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Societies
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Overview: The Society was founded with two main aims in mind - to promote coloured pencils as a fine art medium, and to support UK based artists who use, or wish to use, coloured pencils, in any way.
Member benefits: A range of member benefits include - access to a Discussion Group, quarterly newsletter, workshops, your own free web page, free entry to an annual juried exhibition, with press coverage, prizes, a directory of other cp artists whom you may call on for help.
Who can join: Anyone can join.
Costs: £29.50 p.a. for Full Membership, and £21.00 for Associate Membership (i.e. web page not included).
Overview: The Fine Art Trade Guild is the successor to the Print sellers' association, which was originally set up in 1847 to preserve the integrity of the limited edition print against unscrupulous traders. Today the Guild represents print publishers, printers, materials and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, finished picture suppliers, galleries, contract and bespoke framers, and artists (although it's primary focus is picture framers).
Member benefits: Guild members are able to display the prestigious Guild logo as a sign of their commitment to the Code of Ethics. Other benefits include copies of "Art Business Today" plus classified advertising in this magazine, and web page in the the on-line directory (see the Fine Art Trade web site for further details, as all of the benefits may not be useful to artists).
Who can join: Anyone can join so long as they agree to abide by the Guild's code of ethics.
Costs: £216.99 p.a. plus a £77.05 joining fee.
Overview: The Guild was formed in 1971 and is recognised throughout the world as the premier society for the promotion of aviation art.
Membership benefits: The Annual 'Aviation Paintings of the Year' Exhibition, held in London each July and open to both members and non-members, is the highlight of the Guild's year and attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the world.
Who can join: Entry membership is as a "Friend" and is available to those in all age groups who are interested in aviation and/or art (this includes non-artists). The progression from Friend to "Associate" is by election. Artists will usually have had work accepted for the Guild's Annual 'Aviation Paintings of the Year Exhibition' over a minimum three-year period and will have demonstrated a consistency of standard in their work.
Costs: Annual membership subscription rates are - Friend: £25, Associate - £45.
Overview: Amongst the aims of the Guild is the furtherance of the artistic portrayal of railways; the staging of Railway Art Exhibitions and assistance in the historical research necessary to accurately portray railway subjects with correct detail. Members of the Guild include professional, semi-professional and amateur artists painting in a wide variety of mediums - oils, acrylics, gouache, tempera, watercolour, ink, pencil, pastel, airbrush, silk screen and even digital.
Membership benefits: An associate member has full use of the Guild's facilities and is invited to participate in any exhibition mounted by the Guild at the discretion of the selection panel for the particular exhibition.
Who can join: Applicants must submit 6 to 8 good quality photographs of their work. The Guild Council will review the photographs at their quarterly meetings and if in their judgment the application is likely to succeed, you will then be asked to present your original works of art at a time and place appropriate to the Guild Council where a final decision will be made (Council meetings are held at Warwick, Worcester or Devon).
Costs: Application for membership cost £20, however, if your work is considered not to be of the standard required your payment will be returned to you with an explanatory note detailing the council's decision.
Mall Galleries (Federation of British Artists)
Overview: The Pastel Society is a registered charity, widely recognised for its success in promoting and encouraging the use of pastel within the contemporary art world.
Member benefits: The Society's major showcase is the Annual Exhibition held at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. This is open to entries from both Members and non-members. Awards are made to works of particular note.
Who can join: Membership is granted through a strict assessment of technical skill, originality, innovation and enthusiasm.
Costs: We are not aware of any membership costs, but there is a fee of £10 per work for submission of artwork to the annual exhibition (a maximum of four works may be accepted).
Royal Institute of Oil Painters
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
Royal Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of Marine Artists
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
the Society of Fine Graphic Art
Overview: The Society of Graphic Fine Art exists to promote fine drawing skills whether with brush, pen, charcoal, conté or any other forms of original printmaking. Whilst black and white work and traditional skills are still a priority, in recent times a more progressive outlook has encouraged the use of colour (but oil paintings are not allowed).
Member benefits: The key benefits of membership are considerable "kudos", an annual exhibition in a major London gallery, and image display on the Society's web site.
Who can join: The main election to membership occurs at an annual open exhibition with an interim election approximately six months later. Applicants must (personally) present 4 pictures for consideration. Newly elected members remain Associates for a period of three years, after which they may be elected to full membership or remain Associates at the lower subscription if they prefer.
Costs: Associate member £95.00 p.a. Full member £115.00 p.a.
Overview: The Society of Wildlife Artists is a registered charity that seeks to generate an appreciation of and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art based on or representing the world's wildlife.
Membership benefits: There are three categories of Artist members.
"Members" can enter up to 6 works free of charge to the annual exhibition in the Mall Galleries in London, and enjoy a range of other benefits including; commission on sales reduced from 45% + VAT to 35% +VAT, free entry to all exhibitions at the Mall Galleries, free reproduction of work on SWLA publicity (invitations, catalogues etc.), the opportunity to undertake commissioned work from the FBA Commissions Bureau and a free page on www.swla.co.uk.
Associate members can submit two works free of charge and a further four at the non-members rate. Commission on all sales is the reduced rate of 35% + VAT.
Honorary members may submit two works free of charge at the annual exhibition and a further four at the non-members rate.
Who can join: To become a member artists must submit work to the annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. Six pieces should be submitted at a fee of £10.00 each. Associate membership is offered at Council's discretion where it is felt that this would be beneficial to the individual artist or to the Society. Honorary membership honors the finest artists who have contributed significantly to the Society and it's exhibitions over many years. Members move into Honorary membership at the Council's discretion.
Costs: Members pay an annual an annual fee of £195. Associate members pay an annual fee of £65. There is no annual membership fee for Honorary members.
the Wildlife Art Society International
Overview: The basic aims of the Society are the promotion of the wildlife art genre in its own right, whilst providing a focus for the interests of all wildlife artists, painters, sculptors and photographers whether they are professional, serious amateur or leisure artists.
The Society offers members a wide and varied program of events throughout the year, these include workshops to help members to advance their artistic skills. There are also opportunities to observe numerous species of animals, birds and other wildlife.
Member benefits: quarterly Wildscape magazine, annual year book, the opportunity to exhibit work in all the exhibitions, and join in with the societies events, visits, and any workshops. Members will have the opportunity to display one picture on the members page with a link to their web site if applicable and their contact details.
Who can join: The Society imposes no selection or submission procedures for new members. Membership is open to all artists and photographers whose work includes wildlife as the prime subject, whether it be animals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, wild flowers or wild landscapes. Domestic animals including horses and other semi-domesticated or feral animals, or cultivated plants are not eligible for submission to any Society events or exhibitions.
Members are semi-professional or amateur artists who wish to exhibit their work with the Society.
Fellow members are professional artists whose main income is from wildlife art and are allowed to use the designatory letters, FWASI. Council may also award fellowships in recognition of outstanding service to wildlife art or to the Society.
Costs: Membership runs for one year from the date of joining the society and is renewable annually. Member: £35.00 p.a. Fellow Membership: £40.00 p.a. There is a Registration Fee of £10.00 which is a one off, non-refundable payment.
Work SmART Artists
Overview: The aims are to encourage business professionalism amongst artists through the provision of "wiki" style relevant and practical business articles. It focuses solely on business acumen, and does not seek to judge artistic, or web design capability.
Member benefits: Endorsed web sites will be invited to display a graphic indicating acknowledgement of professionalism. Endorsed web sites will clearly be identified in our Links to Artists page. Dependant upon the number of successful applications we may, at a future date, only link to endorsed artists? Further benefits are under consideration/development.
Who can join: To become a member, applicants must achieve endorsement of their business professionalism. Endorsement proceeds via self-assessment, email application, and independent validation (so far as practicable). Endorsement is a negotiated process intended to ensure that each applicant is trading is a manner that is right for them, and fair to their customers.
Costs: Free.
Article date: 06 November 2009 ¦ Suggest an amendment
