Get Involved! Join a Committee!

If you're interested in getting involved in AAWS at the Board or committee level, call the office.

Associated Artists is a membership organization run by and for its members. Although there is a paid staff to keep things organized and running, much of the work gets done and most of the decisions get made by members who volunteer either as board members or as committee members.

Each June at the Annual Meeting, about a third of the members "roll off" of the Board of Directors and are replaced by new directors elected by the membership. Over the next two months, committees are organized. AAWS has a "working board" which meets monthly to direct AAWS.

So what are these hard working committees?

• The Education Committee plans events to compliment Exhibits and provides educational opportunities for members, such as the workshops held in the Gallery. Their area of influence is Talks, Lectures, Workshops, and other Educational Opportunities.
  
  
• The Executive Committee is made up of the President, Vice-President, Past President, Treasurer and Secretary of the Board of Directors. They hire and supervise the Executive Director and oversee the operation of AAWS. They monitor the By-Laws and may appoint a By-Laws Subcommittee to revise the By-Laws as needed.
  
  
• The Juried Member Jury meets quarterly to review applications for Juried Membership and sets standards for Juried Membership. This committee also makes recommendations for potential jurors for national juried shows.
  
  
• The Exhibitions Committee plans all AAWS exhibitions. They recruit volunteer showchairs, selectors, jurors and speakers. They set exhibition standards for All AAWS shows and plan the calendar, parameters and rules for each show.
  
  
• The Community Exhibits Committee works with the Gallery Manager to plan and coordinate exhibits in various sites throughout the community. They recruit locations and artists, coordinate schedules and, if needed, help hang work.
  
  
• The Finance Committee oversees the budget and financial situation of Associated Artists. They review the proposed budget and make recommendations to the Executive Director and President before the budget is submitted to the Board.
  
  
• The Fundraising & Sponsorship Committee is in charge of Development. It plans and helps to implement fund raising activities and recruits sponsors to support exhibitions and programs. This committee works to support the general financial needs of the organization and creates subcommittees to support individual events.
  
  
• The Grant-Writing and Research Committee seeks out grant opportunities and helps to write grant applications to support operations and programming.
  
  
• The Membership Committee works to recruit new members, retain current members and reclaim inactive or lapsed members. They study membership categories and fees and make recommendations to the Board. They assist staff in recruiting volunteers..
  
  
• The Marketing Committee works to spread the news about AAWS and its events to the community at large. They work with staff to develop and implement a marketing plan. They help design and disseminate marketing materials, create signage and secure media coverage.
  
  
• The Nominating Committee cultivates and nominates new Board Members.
  
  
• The Personnel Committee solicits and interviews candidates for Executive Director and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee. They review and revise personnel policy, conduct a yearly evaluation of the Executive Director and mediate any personnel disputes. In conjunction with the Finance and Executive committees, they consider staff salary adjustments.
  
  
• The Strategic Planning Committee is responsible for writing, revising and monitoring a long range strategic plan for the organization. They assign goals to various committees and set timelines for completion of strategies.
  
  
• The Trips Committee plans and organizes art related trips. AAWS trips are used as fund raising and marketing tools and educational opportunities.