THE CRYPT | Art within The )M( Cave
>>> PLEASE READ CAREFULLY <<<
Some things aren't meant to be mass-produced.
The Crypt is a curated gallery within The )M( Cave, created to showcase original work from local artists and creators whose work deserves to be seen, experienced, and discovered.
This isn't booth rental. It isn't shelf rental. And it isn't an open marketplace where anything with a price tag gets a spot.
Every piece submitted to The Crypt is considered individually. We are looking for work that is original, distinctive, well-crafted, and capable of belonging within the strange little world we've built inside The )M( Cave.
Dark. Beautiful. Unusual. Historical. Mythological. Macabre. Thought-provoking. Unsettling. Unexpected.
Or something we haven't thought of yet.
There is no rent for accepted artists. The Crypt operates entirely on commission, which means we only make money when you do.
You create it.
We'll give it somewhere to be discovered.
Welcome to The Crypt.
HOW THE CRYPT WORKS
The Crypt is a curated, commission-based gallery. There are no booth fees, shelf fees, or monthly rental fees for accepted work.
Artists submit individual pieces for consideration through our online submission form. Each piece is reviewed separately, and submission does not guarantee acceptance.
If a piece is accepted, the artist will receive an agreement to review and electronically sign before the work can enter The Crypt.
Each piece requires its own individual submission and approval, but the Artist Agreement is completed per artist, not per piece. Once an artist has an active agreement with The )M( Cave, additional pieces may be submitted for consideration without signing a new agreement for every item. Each additional piece must still be submitted separately, reviewed, and formally accepted before it may be displayed or offered for sale in The Crypt.
Accepted pieces will be documented under the artist's existing agreement according to the procedures established in the Guidelines, Terms & Conditions. A new or updated agreement may be required if the existing agreement is out of date, the program terms change, or circumstances otherwise require one.
All featured pieces are displayed and offered for purchase exclusively in-store at The )M( Cave during their agreed exhibition period. The Crypt is not an online marketplace, and artwork displayed within it will not be available for purchase through our website.
When an accepted piece sells, The )M( Cave handles the transaction, sales tax, customer service, packaging, and other applicable in-store sales responsibilities. The artist receives their portion according to the program's established payout schedule.
Simple enough.
You create it. We curate it. The Cave gives it a place to be discovered.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
The Crypt is intentionally curated.
We are looking for original work created by the submitting artist. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, mixed media, textile work, carvings, assemblage, original 3D-printed creations, and other forms of original visual art may all be considered.
There is no required style, medium, or subject. Dark and macabre can belong here. So can mythology, history, folklore, fantasy, nature, symbolism, spirituality, surrealism, the unusual, the beautiful, the unsettling, and the wonderfully difficult to categorize.
What matters is originality, craftsmanship, presentation, authenticity, and whether the piece contributes something worthwhile to The Crypt.
SOME THINGS DO NOT BELONG IN THE CRYPT.
Work involving or promoting animal abuse, human abuse or exploitation, illegal drugs, explicit sexual content, hate or extremist material, or other prohibited subject matter will not be accepted. Taxidermy, preserved animals or animal remains are not accepted, regardless of source or presentation.
Mass-produced merchandise, commercially manufactured products presented as original work, simple resale items, counterfeit goods, unauthorized reproductions, bootlegs, and unlicensed copies are also prohibited.
ORIGINAL MEANS ORIGINAL.
Original 3D-designed and 3D-printed artwork may be considered. Artists submitting these pieces must be able to provide sufficient evidence of original authorship, including the original design files when requested. Printing someone else's model does not make it an original artwork.
The same principle applies throughout The Crypt: a claim must be supported by evidence.
If a piece is represented as original, handmade, one-of-a-kind, limited edition, historically significant, authentic, licensed, ethically sourced, made from a particular material, or accompanied by any other material claim, sufficient documentation or other verifiable evidence may be required before that claim will be accepted.
Personal testimony is not documentation.
Statements such as “it has been in my family for generations,” “it is antique,” “it belonged to...,” “it came from...,” “it was made in...,” “it is historically significant,” “it is authentic,” or similar statements hold no evidentiary merit on their own.
Where provenance, age, origin, authenticity, licensing, authorship, materials, historical significance, limited-edition status, or another material characteristic is claimed, The )M( Cave may require sufficient documentation or independently verifiable evidence to support that claim.
If adequate evidence cannot be provided, the claim will not be accepted as fact. If that claim is material to the piece's eligibility, authenticity, value, or lawful sale, the submission may be declined entirely.
An interesting story may remain an interesting story, but The )M( Cave will not present an unverifiable story to a customer as established fact.
COPYRIGHT & LICENSING MATTER.
Counterfeit work and unauthorized reproductions are not permitted.
Artwork incorporating intellectual property subject to copyright, trademark, licensing, or other third-party rights may require proof that the artist is authorized to create and sell the work.
When a piece is offered under an applicable license or authorization, appropriate documentation must accompany the submission. Relevant licensing or authenticity information may be displayed with the accepted artwork so customers know exactly what they are purchasing.
Not every submission will be accepted. Submission is an invitation for consideration, not a guarantee of placement.
The complete eligibility requirements, exclusions, documentation standards, and acceptance criteria are contained in The Crypt Guidelines, Terms & Conditions.
If you made something that doesn't quite fit anywhere else, we're interested in seeing it.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT
Found something you think belongs in The Crypt?
Before sending it our way, there are a few things you need to know.
Each piece must be submitted individually. Every artwork is reviewed on its own merits, and acceptance of one piece does not automatically mean additional work from the same artist will be accepted.
Submissions must include clear photographs of the actual piece, an accurate description, dimensions, medium and materials, proposed retail price, and any other information requested on the submission form. Additional photographs, documentation, original files, licensing records, certificates, or other evidence may be required depending on the work and the claims associated with it.
Please don't make us investigate your artwork.
Information submitted must be accurate and supportable. If we cannot reasonably verify a material claim when verification is required, we will not present that claim to our customers.
Before submitting, artists are required to read the The Crypt Guidelines, Terms & Conditions. This document contains the complete eligibility requirements, acceptance standards, prohibited submissions, commission structure, exhibition periods, payout schedule, removal procedures, artist responsibilities, and other terms governing participation in The Crypt.
Submitting artwork for review does not create an agreement with The )M( Cave and does not guarantee acceptance.
If a piece is accepted, the artist will be notified and provided with the required agreement for electronic signature. The artwork cannot be delivered, displayed, or offered for sale in The Crypt until all required documentation has been completed and the agreement has been signed.
Read first. Submit second.
Bring us the artwork only after it has been accepted.
[READ THE FULL GUIDELINES, TERMS & CONDITIONS]
[SUBMIT A PIECE FOR CONSIDERATION]
THE CRYPT IS BEING SUMMONED.
The space is being prepared. The framework is being finalized. And soon, we'll be ready to see what you've been creating.
The Crypt isn't meant to fill walls or shelves simply because they're empty. It is meant to create a place inside The )M( Cave where original work can be discovered, where local artists can put something genuinely their own in front of new eyes, and where the collection can continue changing as new pieces come and go.
Some will be dark. Some strange. Some beautiful. Some uncomfortable. Some may be impossible to categorize.
We don't know what you're going to bring us yet.
That's the point.
Submissions are not open yet.
The official submission forms, complete Guidelines, eligibility and acceptance requirements, and The Crypt Terms & Conditions will be published here soon.
When submissions open, each piece must be submitted individually through the official form for review. Please do not bring artwork to the store for consideration before submitting it through the program.
Want to know when The Crypt has been summoned?
Subscribe below to be notified when The Crypt begins accepting submissions.
You create it. We'll see if it belongs in The Crypt.