Post 278: The Benefits of Volunteering

Getting Involved in Your Local Art Group

The benefits of joining your local art group are numerous and well, truly invaluable. You are joining, communicating and gaining experiences, growth, and making connections with other local fine artists and crafters - from professional to beginners - and sharing your love of art with and learning from them.

Front entrance of Open Space Arts at Stonebridge art gallery in Woodbridge, VA

Benefits of Joining an Art Group

Joining your local art group - which may go by various names, like society, guild, artisans, league, or council - is not just for when you retire, there are artists of every age within most. Some art groups include families while other groups have a minimum age of 18 and older. It most certainly is for artists of any age and dependent upon that groups by laws, so be sure and do the research.

Art groups can be localized, regional or national, and they can be specialized to specific mediums. Examples are American Watercolor Society, Colored Pencil Society of America, Oil Painters of America, National Watercolor Society and more.

Art Benefits Include:

• Making a name for yourself close to home
• Learn about upcoming art shows and exhibits, and Calls for Art
• Be inspired, rejuvenated, and build camaraderie with other artists
• Take part in art competitions
• Potential workshops and/or class participation
• Potential ability to display artwork in the art group's studio, gallery, shows, etc.
• Attend various art exhibitions, museums - art "field trips"
• Potential "Featured Artist" or "Artist of the Month" or voted "Best in Show"
• Networking with people in your local art world
• Build friendships
• Show off, share, and teach what you know and do
• Possibility to enter various art events as a group member with less expense than being a solo artist
• The art group's promotion and social media, advertising and marketing for art events means exposure for you as well

The Make-up of the Art Group

Art groups are usually non-profit groups with options and fee structures around their membership opportunities - individuals might be students, adults, senior adults over 60, family units and/or sponsorship levels supporting the arts. Art groups charge an annual fee to join and typically take a percentage of sales. Their income goes toward group activities, office supplies, business and banking fees, art entry fees, scholarship funds and many other day-to-day business expenses, learning experiences and/or causes.

Typically, the group has a Board of Directors with a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer as well as Committees with a Committee Chair (leader) including Social Media Chair, an Event, Publicity, Hospitality, and Programs Chair, and potentially more. Each of these positions are volunteer positions. Depending on the art group, there may also be an art space(s) that are "manned" on a volunteer basis as well.

The Board of Directors are usually voted on while that Committees are volunteer positions. Strong, knowledgeable leaders are needed to help the entire group - running the monthly meetings and the Board meetings. The various Directors and Committee Chairs will need to interact with the community in order to develop art opportunities for the art group to display and sell at.
As you can probably guess, volunteers as a "candidate" for the Board or as volunteering on Committees is an absolute MUST for any art group to function, and to function well. 

Sample Duties of Executive Board

The Board positions can typically run for one or two years.

President: Chairs the Executive Board and presides at all meetings of the society. The President shall convene at least 6 Executive Board Meetings each year. Prepares agendas for all general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings: delegates responsibilities and assigns tasks to Executive Board members; monitors status and completion of those tasks, provides signature on legal documents; serves as liaison between public, other organizations, and the Society. Coordinates functions with other offices.

Vice President: Acts as the assistant to the President and fulfills the duties of the President in her/his absence. The Vice President acts as liaison with Committee Chairpersons, and with society members.  

Secretary: Records minutes and attendees of executive Board Meetings, and general membership meetings. In addition, the Secretary takes care of correspondence as requested by the Board. The Secretary should maintain a current copy of the by-laws with any amendments noted and any special rules adopted by the organization.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all Society funds, deposit them in a Virginia bank and pay all bills out of this account. The Treasurer shall present a brief report at each meeting of the Society Revenues and Expenses. The Treasurer should assist in preparing for the Annual Budget. Among other duties are renewal of the yearly Corporation license, the Liability Insurance and the renewal of dues to Prince William Art Council. Maintains an inventory list and location of all Society property.

Member-at-Large: The Member-at-Large should be elected by the members to represent their interest at the Executive Board level.

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering your time for any great group or cause is an admirable quality that makes each of us feel good.

• Meet other artists that you will learn from and engage with. You know artists are a creative bunch, so you will meet some highly motivated, creative people to bounce ideas off of and perhaps borrow ideas from.
• Volunteering sure looks good on the resume, especially if you are out of work.
• Working with other art volunteers in these art groups opens up some opportunities that you may not be able to do on your own and potentially be less expense. True, doing a solo art show means that your sales are your own, but after exhibition space fees, a tent, tables, display stands and all the work involved with setup and take down, being in an art group distributes the load and costs. Everyone pitches in to get the job done.
• Learn more about the business of art.
• Any artist needs to get out of the studio on occasion and turn the "starving artist" or "lonely artist" myth into a more active and social art life.  
• Most art groups have their own websites and social media sites which can provide ways to be seen and linked.
• Getting asked to do a demo may offer benefits as well.
• It's good for the soul - health benefits too!
• And much more.

Individuals that decide to join an art group will need to drop the ego at the door. Encouraging each other, learning, growing, and helping inexperienced artists are on the to do list. It is not a competition. You are not joining to be an art critic nor be criticized. Being a prima donna isn't being part of the team and the art group needs to function as a team with everyone pulling duty in one way or another.
 
Each of us need to balance our own time between our families, our art and/or work, and volunteering with the art group(s) that we join.
 
With ALL of that being said, I personally look at it as everyone's duty to "spread the word" about your group, your team's art events and even when possible, a group member's links and accomplishments. It could be anything from sharing brochures at work and inviting friends and family to see the show to sharing events online to social media and your contact lists. 
The Prince William Art Society has been an art group for 50 years BECAUSE artists have stepped up and volunteered to make it happen. Getting involved will help to continue this group and any group you become a member of.
 
For more information, here is a good article:

https://fineartviews.com/blog/23623/ten-reasons-for-the-emerging-artist-to-join-a-local-art-group 

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