Questions

Membership

Membership with Associated Artists is open to amateur and professional artists as well as art appreciators interested in supporting the visual arts in the community. Membership benefits include:

• Artefacts, the Associated Artists newsletter
• AAWS Membership Directory
• Discounted fees for workshops and other programs
• Guaranteed exhibition opportunities
• Discounted entry fees for national juried exhibitions sponsored by AAWS.

Artist-members are Associate Members unless they have been juried to the Juried Member category. Those who do not wish to exhibit artwork may wish to join as Supporting Members. Membership dues are discounted for senior citizens and students.

As a nonprofit organization, AAWS greatly appreciates those who demonstrate their deep commitment to the arts by contributing as Sponsor and Patron Members. The various levels of Sponsor and Patron membership include discounts on artwork purchased from AAWS exhibits.

Associate Membership

Associate Membership is open to artists and non-artists who are at least 15 years old. Associate Members may participate in all exhibitions sponsored by AAWS, except those reserved for Juried Members. They may hold office in the organization, serve on committees, and accept other assignments from the President or Board of Directors. Associate Members may not, however, serve on the Juried Exhibiting Member Jurying Committee.

AAWS encourages its members to participate in the many educational and social activities offered in order to develop a deeper understanding of art and its importance to the community. Student Membership is available to artists age 15 or over who are enrolled as full-time students in high school or an undergraduate program. (ID required.) AAWS encourages all artist-members to develop their artistic talent and to consider applying for Juried Membership.

Juried Membership

Juried Membership is open to any member, 18 years of age or older, who successfully makes application to this advanced membership status. The artist is eligible to participate in all Juried Member shows in the medium in which he or she has been accepted.

Along with guaranteed exhibition in the Gift of Art Holiday Show and other group theme shows, Juried Members have the opportunity to be selected for three to five person invitational exhibitions.

Juried Renewal: $65

Senior rate (over age 62): $55

The committee meets quarterly to consider new Juried Memberships. Submission deadlines are March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.

Here are the basics:

• All 2-D works must be framed in a professional manner with wire attachment and be ready to hang. No uni-frames, no alligator hangers. 2-D Work that is not wired will not be accepted.
• Canvases must be framed or gallery wrapped with no visible staples. Sides must be painted.
• Sculpture must be ready to hang or sit on a flat surface.
• Canvases with wet paint will not be accepted.

For more information, please download "How to prepare art for hanging"

Just send a JPEG image to info@associatedartists.org. Please be sure the image attaches to the email and does not get embedded in it. You may send a CD with the image or, for a $5 fee, we will scan a slide for you and upload it. We are unable to scan a photograph of your work. Please include the following information in the email, but not on the image:

• Whether you're an Associate or Juried Member
• The Title of the artwok
• The medium of the artwork
• Your website if you would like us to add a link to it on your page.
• Juried members should include the medium in which they were juried and may include a brief artist statement if they wish.

We wil include one image for each member artist. If your membership lapses, your image will be removed. We encourage members to keep their images current.

Have you ever thought about chairing a show but were too intimidated to give it a try? The more members involved the more perspective shared and the more voices heard. Please consider this fun job—partner with a friend, or meet someone new among the membership. Contact the AAWS office if you would like to be involved!

Chairing a Show at AAWS:

• Two weeks before the show, call to arrange "take-in" volunteers. Schedule two members to work on both Saturday and Monday from 10:00 – 1:00. These people will be responsible for having the artists sign their work in, make sure the pieces are labeled on the back, accept payments and write receipts. You may ask any AAWS member that you feel comfortable with and you may include yourself. The staff can help with suggestions for members to contact. Call your volunteers the day before their assigned day to remind them, and let the gallery staff know who to expect.
• Two weeks before the show, call to arrange "hangers." We have a great volunteer Installations Coordinator and he needs 2-3 volunteers to help him. Coordinate with him the time and day for scheduling this task and let him know who is signed up to help.
• On both days of take in, have a refreshment sign-up sheet for the show opening night reception and recruit people to bring sweet or savory appetizers, wine etc.. Check with the gallery staff...sometimes the gallery has surplus wine, crackers, etc. from prior events that can be used. The openings are well attended, so make additional calls if necessary to line up donations. Also, schedule someone to serve beverages and someone to be a runner to keep the food table restocked on the night of the reception. If those people can't be there for set-up and clean-up then you will need someone for these tasks as well. People should bring their food donations and set up should be completed BEFORE 5:00PM. Clean up usually only take about 15-30 minutes after the close of the reception. Flowers are nice to have...see if you can get someone to donate either an arrangement or loose flowers and line up someone to arrange them
• If it is a juried show, the chair(s) should be present to meet the juror and be present for the judging. Judging usually takes place on Tuesday morning at 10:00. Be careful not to express positive or negative comments about art work as not to influence the juror. Please step out of the room if your personal work is being evaluated.
• Show chairs are responsible for designing the show - deciding what will hang where. If you are unsure of doing this let me know. For non-juried shows this can be done either Monday afternoon after final take-in is completed, or anytime Tuesday. For juried shows this should be done on Tuesday afternoon after completion of the jury process. Allow 2 or so hours, depending on the size of the show. Pieces are placed along the floor at the spot where they will hang and the hanging crew will do the physical work of hanging.
• The AAWS staff will notify award winners, prepare labels, check out declined work, and prepare awards.
• The opening reception is held on Thursday evening 5:00 – 7:00. The show chair(s) should be present to introduce the juror or guest speaker.
• Two weeks prior to the close of the show, call to arrange "check-out" volunteers. Schedule two members to work on both Saturday and Monday from 10:00 – 1:00. These people will be responsible for having the artists sign their work out. Call your volunteers the day before their assigned day to remind them, and let the gallery staff know who to expect.

If you have any questions contact the office or current Exhibitions Chair.