAYNE COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $30,600 |
| UT | WEBER COUNTY | NON METRO AREA | $36,750 |
- You must be juried into the DIY Festival as a 2-day or 3-day exhibitor based on the quality of your work.
- If you are selected to be an Artisan Scholarship recipient, you must commit to being an active and engaged participant in the associated programs and trainings to prepare to exhibit at the Craft Lake City DIY Festival.
Application Process
- Submit your application for the Craft Lake City DIY Festival and pay the $20 festival application fee by 11:59 PM MST on Thursday, April 5, 2018. Craft Lake City will invite first-time DIY Festival applicants to submit an Artisan Scholarship form. Scholarship applications are due Thursday, April 19, 2018.
- Craft Lake City provides additional support resources for Artisan Scholarship applicants through Application Assistance Days. Held at public libraries in traditionally marginalized communities, Application Assistance Days are open to anyone who would like assistance with the DIY Festival application process. Craft Lake City staff are on hand to provide assistance with the online application and fee payment process. Additionally, we provide free professional photography services to ensure the best representation of the applicant’s work. Visit https://craftlakecity.com/application-assistance/ for details.
- You must be juried into the Festival as a 2-day or 3-day exhibitor based on the quality of your work. You will be notified on Friday, May 11, 2018 by email if you have been accepted into the Festival.
- A separate jury will then select the recipients of Artisan Scholarships from among the pool of accepted DIY Festival exhibitors. Recipients will be notified on Friday, May 18, 2018.