The Women Artists' Forum encourages women artists by providing an accepting and inclusive community in which they share their skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm about art.

History

The Women Artists' Forum originated in 1997 when two Baltimore artists, Marge Feldman and Frances Aubrey, envisioned making art in an environment of support and encouragement, rather than in the isolation typical of most artists’ work. They quickly discovered other women who felt the same.

Members find WAF motivates them to refocus on their art, gives them courage to work toward more ambitious goals, and supports them in new endeavors whether taking leadership roles, marketing their work, or redirecting their creative efforts.

WAF is open to any artist who believes she can benefit from membership. The only requirement is that she is serious about her art.

About Our Organization

Currently the Women Artists’ Forum has 80 members with a colorful array of ages, artistic styles, and media. This diversity provides opportunities to share new techniques, sources of inspiration, and concepts. Friendships and exchange of support and information happen naturally when members are active in the group.

Since the group’s inception, decisions have been made by consensus. Member volunteers coordinate all WAF activities within a flexible structure (Guidelines, 2003), which stimulates group-activated solutions and relies on a free flow of ideas. To keep in touch with members’ expectations and priorities, comprehensive surveys guide coordinators in planning.

Monthly newsletters, group e-mail announcements, and this interactive website keep members up-to-date. Members of Women Artists’ Forum meet monthly for engaging presentations, often at a local church or school or, depending on the nature of the presentation, at members’ homes and studios, museums, a fine print workshop, or a digital imaging business.

Presenters include gallery owners and curators, local and not-so-local professional artists, art career development specialists, workshop leaders, art historians, and WAF members, many of whom have unique skills and approaches. Topics have ranged from Getting Your Work into a Gallery, Nontoxic Media, and Making Your Own Frames to Women Artists of the Twentieth Century, Motivating Art Through Yoga, and Art Therapy.

Frequently, materials are provided for members to experiment on their own. In a recent workshop on Beaded Prayers, inspired by a concurrent exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art, each participant designed and made her own beaded fabric amulet after a demonstration and slide presentation by the workshop leader.

WAF sponsors small critique groups that meet regularly. In these groups, members discuss the direction, content, impact, and skills employed in their own work and that of others.

WAF provides regular venues for exhibiting members’ work. Juried and screened group exhibitions have been held at Baltimore City Hall, the Boston Properties building, the Gallery Unicorn at the Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, the Resurgam Gallery, the Columbia Art Center, and the Hoffberger Gallery at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, among others. Currently, members’ solo or small group exhibitions are scheduled on a continuing, rotating basis at a local restaurant. Often, members partner with each other to exhibit in galleries or alternative spaces.

Women Artists' Forum Guidelines

ARTICLE 1 - NAME AND LOCATION

The name of the organization is Women Artists’ Forum (WAF). WAF is based in the Baltimore, Maryland, area.

ARTICLE 2 - MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Women Artists’ Forum is to nurture and encourage women artists by providing an accepting and inclusive community in which they share their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm about art.

ARTICLE 3 - MEMBERSHIP

A. Membership is open to women only.
B. Active members are those who have paid their annual membership dues.
C. Only active members are entitled to participate in WAF activities such as decision-making, critique groups, website listing, etc.
D. Only active members with no outstanding fees may exhibit.
E. Newsletter subscribers are not active members.
F. Women who are not members may attend two (2) general membership and /or critique group meetings as a guest. Attendance at a third meeting requires active member status.

ARTICLE 4 - DUES

A. The amount of annual membership dues is proposed by the executive committee and approved by consensus.
B. Dues are payable annually in the months of April, September or December, whichever is closest to the month in which the member joined.
C. Full-time students qualify for a discount rate.
D. Dues must be paid within sixty (60) days from the first of the month in which they are due. After sixty (60) days without payment the memberships inactive.

ARTICLE 5 - LEADERS

The leaders of the Women Artists’ Forum may include but are not limited to: President or Co-Presidents, Newsletter Editor, Newsletter Distributor, Recorder, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Venue Coordinator, Exhibition Coordinator, Exhibition Publicity Coordinator, General Publicity Coordinator, Critique Group Coordinator, Social Correspondent, Reporter, Social Correspondent, Education and Information Coordinator, Historian, Hospitality, and Web Mistress.

ARTICLE 6 - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. The executive committee consists of President or Co-Presidents, Newsletter Editor, Recorder, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Venue Coordinator, Exhibition Coordinator, and General Publicity Coordinator.
B. Executive committee meetings are held at least six (6) times a year and are open to all members of WAF. All members who attend have an equal opportunity to contribute to discussions and decisions.
C. Decisions are made by consensus of all members in attendance, not by majority vote.
D. Any three (3) members of WAF may call a special meeting of the executive committee.
E. The executive committee may establish, modify or eliminate committees and/or leadership positions in order to accomplish any purpose which is in the best interest of WAF.

ARTICLE 7 - GENERAL MEETINGS

General membership meetings are usually held monthly from September through June.

ARTICLE 8 - SELECTION OF LEADERS

A. Every even- numbered year a slate of nominees is assembled by a nominating committee and disseminated to the membership prior to the April general membership meeting. The nominating committee, assembled and headed by the outgoing President(s), consists of two members of the executive committee and two members-at-large. If unable to recruit a nominating committee the executive committee will assemble the slate.
B. At the April general membership meeting the slate is presented and additional nominations are accepted from any member. When the slate is thus finalized a vote is held to approve the slate.
C. At the May general membership meeting the new leaders are elected by acclimation. A ballot is held whenever there are two or more nominees on the slate for any position(s).
D. Responsibilities of all incoming leaders commence at the end of the June meeting. June, July, and August are a transition period during which outgoing leaders assist new leaders as needed.

ARTICLE 9 - DUTIES OF LEADERS

A. President(s) - Sets agendas for and leads executive committee meetings and general membership meetings. Keeps an overall perspective of the current needs and issues of the Women Artists’ Forum. Delegates responsibilities as needed. Maintains ongoing communication with other leaders to keep the organization running smoothly.
B. Membership Coordinator - Maintains membership list. Reminds members of renewal dates. Mails welcome packets to new members. Encourages participation of new members in WAF activities. Greets all members at general meetings and supplies nametags. Responds to requests for information from prospective members. Coordinates a “Getting to Know You” party when the executive committee thinks it is necessary.
C. Venue Coordinator - Finds venues for WAF exhibitions. Maintains slide registry. Presents all contracts with venues to the executive committee for approval before signing.
D. Exhibition Coordinator- Recruits a committee to run all aspects of exhibits, including creating a budget, keeping members informed, having invitations designed and distributed, facilitating jurying or screening, billing exhibiting members, overseeing reception, and informing Publicity Coordinator.
E. Exhibition Publicity Coordinator - Notifies media of upcoming exhibitions.
F. Program Coordinator - Recruits a committee that compiles a list of proposed programs for the ten general meetings. Presents list of proposed programs to the executive committee. Clears dates with President(s). Supplies monthly article on upcoming program to Newsletter Editor. Greets and introduces presenter(s) at general meetings. Writes thank you notes to presenters.
G. Recorder - Takes minutes at all general and executive committee meetings. Sends typed minutes to executive committee members and Newsletter Editor.
H. Treasurer - Receives and deposits all income in WAF checking account. Presents annual budget to executive committee. Monitors and advises leaders regarding budgeted allocations. Disburses funds for WAF expenditures.
I. Newsletter Editor - Establishes monthly newsletter deadline. Collects information. Writes and edits material for publication. Arrival of newsletter follows executive committee meeting and predates general meeting by 7-11 days.
J. Critique Group Coordinator - Solicits and designates leaders of critique groups. Assigns new members to an appropriate critique group. Creates, merges and/or divides critique groups as needed. Facilitates regular meetings of all critique groups.
K. Web Mistress - Maintains WAF website. Redesigns site as needed. Updates information about WAF events, exhibits, and general meetings monthly. Maintains separate sections of the website for members’ art and for members’ exhibitions.
L. General Publicity Coordinator - Expands public awareness of WAF by serving as a liaison between WAF, the media, and the rest of the art community. Creates and distributes press kits. Places and maintains display containers of WAF brochures.
M. Education and Information- Maintains and makes available at general meetings the box of free information.
N. Newsletter Copier and Distributor- Obtains original of monthly newsletter from newsletter editor. Copies newsletter, buys postage, obtains mailing labels and assembles mailing. Mails newsletter in time to be received by membership 7-11 days before general meeting.
O. Group E-Mail Sender - Sends only art- related items to members who are on-line. Consults Membership Coordinator for current e-mail addresses.
P. Historian - Collects, catalogs, files and stores all paraphernalia relevant to each exhibit. She does the same for newsletters and other documents of WAF history such as photos, letters, news clippings, releases and other publicity pieces and contracts.
Q. Hospitality - Keeps paper goods and buys a snack, drinks, and ice for each general meeting. Sets up table. If she is unavailable, she recruits another member.
R. Social and Political Awareness - Schedules time and place for discussion of social and political issues that influence women artists and their art. Publicizes upcoming meetings and reports on past meeting in the newsletter.
S. Social Correspondent - Sends cards and/or flowers on behalf of WAF at the request of the President(s).

ARTICLE 10 - FINANCES

A. All money paid to WAF is placed in a general operating fund.
B. All funds are kept in a WAF checking account maintained by the Treasurer.
C. Funds unused from the current year’s budget remain in the fund and are carried over to the next year’s budget.
D. The WAF fiscal year is September 1st to August 31st.
E. Prior to September lst the WAF executive committee compiles a budget of estimated expenses for the coming year. The Treasurer immediately notifies each leader of the budget for her area of responsibility.
F. Any expenditure not budgeted requires approval by the following - 0 -$100 - Treasurer and President(s). over $100 - Treasurer, President, and another executive board member over $300 - Consensus of all members at an executive board meeting based on a current treasurer’s report.. over $500 - Approval of the members at a general meeting.
G. Treasurer presents a written report to the executive board twice a year, on or about August 1st and February 1st.

ARTICLE 11 - BOARD VACANCY

It is the responsibility of the President(s) to fill a permanent or temporary vacancy on the board.

ARTICLE 12 - DISBANDING

A. A decision to disband WAF must be made by consensus of the general membership.
B. All monetary assets will be donated to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, or a similarly directed organization in the Baltimore area.
C. All physical assets will be donated to Baltimore City Public Schools.

ARTICLE 13 - GUIDELINES

These guidelines may be revised at any time by consensus of the general membership.