Launching An Artists Organization

Tips for Success and Pitfalls to Avoid

By Renée Phillips

This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Art Calendar magazine.

If you are an artist and founder of an Artists Organization I invite you to read this article and the questions I ask below the red headline. Thank you!

As a young artist arriving in NYC in 1980 I decided to launch an artists’ organization and named it Artopia, inspired by Thomas Moore's Utopia.

Artopia’s mission was to exhibit fellow members’ art work as a group and offer each other camaraderie. It had a membership of about 200 artists and art supporters. For a membership fee of $25 a year members received several exhibitions each year, including weekly multi-media networking events with performing artists as well. These attracted a lot of media attention. We also distributed a membership newsletter and members received discounts on art work and art supplies.

In 2000 I started an online gallery membership on Manhattan Arts.com to promote the work of member artists.

I have also been a member of the Board of Directors of New York Artists Equity Association and other organizations. Based on my experience, I can offer some simple advice to artists who are interested in starting an organization.

Questions to ask yourself before getting started
* Will your organization be focused on a specific region, medium, style, age group, gender or career level or will it be open to all?
* Will members have to be invited or juried in or is this a completely democratic organization?
* Will you need a space for meetings and exhibitions?
* How much will you charge for membership? How many categories will you offer?
* Is your organization one that will promote arts and business partnerships?
* Have you considered starting a branch of an existing national or international organization? Americans for the Arts (www.artsusa.org) offers such an opportunity.
* Who is your competition?
* Who will be your allies?
* Does an organization like yours in mind already exist?
* Is there anyone who would be willing to offer advice? Be your mentor? Interview arts organization leaders outside your region and mission will be more willing and eager to collaborate and advise you.

More Advice
* Don’t start it unless you are extremely motivated because it requires a lot of time and energy.
* Determine how much time you can allocate each week to the organization.
* Develop a clear mission statement, one that you can live with now with room to grow.
* What is your inspiration? Do other artists share your inspiration? Who else shares your goals and be willing to volunteer on the organization’s behalf?
* In addition to having artists members consider opening another art friend category. In my experience this proved to be essential.
* Make sure you provide benefits to all members. Make the benefits realistic, attractive, and easy to fulfill.
* Develop a sound financial plan. Make maintaining financial stability a priority.
* Keep in mind what is best for the group, not best for you or the loudest, most demanding members.
* Reach out. Collaborate with other organizations, businesses and corporations.
* Encourage members to maximize and utilize their skills to the betterment of the organization.
* Be able to motivate others. Recruit volunteers but do not take others for granted. Always show appreciation.
* Carefully select a board of directors or advisors that share your goals and missions and who have proven altruistic qualities.
* Start small. Build a strong foundation. It is important to have long-term goals, but begin with simple, realistic short-term goals. Avoid taking on more than you can possibly accomplish, or you will be doomed for failure.
* Evaluate the level of interest and response you will receive. How many other artists share your vision and will want to join you and sustain your mission?
* Employ time management and organizational tools. Especially in the beginning, you will need to allocate substantial time to the organization’s formation.
* Be aware of regional and global influences. You will need to adjust your course of action as economic, political and social changes occur.
* Choose and register a name for your (nonprofit or profit) organization. Make sure the name you want to use is available. Protect your name by filing for a trademark.
* Apply for tax exempt status with the IRS. The IRS provides for tax exemption in 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
* Apply for state and local tax exempt status. Depending on your state, you may be exempt from property tax and sales tax.
* If you don’t want to establish the organization as a not-for-profit organization you may consider forming yours under an existing not-for- profit organization called an “umbrella” organization.

Both nonprofit and for-profit corporations are governed by a board of directors or board or trustees. If you choose to start a for-profit company, but not to incorporate, then you will not be required to have a board; however, you may wish to appoint an advisory board, or group of qualified persons who can help you to make decisions in regards to your organization, but do not have the authority of a true board.

Start With A Mission
The most successful organizations (whether profit or nonprofit) are motivated by solving a problem and filling a need. An artists organization can provide one or more services for artists: fight discrimination; raise consciousness; support worthy causes; obtain group health insurance; offer art supply discounts; foster camaraderie; provide exhibition opportunities; and bring recognition to new artistic movements.

Before you begin planning the logistics of your organization, you should have a clear vision and purpose, and formulate that into a mission statement.

A mission statement explains why your organization exists. If you are planning to create a nonprofit organization, you will be required to have a mission statement. However, even if you are creating a for-profit organization, a mission statement will help you to focus your organization and define your purpose.

Mission statements are typically one or two sentences (though some organizations have three or more). The statement should clearly define what the organization’s purpose is, who will be most served by the organization and generally how the mission will be accomplished (e.g. exhibitions, educational activities, technical training, etc.).

When drafting your mission statement, it may be helpful to define the perimeter of your organization. Will your organization target a specific region, medium, style, age group, gender or career level or will it be open to all artists and all media?

Remember that the purpose of your mission statement is two-fold. Certainly you want to create a statement that conveys the purpose of your organization to the artists and/or community the organization serves, but you also want to clarify your mission so that you and your organization’s employees and volunteers can make better choices for projects and endeavors where the organization should focus its efforts.

Samples of Great Mission Statements
A simple Internet search will result in many different, well-established artists organizations with strong mission statements. Here are just a few:

Portrait Society of America (www.portraitsociety.org) — “The purpose of the Portrait Society is to foster and enhance an understanding of the practice, techniques and applications of traditional fine art portraiture and figurative works. The activities undertaken by the corporation are educational in nature. Our projects will increase the aesthetic and technical knowledge for the practicing artist, the aspiring amateur, student artist as well as the general public.”

Association of Hispanic Arts (www.latinoarts.org) — “The Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA) is a non-profit learning institute for Latino artists and arts administrators. Its mission is to promote career development, financial independence, and networking opportunities for individual artists and creative entrepreneurs.”

Pen and Brush, Inc. (www.penandbrush.org) — “The mission of The Pen and Brush is to encourage originality; stimulate and develop appreciation of the various arts by providing facilities for the presentation of lectures and exhibitions; and otherwise bring together the public and the female artist members of the organization.”

Some qualities you and your board of directors/advisors should have:
Service mindedness
Commitment and Persistence
Dependability
Motivational Skills
Delegation skills
Authority and respect
Connections
Financial investment
Financial, Business and Marketing skills

The Pitfalls: What to Avoid
Avoid the poverty mindset.
Avoid projecting an attitude of lack, desperation and need.Just because you have a non profit artists organization doesn’t mean your goal should be poverty. In fact, you should operate it to achieve financial prosperity.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Take care of the major objectives. As a board member of one organization, I can recall the director constantly complaining about trivial issues at each meeting that there was limited time to focus on the big issues. It is no surprise this organization perished with financial difficulties.

Final Words
After considering the time and effort required to launch an organization, look around at the many existing solvent organizations that already have proven to be successful in accomplishing their mission over a long period of time. You may decide that instead of starting your own you could become an active member in another organization and help them to grow.

Never take any support, financial or otherwise, for granted. Remember to show appreciation to supporters of your organization by through awards and publicity in your newsletters, press releases, and on your web site.

Whatever you decide, move forward with your heart and your head, taking the power of your mission with your desire to help others in need. The rewards you reap will be immeasurable.

As Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

My questions for founders of Artists Organization.

I'm seeking your participation to add to this article and my upcoming book. f you would like to be included please provide this information in an email to me:
Your name
Name of organization
Date of inception
City, State
Organization's Website
Membership application details.(You can email the membership application form or link to web page.)

What reason inspired you to start your own organization? (75 words or less)

What is your organizations mission statement? (75 words or less)

What is the status of your organization: profit, non-profit or not for profit status?

How many members do you have?

Are you a private limited membership?

Are you an open, expanding membership?

What is the single most valuable service you offer members? (75 words maximum)

What advice can you offer to an artist who wants to start an artists organization? (75 words maximum)

What advice can you give to other artists organizations to stay financially secure? (75 words maximum)

What biggest pitfalls do you recommend they avoid? (75 words maximum)

Please email this information to renee@renee-phillips.com and write Artists Organizations in the subject.

Thank you in advance for participating in this article and book project. I will contact you if I need more information. Please note, I cannot guarantee any or all of your responses will be included. However, when I do full credit will be given to you with a link to your organizations' website.

Manhattan Arts International has a group on LinkedIn. If you aren't a member please use this link to the Manhattan Arts International group. http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1930619

Renée Phillips is the Director of Manhattan Arts International. Known as The Artrepreneur Coach, counsels artists and arts organizations worldwide. Learn more about her private consulting services available in person or by phone.

Learn more about her books.

She is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), Pen & Brush, and Artists Fellowship. She is the Director of Manhattan Arts International.

Read more articles by Renée Phillips.