Celebrating and showcasing creativity
Creative minds and art enthusiasts are welcome to check out or participate in Artist Alley, a venue where amateur and semi-professional artists showcase their work. Located in Kentia Hall, Artist Alley offers a variety of creations for sale, including original artwork, prints, crafts, clothing, comics, and more.
Applications for Anime Expo 2026 are OPEN! Click the button below to submit an Artist Alley application today.
Apply Today!
How are Artist Alley participants selected?
Anime Expo Artist Alley participants are selected through a curated lottery system. This system ensures a fair process for both returning and first-time artists, offering an equal chance for all applicants to secure a spot in the event.
Applications are carefully reviewed by a jury of SPJA personnel before being considered for the lottery. SPJA remains committed to approving applications that meet our established criteria, ensuring that we do not accept submissions that violate any SPJA or Artist Alley policies and/or do not align with our mission of celebrating and promoting Japanese animation and culture. Multiple or duplicate entries will not increase your chances for the lottery system and will not be accepted.
- Promotion and/or education of Japanese culture: We encourage all artists to focus the majority of their works on themes related to Japanese culture. This can include, but is not limited to, pop culture influences such as anime, manga, Japanese video games, traditional Japanese art forms, or folklore.
- Professional and visually appealing table display: Anime Expo is proud to host one of the largest and most popular Artist Alleys, featuring a diverse range of unique and creative table displays. Displays that are overly cluttered or exceptionally plain may not align with SPJA's vision for Artist Alley.
- Well-developed portfolios: We greatly appreciate and encourage new artists to showcase their work and strive for excellence. However, it is important to note that we expect all applicants to be prepared for the high volume of traffic Anime Expo brings. Ensuring you have enough content and merchandise to sustain a four-day event is critical. Offering a diverse range of items for sale—such as keychains, prints, acrylic stands, and other merchandise—can significantly enhance your chances of having your application approved.
- Social media and accessibility: SPJA does not base its review of social media solely on "follower count". Instead, we focus on a variety of factors, including the quality of table displays, high-resolution images of your artwork, and other relevant reasons to showcase your work at Anime Expo. Applications with private accounts that cannot be reviewed, websites labeled as "under construction," or images that are low-resolution and heavily censored present challenges for our team in fully considering your application.
- Policy adherence: Applications that do not meet the above criteria or are found to be in violation of any of SPJA's policies will not be eligible for consideration in the lottery pool. For returning applicants, please be advised that performance at previous events will also be evaluated as part of the vetting process.
Lottery winners will be informed via email in January 2026. Artists who are not selected for a table are automatically added to the waitlist.
Each individual artist may only apply for one table. If you need additional space, please inquire about purchasing a booth in the Exhibit Hall.
Accepted applicants will be sent a registration link to purchase an Artist Alley Table Package, which includes:
- One (1) 6’x2’ table with no skirt
- Two (2) chairs
- One (1) table sign (includes table name and number)
- One (1) Artist Alley badge for the participating Artist
- One (1) complimentary Artist Alley badge for a Helper
- You will have the option to purchase an additional Helper badge during registration.
More information will be provided at acceptance.
REMINDERS:
- All Artist Alley participants (Artist and Helpers) must be 18 years or older.
- Subsidiary Artists are not allowed. All goods sold at the table must solely be the work of the Artist that purchased the Artist Alley Table Package.
- Artist Alley badges can only be purchased by participating Artists.
- A total of 3 participants (Artist and 2 Helpers) are allowed per table.
- Artists are not permitted to have both an Artist Alley Table and Exhibitor Booth. · For additional rules and regulations, please see the Artist Alley Terms & Conditions.
