Anthrocon has announced new Artist Alley rules and regulations as of October 1, 2024. In this, it is clear that their new changes are far removed from their community and what it means to be an artist within the furry fandom. This, coupled with the issues with Anthrocon 2024's handling of the Dealers Den, Bodega, and Artist Alley leaves little room for debate -- these changes present a harmful atmosphere for furry artists and their presence within Anthrocon. These changes are as follows:

"We’re constantly working to improve our event for our artists, attendees, vendors, and staff. Our #1 complaint for Alley has become centered around excessive numbers of merchandise vendors overflowing into Artists Alley."

Those vending their "merchandise" are almost exclusively artists themselves. Artist Alley (AA) has evolved to include fursuit makers, leather crafters, button makers, sticker sellers, clothing designers, authors, musicians, and other forms of art. It has evolved into a space for creators. These artists are trying to build their business and grow their brand. The changes that Anthrocon Artist Alley (AcAA)has made bars most of the artists from participating. Thus preventing the growth of a wide variety of creatives that contribute to the fandom every day.

An Artist Alley at any convention provides a unique opportunity for new artists to explore whether or not they want to perform on a vendor level within our community. This opportunity can cater to both new and experienced artists and promote an atmosphere of community through networking and communication. For Anthrocon, it has historically provided an inclusive atmosphere for artists within the Furry Fandom. 

That said, the changes implemented on October 1st have eroded our trust in Anthrocon's ability to provide that inclusive atmosphere. Many new creators aren't ready to commit to the large amount of funding necessary to obtain a table in the Dealer's Den, especially if there is no guaranteed return on investment. An Artist Alley table serves to bridge the gap for many artisans in that regard.

It is important to maintain an atmosphere that encourages our diverse community to support their artists. Our community simply would not exist without them. With these changes, our artists and artisans may not even be able to break even with their sales -- if they are required to make every piece on site, those who make small items off-site (such as keychains, stickers, fursuit sprays, etc.) are suddenly without a place to sell them. If those same artists cannot break even at a convention to compensate for their expenses, then they are subsequently being reduced to a glorified performer; a volunteer providing an on-site service that mostly benefits the convention and not the artist.

In essence, this is an attempt at gatekeeping a large portion of our community. How can we praise Pittsburgh for accepting Anthrocon, when this change has shown that Anthrocon will no longer accept our vast variety of artists?

At Anthrocon 2024, there were tables regularly available. The AcAA is already more restrictive than most conventions; with a 15 inch height limit, no items behind the table, no 4 wheel carts, and now "pre-made goods may not be sold in the Artist Alley”. Attendees have come to expect AA as a place for small wares and the occasional on site badge. These badges have artists scrambling for laminators and rushing through art to support themselves. Making mass amounts of product on site will increase the stress on the artists both physically and mentally.

What can we do? We can say no. This is not right. Each signature is a person standing up for the creators. Each signature is someone saying that artists encompass so much more than the narrow definition that AcAA is using.

The changes needed

1. 1. Reinstating the ability to sell premade goods
   2. Loosening restrictions on Artist Alley
      • Increasing height
      • Allowing assistants at the beginning and end of the day
        • Properly providing assistance to ADH artist for load in and setup
   3. Storage behind tables to a reasonable degree
   4. Prominently showcasing Artist Alley
      • Making the artist alley more visible and accessible to attendees
      • Proper signage to signify what tables are Artist Alley and where to go for it.
   5. Providing services to aid at-con art
      • Printing services
      • Lamination services
   6. Attentive AcAA staff
      • Regular check in
   7. Assisting artists as necessary
      • Bathroom breaks
      • Snack grabs
      • etc
   8. Leaving setups overnight
      • Dealers Den is locked overnight and artists selling all weekend should be allowed the same luxury as dealers

So please sign,

So we can have the space our artists deserve