FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Exhibitions
    Artist members have opportunities to showcase their work in AAP exhibitions in the greater Pittsburgh region and have their work seen by both regional and national jurors and curators from various institutions. Most applications are free to apply and are exclusive to members. Applications that are open to the public, such as the Annual, come at a significantly lower application fee for members. 

    Networking & Community
    Through exhibition openings, social events, workshops, member meetings, and various programming, artists come together and network with other artists in the region. We work closely with regional institutions, such as museums and university galleries, to ensure programming includes Pittsburgh-based artists. This network also includes partners that provide fellowships, residencies, studio spaces, and more. Members can also rent the AAP Exhibition Space for events at a significant discount.

    Programming and Professional Development
    Our programming, which includes educational and professional development opportunities, is designed to help artists develop their skills and advance their careers. Past workshops include taxes for artists, grant writing, artist statement writing, photographing your work, pricing your work, and more.

    Local Discounts
    Member discounts and benefits at local stores and institutions can help save money on art supplies and other resources. From museum memberships to supplies, AAP artists receive special member rates throughout the region at participating locations. You can find a more expansive list of benefits and discounts here. 

    Artist Promotion
    Members and their websites are listed in our Member Directory available to our website visitors. We promote members through the Featured Artist program, Member Happenings, and through general exhibition promotion.

  • Description text goesThe majority of our exhibitions are juried or curated. In a juried exhibition, members apply online through an application website, and their work is selected by appointed juror(s). For curated shows, the curator works with AAP in advance and researches artists using resources such as the aapgh.org member directory, past exhibition applications, or suggested artists based on an exhibition’s conceptual framework. Selected artists are notified by AAP staff. Periodically, AAP invites artists and arts professionals to submit proposals for exhibitions, which are selected from applications and reviewed by the Exhibition Committee. Hosted at our Lawrencville exhibition space, the selected artists and/or arts professionals receive financial and institutional support for their project.  here

  • AAP programming is generally open to members only, although some events may be open for public submissions. Accepted artists are offered AAP membership if selected. Non-members only participate in AAP exhibitions when specified, often through collaborative programming with similar arts nonprofits.

  • Avenues for membership include: 

    1. The annual new member screening: The new member screening is open to any eligible artist and occurs at least once a year. Entries are reviewed by a jury, which is a combination of AAP members and external jurors. AAP announces the juror(s) prior to the screening. More information can be found at https://www.aapgh.org/become-a-member. 

    2. Acceptance to an exhibition application open to non-members: Non-members can participate in select curated and juried exhibitions with AAP. If chosen to be part of an AAP exhibition, artists can become a member. 

    3. Acceptance to the Annual Exhibition: For a fee, non-members are invited to apply. Artwork submissions for the Annual Exhibition are open to any artist that meets the eligibility listed above. Jurors for the Annual select from a pool of member and non-member artists. Accepted applicants become artist members and the additional fee covers the first year of membership dues. 

    Eligible artists must be over the age of 18 and reside or maintain a studio within a 150-mile radius of Pittsburgh.

    Please note that membership is not determined by the staff. AAP staff does not review or jury membership or exhibition applications, and staff may not be present for the review process. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask us at aap@aapgh.org.

  • To apply for the New Member Screening, artists must submit 3-5 images of their artwork through AAP's Slideroom portal, along with a $30 application fee. The application should also include an artist bio, statement, resumé or CV, and an optional artist website. The artwork submitted must include the title, medium, dimensions, and price for each piece. Artists should avoid submitting certain materials such as live or dead plant materials, organic materials that will decompose, or toxic or hazardous materials. If selected, new members will be featured in the annual New Member Exhibition. Artwork for this exhibition will be chosen from the work submitted for screening, so artists should only submit work currently in their possession or that they have ready access to.

  • Please make sure to read and follow all guidelines in the online application prospectus. A call for art may include a theme that you will want to keep in mind when determining if you’ll apply and with what work. We cannot overstate the importance of having good quality photos of your artwork. (For tips on how to photograph your artwork check out our blog post.) If you have any questions or need assistance with completing an application, please email aap@aapgh.org. 

    Jurors are asked to review entries and ensure applicants follow guidelines. Outside of that, they are free to select the work as they choose. Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, its board, and staff do not recommend or influence any selections.

    Selection is competitive due to the volume of submissions we receive. However, we encourage artists to apply and give themselves the opportunity to have their work seen by our jurors who are selected because of their professional and creative impact in the field of visual arts.

  • To maintain membership with AAP, you will need to pay the annual dues of $80. Membership runs on a fiscal year cycle from July 1 to June 30. It is important to keep your dues current to participate in exhibitions, educational programming, and professional development workshops. However, we never want financial hardship to be a reason an artist cannot participate in our exhibitions and other programming. Please reach out to us at aap@aapgh.org with any concerns, and we will work with you. 

  • Artists receive a commission from the sale which is a percentage of the listed price of the work. An artist commision ranges from 50% for the Annual and fundraiser exhibitions, to 70% for the online store and the winter anniversary sale. The typical commission for artists is 60% of the sale price. The price of the artwork is determined by the artist, who is encouraged to consider the commission when pricing their work.

  • As an AAP artist member, you are welcome to submit a solo exhibition proposal or a group exhibition proposal during our Call for Exhibition Proposals, which typically occurs every 2–3 years. Please keep in mind that this process is highly competitive, and the review and selection of proposals are at the discretion of the AAP Exhibition Committee. The Exhibition Committee is made up of current AAP member artists. We encourage you to carefully review the guidelines for the Call for Exhibition Proposals, which will be distributed via email to our artist members a few weeks before the application opens. It's important to note that our exhibition planning typically takes place at least two years in advance, so we encourage you to plan your proposal accordingly.

    If you have any further questions about the exhibition proposal process, please feel free to reach out to us at aap@aapgh.org. To learn more about the Exhibition Committee and their duties please click here.

  • If you’d like to learn more about artwork or an artist that you believe was once an AAP member, our records are housed at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. Contact information for their organization can be found at https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org.