NEW SIGNATURE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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Professional women artists, at least 18 years of age and citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and Puerto Rico, are eligible to apply for membership in the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. In March and September of each year, new NAWA members are selected by a jury from applications. Accepted artists join a distinguished roster of past and present members including Cecelia Beaux, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Isabel Bishop, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Alice Neel, Louise Nevelson, Audrey Flack, Miriam Schapiro, Pat Adams, Faith Ringgold, and many others. Currently, hundreds of women artists from across the United States are members of the association. We thank you for considering membership.

Benefits of NAWA Membership

Exhibition Opportunities – The association organizes juried and curated exhibitions throughout the U.S. in galleries, museums, universities, art centers and online. We exhibit in various venues in New York City. All Signature Members are entitled to exhibit one piece in the Annual Exhibition, juried only for awards, and to receive an annual catalog.

Individual Artist Features – NAWA posts an Artist of the Week and creates YouTube content with individual interviews: Conversations with Farrin.

Awards – NAWA artists compete for exhibition awards totaling over $15,000 annually. Most NAWA exhibitions are Peer Juried. For the Annual Members Exhibition jurors are from outside the organization.

Networking – Opportunities are available to meet other professional women artists and to share concerns and advice through participation on committees, social media platforms, attendance at salons, receptions and special events.

Education – Programs address topics of Professional Business Practices for Artists; presented regularly as Round Table discussions in Zoom meetings. NAWA offers Educator Community programs for Signature member educators.

Getting Involved – New members are encouraged to volunteer for a minimum of 6 hours per year. Volunteers can serve on one or more of the following committees: Exhibitions, Membership, Outreach, Public Relations or Special Events. Most meet on Zoom.

Florida Chapter – Members who want to participate in the exhibitions and activities of the Florida Chapter can do so for an additional $30 in dues.

Massachusetts Chapter – Members who want to participate in the exhibitions and activities of the Massachusetts Chapter can do so for an additional $30 in dues.

South Carolina Chapter – Members who want to participate in the exhibitions and activities of the South Carolina Chapter can do so for an additional $30 in dues.

Pennsylvania Chapter – Members who want to participate in the exhibitions and activities of the Pennsylvania Chapter can do so for an additional $30 in dues.

NAWA Website – Each member may create a user-generated Member Gallery page on the NAWA website (www.thenawa.org). In addition, the Association can provide a Direct link to a member’s individual website. Members can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Listing in NAWA Now Magazine – Members’ accomplishments, current exhibits and awards are listed in our popular online magazine.

History – Each member is catalogued in the NAWA historic archive. The archives and image files are available to curators and scholars and provide opportunities for national exposure. Annual Members Exhibition catalogs are archived in numerous high profile libraries and museums.

Membership Application Instructions

Always read and re-read all prospectuses/applications carefully
to ensure that you are following directions properly.

DEADLINES: March 15th and September 15th of each year

(Notification of acceptance/non-acceptance will be sent to applicants
before the last day of March and September.)
NOTE: Notifications will come from membership@thenawa.org

The application is at the bottom of this page. Complete all the required application fields. Required fields are your name and contact information; US citizen or permanent resident; age range; short bio, CV, or resumé; short artist statement; solo/group exhibitions.

NAWA membership jurors prefer to see a cohesive body of work as opposed to a wide variety of techniques and mediums. Once accepted as a Signature Member, you are eligible to enter exhibitions with any technique or medium. Please make sure your images are all high quality, without frames or extraneous backgrounds.

Upload 5 images of your work in ONLY ONE of the categories here. If you are submitting artwork in the sculpture or installation category, please submit 2 views of 5 different artworks. You will be directed to a payment form page to finalize your application. Finalizing membership instructions are below. NAWA appreciates your filling out all the fields including: grants, scholarships, awards, your website link, who recommended you to NAWA, social media handles.

Membership Application Process

1. Fill out the application below. Enter all your artwork in ONE of the defined categories. After acceptance, there are no category restrictions for members. (Work submitted for NAWA exhibitions will only be limited by the categories, themes and size requirements established for each exhibition).

NAWA entry labeling is standard. Always use this labeling format for your jpegs when submitting to any NAWA entry:
LastName_FirstName_titleofwork_medium_size(HxWxD)_year_price

For this application and the Annual Exhibition only, include “category”:
LastName_FirstName_titleofwork_medium_size(HxWxD)_category_price

Image Parameters:
Digital Images should be jpgs.
For all online entry, use 72 dpi 1100 pixels on the longest side
(Any print media for future reference, will require 300 dpi, also 1100 pixels on the longest side)

  • There is a non-refundable $25 application processing fee. Payment should be made through the payment page. With special arrangements through the office, checks can be made payable to the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. to be paid with your application.
  • This form, including 5 image uploads, must be submitted by the 15th of September to be eligible for jurying during that time frame. If you have any questions, please call the NAWA office (646) 461-0068.
  • The jury looks for the artist’s ability to develop a style, a theme, a subject, or an idea is as important to NAWA as your technical skill, and the sharpness of each jpeg image. There are no size or subject limitations for acceptance into NAWA, but a medium category must be chosen for your submission. The NAWA Exhibition Committee sets guidelines for artwork submitted for specific exhibitions. Public and private exhibition venues also set their own guidelines for artwork submitted. Also very important: crop all images to the perimeter of the image. Frames should never be included in NAWA submissions (possible exception: if frame is specifically an integral part of a piece). Do not include any background unless there is an uneven edge, in which case, use a solid black or white background for the image. Always read and re-read all prospectuses carefully to ensure that you are following directions.
  • Upon acceptance. Your membership is finalized when your annual dues and a one-time initiation fee are paid. These are due within 15 days of your acceptance notification. At this time, you may also submit your preferences for committee participation. NAWA relies on volunteer help from members, and it is a way to form lifetime friendships, network for resources, and utilize or add to your skill set as well as feel the satisfaction of contributing to the history of women artists.
  • The dues for new members accepted in September will be $175 (with the additional one-time initiation Fee of $45 = $220. Subsequently, Annual dues of $175 will be due between August 1 and September 30 of the following year (the NAWA fiscal year begins on October 1 of every year). This applies after your first year of membership. Once accepted, this is a lifetime membership as long as you renew your dues annually. If your membership lapses more than 3 years, then you will be required to re-apply for membership. After finalization of your membership, you will be eligible to join any of the three Chapters (FL, MA, SC). Each chapter has dues of $30 that are collected every November 1 – December 31.

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