Beaver Hall has a mandate as an artist-run cooperative in order to provide the particular housing and studio needs of visual artists. For this reason, the co-op seeks dedicated and committed visual artists as members. This document describes the general guidelines that the Membership Committee uses to decide whether or not a particular individual is a working visual artist for co-op membership purposes.
MANDATE:
Beaver Hall accepts for membership, working visual artists who practice independent production and are committed to cooperative living responsibilities.
WORKING VISUAL ARTIST:
A person who has seriously committed themselves to professional visual arts production for at least the last five years and has achieved some form of recognition for their own expression (e.g. exhibitions, performances, screenings, grants, publications, reviews, commissions, or peer recognition). Disciplines may include, but are not limited to: painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, video and film production, photography, animation, new media and alternative arts.
STUDENTS:
Status as a student does not necessarily help or hinder one's application for artist status at Beaver Hall. The same level of accomplishment is required from a student applicant as a non-student. NB: Some students have already reached this level of commitment in their careers.
ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL WORKING ARTIST?
Beaver Hall recognizes that most artists have part-time or full-time jobs not directly related to their art. This is not a factor in determining one's status as an artist. What the co-op looks for is evidence of professional commitment to the arts. For example, we might ask:
- What length of time, and with what regularity, have you been producing art? (Minimum five years required.)
- What efforts have been made to exhibit or present your work?
- What training or instruction in the arts have you undertaken?
- To what extent have you involved yourself in the arts community through volunteer service, artist-run centres, etc.?
- Do other working artists acknowledge your commitment?
