Saturday, October 26, 2013

New Membership Categories

Information for Current Members (Membership changes as of October, 2013)


Note: All current members will automatically be moved to the new categories.  Active Members will become Supporting Members; PAMs will become Studio Artists.

Arts Professional 

This new category has been added for members who are involved in art quilts and the arts in general but who are not primarily spending their time working in studios.  They may be teachers, curators, appraisers, writers, collectors, etc.  They may make art quilts but their focus is primarily on other related activities.

There is no application process necessary for this category.  The additional $25 fee allows Arts Professionals to market their businesses through the SAQA website. 

Arts Professionals will each have a page on the SAQA website, similar to the old PAM pages.  Arts Professionals will be able to promote their businesses with a brief description, along with link to their website and full contact information.  They will be able to upload a headshot of themselves and a photo of what they primarily offer.  For example, they may choose to show students taking their workshop or an image of the cover of their new book or a copy of their logo.  Arts Professionals will be able to choose searchable key words to make it easy for people to find them and their businesses.

If you are currently an Active Member and wish to upgrade to Arts Professional, visit the Membership Upgrade page.  Once your upgrade has been processed, you may add the information and images for your business to your membership profile page, along with your choice of searchable key words.
Studio Artists will continue to have the same benefits as the former Professional Artist Members (PAMs) and will have some new additional benefits.  Selection will continue to be based on application via resume and portfolio juried in by a panel of current Studio Artists, who meet on a bi-monthly basis.

Studio Artists’ work will continue to part of the SAQA website’s Image Library for online galleries and slideshows.  They will continue to be eligible to be part of the annual Portfolio, both in print and as a digital, searchable version.  The print Portfolios will continue to be mailed to galleries, museum, libraries, collectors, interior designers and architects.

New benefits for Studio Artists will include the ability to post up to five (5) images of their work (rather than the two allowed under the old system) which will rotate in a slideshow on their Studio Artist page.  Another new benefit is that they will have the ability to sell those pieces in the SAQA Store. Studio Artists will be responsible for shipping any pieces that are sold through the SAQA Store; SAQA will charge a 25% commission on all sales.

Studio Artists will be able to choose searchable key words to make it easy for people to find them and their artwork.  This is a fabulous new feature.

Studio Artists who teach, appraise, write, lecture, curate, etc. may also set up a page in the Art Services Directory advertising their business.  They may include a brief description of their business, along with a link to their website and full contact information.  They will be able to upload a headshot of themselves and a photo of what they primarily offer.

Current PAMs (now Studio Artists) who wish to upload additional images, add key words, and have their work available for sale in the SAQA Store will need to visit their membership profile page and make the necessary changes and choices.

1 comment:

  1. Please note: due to the strong negative reaction of Active Members to the new title, "Supporting", the SAQA Board of Directors has agreed to review this decision at their next board meeting, sometime this month (October).

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