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First Saturday Arts Market – Holiday Edition
September – May | 11 AM–6 PM
540 W. 19th St, Houston, TX 77008
Bringing Artists To You Since 2004!
Preview at 1stSatArtMarket.com
Who’s coming? Tag your friends!
#HoustonEvents #NewYearMarket #FirstSaturdayArtsMarket
Market Logo
Instagram Tips
How to Apply
Return to the Information Page for Artists
BEFORE YOU APPLY — MUST READ THESE 3 THINGS
- This is a juried fine art market — not open to everyone. Applications are reviewed and scored by our current participating artists. We accept only original, high-quality fine art that fits our established standards. About 70–80% of applications are not accepted.
- This is NOT a beginner or low-experience market. If you have zero to just a couple of outdoor shows under your belt, this is likely not the right fit yet. We expect professional booth setup, pricing knowledge, audience interaction skills, and a cohesive body of work.
- Read EVERYTHING before applying — seriously. Incomplete, low-quality photos, missing required items (WIP shots, booth photo, tax permit prep), or generic answers = automatic rejection. The $5 application fee is non-refundable.
Ceramics Medium Update
Important Notice: Ceramics is currently full for Spring 2026. We are not accepting new ceramics artists for this season. If you apply in ceramics, your application will be held and considered for the 2026/2027 season.
Thank you for understanding—we appreciate your interest in First Saturday Arts Market!
(Other mediums remain open and welcome.)
Welcome to First Saturday Arts Market – Houston’s Premier Monthly Outdoor Fine Art Event
Celebrating 22 years, we’re Houston’s longest-running monthly outdoor art market, evolving into a stronger fine art focus once we introduced artist-juried applications, where current participants review and score newcomers. We feature original, high-quality work in painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, wood, textiles, and more—while honoring a few legacy participants from our early days.
This is not a beginner’s market. If you have limited experience (zero to just a couple of shows), it may not be the best fit yet. Success here requires professional booth presentation, pricing knowledge, audience engagement, and a cohesive body of work. Our attending artists are seasoned—many juried into top competitive festivals nationwide—and they help jury new applications for originality, craftsmanship, and market fit.
If your work aligns with our fine art emphasis and you have the experience to thrive, we invite you to apply! Please carefully review our full application requirements and tips before proceeding.
Required Materials
- Booth Photo: A clear image of your 10×10 booth with art displayed, showing a professional presentation (white tent preferred).
- Art Photos: 5–10 high-resolution images of your work as presented to the public. Focus on individual pieces, avoid group shots or yourself.
- Work-in-Progress (WIP) Photo: A studio or workspace shot proving you create your work.
- Art Description: A concise explanation of your art, process, and uniqueness—sell us on it!
- For Jewelers: At least 50% of components must be artist-made or repurposed.
Pro Tips
- Use natural light and neutral backgrounds for photos.
- Contact Mitch for multiple mediums or submit separate applications.
- Keep booth setups neat (e.g., consistent heights, professional coverings).
What We Don’t Accept
- Mass-produced, cookie-cutter, or reproduced items.
- Works with trademarked/copyrighted material (e.g., icons, logos, derivatives).
- Manufactured, resold, or direct-sales products.
- Art lacking original intent due to trends or fads.
Important Disclaimer
No Food Booths Allowed: First Saturday Arts Market prohibits food booths. This is a curated art space—food trucks and musicians contact Mitch at artvalet@gmail.com.
Fine Art Definition: Fine art is original, creative work by artists, emphasizing aesthetic value, skill, and expression (e.g., paintings, sculptures, photography) for contemplation, not mass production.
Market Focus: Not a craft fair, reseller, or trinket market. We prioritize original, artist-made works. Artisan pieces are welcome if they reflect exceptional craftsmanship and artistic intent, distinct from mass-produced or commercial goods.
Application Fee
A non-refundable $5 fee is required to submit. It helps cover jury costs and encourages serious, prepared applicants. Pay securely via Stripe—upon success, you’ll be redirected to the application form. Proceed below!
Booth Fee
Upon acceptance, artists may select their preferred market month. A $100 booth fee per market month is required to secure your 10×10 booth space. Payment details, including deadlines and instructions, will be provided in your acceptance letter. The booth fee is processed via PayPal and must be paid prior to participation in your chosen market month.
We look forward to discovering new talent that fits our fine art community!
Booth Examples (people removed)
Getting Started – The Essentials
There are few things more satisfying than meeting someone so excited about your art, that they BUY IT and take it home! Don’t let what you don’t know about booths, set up and how to accept credit cards prevent you from trying & succeeding at events.
The best tips are going to be from other artists. At First Saturday Arts Market, you’ll find many are happy to share their stories and ideas. I highly recommend visiting us before investing your time and money.
Suggestions – I have some product suggestions on a Pinterest page, linked below.
- THE TENT gives you your own showroom/gallery, protects you from the sun/rain and sets you apart from other exhibitors. Your tent is also a 100 square foot kite and can easily ruin your day, art and cause injury. Therefore you need good …
- WEIGHTS * for your tent. I recommend a minimum of 100 pounds total, 25 pounds per tent leg. 30 – 40 pounds per tent leg is ideal. You have to buy these online or make them yourself. Order from Amazon, or Walmart and pick them up at your local store.
- DISPLAY is very important but don’t go broke getting started. Start with what you have and invest as you go. You’ll pick up a wealth of knowledge from other artists (by talking or observing). *Visit markets or look on Pinterest to get ideas for do-it-yourself displays on a budget.
- MONEY is what you want to take home. Get a credit card reader, they’re inexpensive and work with today’s smartphones. Most artists use either Square or PayPal.
- Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit – In Texas you are responsible for collecting and paying sales tax on your sales. Just like you pay tax for items you purchase everyday, if you are engaged in business, you must do this. The permit is easy to obtain on the comptroller’s website, be sure to jot down the number and keep it on you for surprise comptroller visits. You’ll need that number for your application as well.
* Direct link > https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit/
Fortunately, the sales tax ID is the only legal requirement needed in Houston.
- SCAM ALERT: There are many companies that will “obtain” your tax permit for a fee. You do not need them, this is a simple online form. The link above is all you need, do not give away your personal data to 3rd parties for your tax ID. **An employer identification number (EIN) or federal tax ID from the IRS is not the same, I do not need that. Read more about EIN here.
Ready to join us? CLICK HERE!
- This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting!
Artist Resources
Artist Info Page
Questions? Email me ~ Mitch
Art resources
Art Organizations:
FreshArts.org Excellent all around- from education to events and opps
Glasstire.com State art news, events and open calls.
Visual Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Allicance grants funding/opportunities
Art League Houston
Conroe Art League
Artists AT LARGE “Call for artists” mailing list, since 2004 by market founder Mitch.
Find Other Markets
I created @SaturdayArtMarkets on Instagram just to follow other markets, for me I thought.
Turns out to be a great resource for artists too! (note NOT all are in Houston)
See who I follow here: https://www.instagram.com/saturdayartmarkets/following/
Turns out to be a great resource for artists too! (note NOT all are in Houston)
See who I follow here: https://www.instagram.com/saturdayartmarkets/following/
https://www.instagram.com/saturdayartmarkets/following
Instagram & Marketing
These tips will help people find the market and reach a wider audience on the market’s public posts. And ultimately, yours!
- Tag your images with @1stSatArtMarket in the image.
- Mention @1stSatArtMarket in your comments
- Tag the market location. ie., check-in.
- Official: #1stsatartmarket
Copy & Paste text posts. Click + / –
First Saturday Arts Market
11am – 6pm
540 W 19th Street in the Heights
Free event, family and pet friendly!
Get a preview of who will be here at our online artist roster at the link in our bio:
firstsaturdayartsmarket.com/artist-roster/
#1stsatartmarket
Steal These Graphics! How to tag article below
Anytime …
How to Use Instagram Tagging for More Exposure
Great article! Want more people to see your Instagram posts? Are you using Instagram tags effectively?
In this article, you’ll discover the difference between @mentioning an account versus tagging an account, learn how and when to use each of these tactics, and find out how to remove your tag from someone else’s post. LINK
Market artists have PROVEN that word of mouth works wonders!
Thanks for keeping the market going!
Create cool posts – it’s super easy! –>
https://www.canva.com/
The video below explains how to get the most out of your instagram posts for marketing events you’re attending. And of course, for tagging 1stSatArtMarket! (wink wink)
On Facebook, to tag the market start by typing @ followed by firstsaturdayartsmarket, First Saturday Arts Market should fill in quickly.
Other tips
Liking, commenting and sharing posts is always awesome and generates buzz! Esp on Facebook.
Did you know, I never, ever use FSAM publicly. Why risk confusing a potential customer that has never heard of us?
THANK YOU!! Share your ideas and/or posts you create in our group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artistfsam
> View video in YouTube < This clip is about one minute –
Get social!
Facebook * Instagram * Our Facebook Event Page
Hashtag: #1stsatartmarket
https://firstsaturdayartsmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1stSatArtMarket-logo.png
What’s Next – 1st time artists
ON THIS PAGE
- Web Profile
- Marketing the market
At First Saturday Arts Market, every artist gets their own web profile page. Email Mitch the following:
- Up to 6 images of your art,
- Public description of your work. Doesn’t have to be long.
- Your links. Web, Instagram etc. Just a few.
- Your medium. Abstracted Realism, Mixed Media Collage, Wearable Art … etc.
- One image will appear on the roster page for the month you attend. If you have a preference let me know.
- To change your profile, contact me, but do this before the market by at least 2 weeks.
- Your profile is viewed by the public.
- It remains in the archives by month.
- Our social media manager prepares posts beginning the week before the market (that 2-week deadline) and may use images you provide.
Review the current roster for ideas! The Roster
Featured Images on the roster 
Profile Example
Get social!
Facebook * Instagram * Our Facebook Events
Hashtag: #1stsatartmarket
https://firstsaturdayartsmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1stSatArtMarket-logo.png
Setup Instructions
February 7, 2026
Howdy everyone!
Finally — I think everything is set! (Remember to bring some lighting or a clip lamp — it’ll make a big difference at the end of the day.)
A quick note on parking: We don’t have anyone watching the vehicle lot we used before, so please park there at your own risk.
Everything else is detailed below, including aerial photos showing the correct drive to enter.
Lunch options at bottom of page plus we have:
- Pam & Carlos of Vivre Coffee will have their fabulous coffee available all day.
- Irena of Texas Sourdough Bread Co. is back in John Delafield’s booth — don’t miss her!
Cheers, and see you in the morning!
Mitch
Hungry? Local eateries listed at the bottom.
First Saturday Arts Market – The Lovers Market
Saturday, Feb 7, 11am – 6pm
540 W. 19th St. HTX 77008
@1stsatartmarket 1stSatArtMarket.com
Follow these, and we’re all good. Break a rule and everyone suffers. Don’t make us suffer, PLEASE!
First Saturday Arts Market
540 W. 19th Street 77008 (Directions)
Open for business: 11-6 pm
Traffic check TranStar
CHECK-IN HERE!
PULL IN TO YOUR ASSIGNED DRIVEWAY – it’s in your email.
UNLOAD – 20-25 Minutes
Be prepared to dolly in.
- Unload
- Move Vehicle
- Tent Goes Up
PARK
- Garage @ 427 W 20th St. Paid $20 for the day
- Tall vehicles and trailer – street parking only.
- No parking on neighbor parking lots or cross streets.
- About the shopping center next to us – cars off lot by 9:30am
- No parking at Chase Bank! They are open and WILL tow.
RULES
NO EARLY BREAKDOWNS
- No packing.
- No taking things down.
- No “Parking” – Do not drive your car in (or your help) early.
- Wait for an announcement – then begin to …
Pack your booth down as much as possible, and only then bring your vehicle back.
- Do not park in the retail lot next door. Unless I instruct you.
- Or behind booths on west (parking lot) side.
Electricity – Limit to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, Use short extension cords! One plug will be behind your booth.
WEIGHTS: still need them? Order right now from Walmart and pick up at the store. You need at least 100 pounds PER tent.
TRASH Take your big trash – ie boxes, broken chairs/tents, etc. home.
Leave your space clean – my used zip tie collection is full. I KNOW where you were set up and I will mail your trash back to you C.O.D.!!
As an island use 2 additional outside walls for display.
Food & Drink:
- Vivre Coffee Collective: Ethically sourced coffee from Leo’s Japanese kei truck. @vivrecoffeecollective
- No food truck—bring snacks/water. Nearby options:
- Moon Rabbit (across the street): Call 713-684-3991 or check menu.
- Hopdoddy (east): Order online at hopdoddy.com.
- Collina’s Italian Cafe (next door): 502 W 19th St, 713-869-0492, collinashtx.com.
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