Artist Membership Process

Whether art is a vocation or avocation for you, we invite you to become an artist member of the Salem Arts Association. We encourage artists at all stages of their careers, as well as artists who don't even consider art their career, to join as artist members.

There is no jury. We do take our artists seriously, though, and we want you to take yourself and your art seriously. Because of this, all artist members must provide the following with their application form:

• an artist statement,
• an artist résumé or bio,
• Visual Artists: 5 images of your work
• Literary Artists: a writing sample (short story, chapter from a novel, selection of poems, or published essay
• Performing Artists: cassette/CD/DVD with audio/video portion not to exceed 15 minutes in length

Submission materials may uploaded directly to your membership record or may be e-mailed to membership@salemartsassociation.org. Hard copy submission materials may be mailed to Salem Arts Association, PO Box 226, Salem, MA 01970.

If you are a new or "amateur" artist, please don't let these requirements intimidate you. Take comfort in the fact that artist statements and other such things are the bane of many an artist's existence. Check out the resources below for advice on preparing your materials, and look for upcoming workshops.

Join online now!

If payment is received but submission materials are not received within one month of application, your membership level will be changed to Associate. If neither payment nor submission materials are received within one month of application, your record will be archived.

NOTE: By joining online, participating artists agree to the following statement:

I hereby apply for Artist Membership in the Salem Arts Association and give Salem Arts Association permission to use submitted application materials for marketing and publicity purposes. I also agree to give a 5% discount on the retail price of my work to anyone carrying a valid Salem Arts Association Membership Card during official Salem Arts Association Events.

Resources for Writing Artist Résumés, Bios, and Statements

• The Artist Bio/Statement--Tips for Making Yours Memorable, Personal--and Quotable (Luann Udell / Durable Goods)
• Artist Résumé: Recommended Conventions (College Art Association)
• Artist Statement Essentials (Artist Trust)
• Get it Right the First Time: An Introduction to Creating Your Artist Résumé" (Artist Trust)
• How to write an Artist Statement (Artists Foundation)
• It's an Artist Bio, Not a Resume (Indie-Music.com)
• "Portfolio Development for Artists Working in All Disciplines" (New York Foundation for the Arts)