Artists’ Groups and Organizations for the Arts
Along with federal, state, and local governmental agencies that provide programs supporting individuals and groups in the arts, the following is a small sample of national and local service and membership organizations for the visual artist. The reader is advised to consult local directories for similar groups or chapters of national groups in their geographical area.
ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHERS OF AMERICA (APA),
560 4th Street, San Francisco CA 94107; www.apanational.com/. The purpose of APA national is to promote high professional standards and ethics and to communicate and exchange information among APA chapters, APA chapter members, and APA members-at-large. APA national works toward the advancement of advertising and commercial photographers by exchanging information and ideas, resolving common problems, and strengthening the relationships between photographers, advertising agencies, clients, and suppliers. All APA chapters and APA national are independently managed and funded.
ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHERS OF NEW YORK, INC. (APANY),
27 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10010; newyork.apanational.com. APANY began as Advertising Photographers of America, Inc. (APA) in 1981 and became APANY in 1990. A professional trade association, APANY promotes the highest standards of business practice within the industry. Benefits include the APA Business Manual, a monthly newsletter, free legal consultation, group medical insurance, group disability income, auto and home insurance discounts, seminars, competitions, and workshops.
ALLIANCE OF ARTISTS’ COMMUNITIES,
255 S Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; www.artistcommunities.org/. The Alliance of Artists Communities is an international association of more than 1,000 community and residency programs worldwide that support artists of any discipline in creating new work. The Alliance advocates on behalf of artists’ communities to funders, policymakers, researchers, and the public; holds an annual conference; and maintains online resources.
ALLIANCE OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS (APA),
1500 Park Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32835; www.allproartists.org. APA is a national organization committed to supporting and educating art-driven individuals and groups and serving as an advocate for the art community. Members receive a subscription to Art Calendar, a business magazine for visual artists, and resources such as sample resumes, artist statements, educational webinars, and a monthly e-newsletter. Members also have access to art supply and book discounts, as well as discounted health and life insurance.
AMERICAN CENTER FOR DESIGN (ACD),
325 West Huron, Suite 711, Chicago, IL 60610. ACD is a national organization of more than two thousand design professionals, educators, and students. The ACD is committed to connecting its members to each other and to the research, ideas, and technologies that are continually shaping, reshaping, and influencing design and design practice. In addition to promoting excellence in design education and practice, ACD serves as a national center for the accumulation and dissemination of information regarding design and its role in our culture and economy.
AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (ACC),
72 Spring Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10012-4019; www.craftcouncil.org. A national, nonprofit educational membership organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb. The mission of the council is to foster an environment in which craft is understood and valued. Membership in the Council is open to all. Professional membership is open to crafters and owners of craft galleries. The council produces craft shows in nine locations that are open to the public and three locations that are open to the trade. The Council publishes the bimonthly magazine, American Craft. The council also maintains a special library containing a comprehensive collection of print and visual information on 20th century American fine craft, with an emphasis on the post-war period since 1945. Library staff can assist research efforts in person, by mail, e-mail, telephone, and facsimile. Other Council activities include workshops, an annual awards ceremony, and a grant program.
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS (AIGA),
164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010; www.aiga.org. Founded in 1914, the AIGA is the national, nonprofit organization of graphic design and graphic arts professionals with forty-two chapters nationwide. Members of the AIGA are involved in the design and production of books, magazines, periodicals, film and video graphics, and interactive multimedia as well as corporate, environmental, and promotional graphics. The AIGA national and chapters conduct an interrelated program of competitions, exhibitions, publications (including an annual of graphic design and a quarterly journal), and educational activities and projects in the public interest to promote excellence in, and the advancement of, the graphic design profession. The Institute holds a biennial design conference and a biennial business conference. The AIGA has over 22,000 members.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS (ASMP,
formerly American Society of Magazine Photographers), 150 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; www.asmp.org. This organization, with thirty-nine chapters throughout the country, promotes the photographic profession through advocacy, education, and information exchange on rights, ethics, standards, and business practices. Its services include publications, insurance, surveys, member support with clients, business counseling, and marketing assistance.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PICTURE PROFESSIONALS (ASPP),
117 S. Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; www.aspp.com. The ASPP has a wide membership base and a number of chapters that include photographers, stock agencies, researchers, and buyers. The organization publishes a quarterly magazine, the Picture Professional, a newsletter, an annual directory, and provides a job posting service for members on its Web site.
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS,
1 East 53rd Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10022; www.americansforthearts.org. Americans for the Arts offers multilayered programs in arts education and in the study and application of arts policy; publishes books, reports, and periodicals; maintains a clearinghouse of public arts policy; encourages and supports private sector initiatives for increased giving to the arts; advocates before Congress for legislation benefitting the arts; disseminates information to improve artists’ living and working conditions; conducts research, organizes conferences and public forums; and sponsors and administers such prestigious programs as the Visual Artist Information Hotline [(800)232-2789], the annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, and Arts Advocacy Day.
ART DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (ADAA),
205 Lexington Avenue, Suite #901, New York, NY 10016; www.artdealers.org. Representing over 170 established galleries, its general purposes are to promote the interests of individuals and firms dealing in works of fine art and to enhance the confidence of the public and the government in responsible fine arts dealers. The ADAA appraises works of fine art that are donated to museums or other not-for-profit organizations when an appraisal is needed for income tax purposes. Other activities include a series of seminars held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in October and the Art Show, a major art fair held in New York City each year.
ART DIRECTORS CLUB, INC. (ADC),
106 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001; www.adcglobal.org. Established in 1920, the Art Directors Club is an international nonprofit membership organization for creative professionals, encompassing advertising, graphic design, new media, photography, illustration, typography, broadcast design, publication design, and packaging. Programs include publication of the Art Director’s Annual, a hard cover compendium of the year’s best work compiled from winning entries in the Art Directors Annual Awards. The ADC also maintains a Hall of Fame, ongoing gallery exhibitions, speaker events, portfolio reviews, scholarships, and high school career workshops.
ART INFORMATION CENTER (AIC),
55 Mercer Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013. The AIC is a nonprofit organization that offers a consultation service to help artists determine which New York galleries would be most suitable for their work.
ARTISTS FOUNDATION (AF),
516 East 2nd Street, #49, Boston, MA 02127; www.artistsfoundation.org. Incorporated in 1973, the Foundation arranges artist-initiated projects in collaboration with the state, corporations, or other organizations. Artists submit ideas—usually for public artwork—that can be produced in collaboration with another organization. The Foundation mostly serves artists in Massachusetts.
ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS),
536 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10012; www.arsny.com. ARS is a copyright collective whose membership includes prominent twentieth-century artists such as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol. ARS provides liaison services to those who wish to reproduce artworks in printed and electronic media, as well as in products based on an artist’s work. ARS protects members from piracy, illicit use, and copyright infringement by monitoring use and also provides reputable publishers and producers of commercial goods with a one-step clearing house for rights and permissions.
ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL DESIGN FIRMS (APDF),
450 Irwin Street, San Francisco, CA 94107; www.apdf.org. APDF is dedicated to elevating the standards of design and professional practice for design consulting firms.
ATYPI (ASSOCIATION TYPOGRAPHIQUE INTERNATIONALE),
ATypI Secretariat and Conference Office, 6050 Boulevard East, Suite 17E, West New York, NJ 07093; www.AtypI.org. This is the premier worldwide organization dedicated to type and typography. Founded in 1957, ATypI provides the structure for communication, information, and action among the international type community.
THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE FOR THE ARTS,
1775 Broadway, Suite 510, New York, NY 10019; www.bcainc.org. This is the first and only national, not-for-profit organization of business leaders committed to supporting the arts and to encouraging new and increased support to the arts from the American business community.
CHICAGO ARTISTS’ COALITION (CAC),
1550 North Damen Avenue, Suite 201, Chicago, IL 60622; www.chicagoartistscoalition.org. The Coalition is an artist-run, service organization for visual artists. Services include a newsletter, alternative exhibition opportunities, professional development workshops, art supply store discounts, and a Coalition Gallery CAC offers student, senior citizen, individual, and family memberships.
DESIGN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (DMI),
29 Temple Place, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02111; www.dmi.org. Founded in 1975, the Design Management Institute has become the leading resource and international authority on design management. DMI has earned a reputation worldwide as a multifaceted resource, providing invaluable know-how, tools, and training through its conferences, seminars, membership program, and publications. DMI is a nonprofit organization that seeks to heighten awareness of design as an essential part of business strategy.
DESIGN STUDIES FORUM (DSF);
www.designstudiesforum.org. Design Studies Forum is a College Art Association Affiliated Society. Founded as Design Forum in 1983 and renamed in 2004, Design Studies Forum seeks to nurture and encourage the study of design history, criticism, and theory and to foster better communication among the academic and design communities. DSF’s 350+ members include practicing designers, design historians/critics, and museum professionals. For information about membership and DSF’s electonic announcement list, please visit the Web site.
THE FOUNDATION CENTER,
79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003, www.foundationcenter.org. The Foundation Center Network is an independent national service organization that provides authoritative sources of information on private philanthropic giving. There are Foundation Centers in New York City, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, and San Francisco, with over one hundred cooperating library collections. Toll-free information at (800)424-9836 will provide locations.
GRANTSMANSHIP CENTER,
P.O. Box 17220, Los Angeles, CA 90017; www.tgci.com. The Center conducts proposal-writing workshops throughout the United States and produces publications on funding for nonprofit organizations, including a newsletter, Centered, which is free to public and private nonprofit organizations. Its services are generally designed for use by organizations, not individual artists.
GRAPHIC ARTISTS GUILD (GAG),
32 Broadway, Suite 1114, New York, NY 10004; www.graphicartistsguild.org. This national organization represents artists active in illustration, graphic design, textile and needle art design, computer graphics, and cartooning. Its purposes include: to establish and promote ethical and financial standards, to gain recognition for the graphic arts as a profession, to educate members in business skills, and lobby for artists’ rights legislation. Programs include: group health insurance, newsletters, publication of the handbook Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, legal and accounting referrals, artist-to-artist networking, and information sharing.
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSOCIATIONS (ICOGRADA),
Icograda Secretariat, 455 Saint Antoine Ouest, Suite SS 10, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2Z 1J1; www.icograda.org. Icograda is the professional world body for graphic design and visual communication. Founded in London in 1963, it is a voluntary coming together of associations concerned with graphic design, design management, design promotion, and design education. Icograda promotes graphic designers’ vital role in society and commerce. Icograda unifies the voice of graphic designers and visual communication designers worldwide.
INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE CENTER,
19 Fairgrounds Road, Suite B, Hamilton, NJ 06819; www.sculpture.org. Devoted exclusively to contemporary sculpture, the Center publishes Sculpture magazine, holds International Sculpture annual conferences, symposia, workshops, has student membership rates, group rates on insurance, and maintains a resource directory.
LOWER MANHATTAN LOFT TENANTS ASSOCIATION (LMLT),
P.O. Box 276, New York, NY 10018; www.lmlt.org. LMLT is a volunteer organization that provides a clearinghouse for information about the loft situation, periodicals, public meetings, housing clinics, and legal referrals. LMLT holds a housing clinic, providing one-on-one counseling, every Wednesday at locations to be determined by calling the hotline at (212)539-3538.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF STATE ARTS AGENCIES (NASAA),
1029 Vermont Avenue, NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20005; www.nasaa-arts.org/. The NASAA is a nonprofit organization that serves fifty-six states and jurisdictions that have created agencies to support the arts. The mission of NASAA is to strengthen state arts agencies.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF ART AND DESIGN (NASAD),
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190; www.nasad.arts-accredit.org/. The major responsibilities of the Association are the accreditation of postsecondary educational programs in art and design, and the establishment of curricular standards and guidelines.
NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION (NPPA),
3200 Croasdaile Drive, Suite 306, Durham, NC 27705; www.nppa.org. The NPPA membership services include major medical and equipment insurance as well as a variety of publications. The NPPA offers student, professional, and international memberships.
NATIONAL SCULPTURE SOCIETY,
75 Varick Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013; www.nationalsculpture.org. National Sculpture Society was founded in 1893 and is dedicated to the support of figurative sculpture through exhibitions, publications, and education. Publishes quarterly Sculpture Review and a bimonthly online journal for members.
NEW YORK ARTISTS EQUITY ASSOCIATION, INC.,
498 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013; www.anny.org. This service organization representing professional visual artists was formed to further the economic, cultural, and legislative interests of artists. Services available include: health insurance and dental plans, term life insurance, newsletter, contract forms, legal information, legislative advocacy, and cultural programs.
NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS (NYFA),
20 Jay Street, 7th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; www.nyfa.org. NYFA enables contemporary artists to create and share their works and provides the broader public with opportunities to experience and understand the arts. The Foundation accomplishes this by providing responsive leadership and advocacy, offering financial and informational support, and building collaborative relationships with others who are committed to the arts in New York and throughout the United States.
ORGANIZATION OF BLACK DESIGNERS (OBD),
300 M Street, SW, Suite N110, Washington, D.C. 20024-4019; www.obd.org. The OBD is a nonprofit national professional association dedicated to promoting the visibility, education, empowerment, and interaction of its membership and the understanding and value that diverse design perspectives contribute to world culture and commerce. The Organization of Black Designers (OBD) is the first national organization dedicated to addressing the unique needs of African-American design professionals. The OBD membership includes over 3,500 design professionals practicing in the disciplines of Graphics Design/Visual Communications, Interior Design, Fashion Design, and Industrial Design.
THE ORGANIZATION OF INDEPENDENT ARTISTS (OIA),
419 Lafayette Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10003; www.oia-ny.org. Founded in 1976 as a grass roots movement among artists, OIA turned a federal mandate encouraging the use of government buildings for cultural and educational activities into an innovative resource for visual artists’ exhibitions. The OIA sponsors artist-curated shows in public spaces and maintains an extensive artist’s resource center.
PHILADELPHIA/TRI-STATE ARTISTS EQUITY ASSOCIATION, INC.,
22 Laurelgate Place, Millersville, PA 17551; www.artistsequity.org. Artists Equity works to establish fair guidelines for juried exhibitions and clear documentation for original prints and reproductions. Services include: newsletters and networking opportunities, and programs cover topics from copyright law to conservation techniques.
PICTURE ARCHIVE COUNCIL OF AMERICA (PACA),
23046 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite 600, Laguna Hills, CA 92653; www.pacaoffice.org. PACA’s goal is to develop uniform business practices within the stock picture industry based upon ethical standards established by the Council. PACA serves member agencies, their clients, and their contributing photographers and illustrators by promoting communication among picture agencies and other professional groups. Through these improved channels of communication, the Council hopes to make available information necessary to improve and protect the business of its members. An annual directory of the membership is available.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF AMERICA (PPA),
229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; www.ppa.com. PPA publishes Professional Photographer.PPA offers a variety of memberships for photographers of various specialties, including portrait, wedding, industrial, and specialist categories.
THE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN (SEGD),
1000 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005; www.segd.org. An international, nonprofit organization founded in 1973, SEGD promotes public awareness and professional development in the field of environmental graphic design—the planning, design, and execution of graphic elements and systems that identify, direct, inform, interpret, and visually enhance the built environment. The network of over one thousand members includes graphic designers, exhibit designers, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, educators, researchers, artisans, and manufacturers. SEGD offers an information hotline, job bank, bimonthly newsletter, quarterly journal, information clarifying the Americans with Disabilities Act as it pertains to signage, an annual competition and conference, and more than thirty regional groups that help connect people working in the field and offer a variety of tours, demonstrations, and meetings.
SOCIETY FOR NEWS DESIGN (SND),
424 E. Central Blvd. Suite 406, Orlando, FL 32801; www.snd.org. SND is an international professional organization with more than 2,600 members in the United States, Canada, and more than fifty other countries. The membership is comprised of editors, designers, graphic artists, publishers, illustrators, art directors, photographers, advertising artists, Web site designers, students, and faculty. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in journalism and design. Activities include annual newspaper design workshop and exhibition, quick courses, the Best of Newspaper Design Competition, and publications including the quarterly magazine Design and the monthly newsletter SND Update.
SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC EDUCATION (SPE),
2530 Superior Avenue, #403, Cleveland, OH 44114; www.spenational.org. SPE is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote a broader understanding of photography in all its forms. Membership benefits include: an annual, four-day national conference, a journal and newsletter, a resource guide and membership directory, membership in one of eight regional organizations, job and exhibition listings, and more.
SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS (SI),
128 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10021; www.societyillustrators.org. Founded in 1901 and dedicated to the promotion of the art of illustration, past, present, and future. Included in its programs are the Museum of American Illustration; annual juried exhibitions for professionals, college students, and children’s books; publications; lectures; archives and library. SI also sponsors member exhibits in one-person and group formats, and government and community service art programs. Membership benefits are social, honorary, and self-promotional, and include Illustrator, Associate, Friend, Student, Educator, and more options.
SOCIETY OF PHOTOGRAPHER AND ARTIST REPRESENTATIVES (SPAR),
630 9th Avenue Suite 707, New York, NY 10036; www.spar.org. SPAR was formed in 1965 for the purposes of establishing and maintaining high ethical standards in the business conduct of representatives and the creative talent they represent as well as fostering productive cooperation between talent and client. This organization runs speakers’ panels and seminars with buyers of talent from all fields, works with new reps to orient them on business issues, offers model contracts, and offers free legal advice. Categories for members are regular (agents), associates, and out-of-town. Publishes a newsletter.
SOCIETY OF PUBLICATION DESIGNERS (SPD),
27 Union Square West, Suite 207, New York, NY 10003; www.spd.org. Begun in 1964, the SPD was formed to acknowledge the role of the art director/designer in the creation and development of the printed page. The art director as journalist brings a visual intelligence to the editorial mission to clarify and enhance the written word. Activities include an annual exhibition and competition, five blogs, special programs, lectures, and the publication of an annual book of the best publication design.
VISUAL ARTISTS AND GALLERIES ASSOCIATION, INC. (VAGA),
350 5th Avenue, Suite 2820, New York, NY 10118; www.vaga.org. VAGA is a copyright collective formed in 1976 to administer and protect reproduction rights. VAGA seeks to ensure that an artistic work is licensed before it is reproduced and that for every use an appropriate fee is paid to the creator. VAGA maintains a slide library and a legal hotline to provide advice concerning copyright and artists’ rights issues.
VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS (VLA),
1 East 53rd Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10022; www.vlany.org. VLA is dedicated to providing free arts-related legal assistance to low-income artists and not-for-profit arts organizations in all creative fields. Five hundred plus attorneys in the New York area annually donate their time through VLA to artists and arts organizations unable to afford legal counsel. VLA also provides clinics, seminars, and publications designed to educate artists on legal issues that affect their careers. California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas, to name a few, have similar organizations. Check “Lawyer” and “Arts” phone directory listings in other states.
WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI),
6059 Bristol Parkway, Suite 100, Culver City, CA 90230; www.wppionline.com. WPPI publishes a monthly newsletter, has print competitions, and sponsors an annual convention.