{"id":67307,"date":"2026-03-02T15:31:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zealous.co\/about\/?page_id=67307"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:57:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:57:14","slug":"art-fair-platform","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/zealous.co\/about\/art-fair-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Fair Application Platform – Curate With Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Platform<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fairs<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The art fair application platform that keeps curatorial standards high & admin low<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Capterra (52 reviews)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds of booth applications arriving as email attachments. Portfolio images squashed into thumbnails. Selection committee members chasing each other for scores across three time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zealous gives your art fair a single place to collect applications, share full-resolution portfolios with your selection committee, and manage every round of curation. Application fees flow through Stripe. Automated reminders keep reviewers on track. You focus on the fair, not the spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Started<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Quick Tour<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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20 entries free. No credit card required.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Trusted by art fairs and exhibition organisers worldwide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Design<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"London<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Furniture<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"British<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"T.S.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"BBH<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Bulk<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Portfolios displayed at the quality artists intended<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Curatorial decisions hinge on seeing the work properly. Zealous uses lossless image compression, so every uploaded file stays at full resolution. Your selection committee sees exactly what the artist submitted, not a downscaled preview. Video files up to 4GB mean installation and moving-image work plays as it should.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Selection committees that actually finish on time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your committee members are busy curators and gallerists reviewing between openings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zealous sends automated reminders, tracks each reviewer\u2018s progress in real time, and works on any device. Committee members pick up where they left off, whether on a laptop at the gallery or a phone on the train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about how to structure your selection process<\/a> across multiple rounds and reviewers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Jack<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I thought the platform was excellent and I really liked the judging by scale of 7 as it gave a far better indication than a simple yes or no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack Bullen, Director<\/strong>
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Application fees collected without the accounting headache<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most fairs charge application fees. Chasing bank transfers or reconciling PayPal receipts against a spreadsheet is nobody\u2018s idea of a good time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stripe integration means fees go directly to your account. Set early-bird pricing, offer promo codes for returning galleries, and track revenue on a real-time dashboard. Free applications incur no commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check our pricing page<\/a> for details on plans, commission rates, and volume options.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Jane<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We were able to deal efficiently with a much higher number of submissions than anticipated. We will use Zealous again and would certainly recommend them to other organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jane Hackett, Project Director<\/strong>
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Clone your fair and run multiple editions a year<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One edition becomes two. A satellite fair launches in a new city. Suddenly you\u2018re managing overlapping application cycles with different deadlines, committees, and criteria. Growth shouldn\u2018t mean starting from scratch each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clone any programme to create the next edition with all your forms, criteria, and branding intact. Run unlimited programmes on a single subscription. Adjust what\u2018s different and leave the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a broader view, read our programme lifecycle planning guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Employee gives presentation and explains business strategy to group of board of directors. Young man in office speaks in front of business men and women sitting in row at table. Business concept.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fair, transparent curation that stands up to scrutiny<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Artists invest time and money in every application. They deserve a process that\u2018s consistent. Criteria-based evaluation with configurable score ranges means every application is measured on the same terms. Staged result announcements let you control exactly when and what gets published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anonymous mode strips gallery names and artist details from applications during review. Your committee evaluates the work on its own terms. Full scoring records let you demonstrate that every applicant received the same standard of consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your data is protected throughout. See our security overview<\/a> for details on how we handle submissions and personal information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Judy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What I appreciate most is how Zealous supports clarity – for entrants, judges, and organisers alike. When systems are clear, people can focus on creativity rather than logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judy Holm, Founder and Director<\/strong>
The Global Climate Design Awards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Evaluation modes built for curatorial decision-making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choose how your selection committee reviews applications, or combine methods across rounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Criteria-Based Scoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Define criteria like artistic quality, relevance to theme, and presentation quality. Set configurable score ranges for each, so a \u2018relevance\u2018 score out of 20 carries more detail than \u2018booth readiness\u2018 out of 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every application evaluated on the same structured terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Quick Selection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a first pass through hundreds of booth applications, admins can select or reject without filling in a full scoring rubric. Move fast, then score the shortlist in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear the volume quickly so your committee focuses where it counts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Anonymous Review<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hide gallery names and artist details automatically. Committee members see only the portfolio, the proposal, and the work. Particularly useful when established names might overshadow emerging applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let the art do the talking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Audience Choice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some fairs run a visitor\u2018s choice or people\u2018s prize alongside the main curation. Public voting runs separately from panel scores, with built-in fraud detection and hidden vote totals during the voting period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audience engagement without compromising curatorial integrity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Multi-Round Curation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Move from open call to shortlist to final selection. Assign different committee members and different criteria at each stage. Only shortlisted applications carry forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structured progression from hundreds of applications to your final exhibitor list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Matt<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019ve had around 5,000 users submit through Zealous and very rarely hear about any problems or complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt Freidson, Deputy Director<\/strong>
Creative Future<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Focus on the fair<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You got into this work to discover artists and build exhibitions, not to wrestle with inboxes and spreadsheets. Here\u2018s how Zealous handles the operational side so you can focus on curatorial decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Launch your open call in under two hours<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Start from a template or build your own application form with fields for artist statements, booth proposals, portfolio images, and installation videos. Add your branding, set deadlines, and configure application fees through Stripe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With assets ready, most organisers go live within a few hours. Sign-up takes two minutes, and the first 20 applications are free for testing.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Every application presented professionally<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Applications arrive in a clean, consistent format regardless of how the artist submitted. Images display at full resolution. Videos play inline. Committee members can open applications in separate tabs to compare portfolios side by side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auto-save means applicants never lose their progress, so you get complete, polished submissions rather than half-finished forms.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Scoring that respects your committee\u2018s time<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Committee members log in, see their assigned applications, and score against your defined criteria. They can leave comments, flag work for discussion, and pick up exactly where they left off on any device. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real-time progress tracking shows you who\u2018s finished and who needs a nudge. Automated reminders go out so you don\u2018t have to chase anyone manually.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Live data on applications, revenue, and curation progress<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Your dashboard shows submission numbers, fee revenue, and committee progress as it happens. Create bespoke trackable links to measure which channels drive the most applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Export data for board reports or sponsor updates. Historical editions accumulate, building a public archive of your fair\u2018s exhibitor history.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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