Applying for Admission

By now, you have likely talked to at least one of our members about the Gallery. If you wish to apply, the next step is to speak to the Chair of the Membership Selection Committee (MSC) Currently: Jim Baumgartner (780-6640 home/message) He will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

The Application is available in Word format for those who wish to fill it out digitally, in PDF format for those who want to print it and fill it in, or by contacting the MSC.

Please fill out the form as best you can. The MSC will review your application and evaluate it on: Quality of your artwork, Salability of your Artwork, Your Availability to JAG, and the Professionalism of your presentation.

As long as minimum requirements are met, the applicant will be asked to come to an interview with 3 members of the MSC. In this 15 – 20 minute interview, the applicant will be asked about their artwork, employment experience, and competency in a retail environment and about themselves in general. As long as an applicant meets minimum standards for JAG, their name will go into a qualified applicant pool.

When space becomes available in the Gallery and depending on what artwork would then best benefit the then current needs of JAG as a gallery, one or more artists from the pool will be asked to bring in sales ready artwork samples. These samples along with your application and interview results will be brought before the membership. The Full Membership will evaluate and rank the applicants. A minimum of a majority of the membership ranking and accepting a candidate is required. The “best” candidate for the current JAG needs and available space will be selected based on this evaluation. The highest ranked candidate(s) will be invited to join JAG until the current needs of the Gallery have been satisfied. Unsuccessful applicants will return (without prejudice) to the pool for consideration for future JAG needs.

Once an artist is in the pool, it can take months or years to be called to jury. MSC will annually contact all artists in the pool and verify if still interested or if situations have changed. If your contact information changes, it is your responsibility to notify the MSC.

Successful applicants will be required to complete the final membership paperwork, pay initiation fee and beginning rent. They will then work with the Design Committee to set up their display in the Gallery. New members also receive JAG Handbook which includes a copy of the bylaws, current policies and procedures, member lists etc.

As co-owners and representatives of JAG, members are expected to act businesslike and responsibly, maintain courteous and friendly relations with each other and the public, handle and promote other members’ work as they would their own, get to know each other’s work, keep the gallery looking and sounding inviting.

Shop time can be rewarding, even fun—it’s what the artist makes of it. The co-op encourages artists to bring their projects in to work on, if possible; this tends to draw people’s interest and stimulate conversation with prospective customers. Whether you’re practicing your art, catching up with paperwork, or doing needed gallery chores between spurts of sales activity, the most important thing is to make those who wander into the gallery feel welcome, to feel our little gallery is special! It is.