5 Organizations for Artists in New York
Embarking on a creative career can be a frightening and difficult step, especially when you're in a large, unfamiliar city. These organizations act as a lifeline for those pursuing artistic careers by connecting them with others who have the same passion and creative energy that they do, forging partnerships that can bring a lifetime of friendship and encouragement as they seek to find an audience for their art. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
5 Artists' Groups in New York
| Name | Objective |
|---|---|
| The Players | Private club that promotes social engagement between professional actors and those in related fields like literature, painting, sculpture, and music |
| ArtTable | Works to advance the leadership of women in the visual arts through community initiatives, diversity fellowships, and a wide membership base in chapters across the country |
| Sculptors Guild | Promotes, encourages, and supports sculptors and the art of sculpture through personal interaction, professional development, exhibitions, and community outreach |
| American Abstract Artists | Supports abstract art with exhibitions, publications, and print portfolios that have been held in over 75 museum, university, and library collections internationally |
| The Lambs | The first professional theatrical club in the United States, offers an inspiring atmosphere in which performers, writers, directors, and other creative professionals can come together, exchange ideas, and develop fruitful partnerships |
ArtTable Honors Frederieke Taylor
Arts Education in America
- 91% of Americans agree that the arts are "part of a well-rounded education"
- 93% to 94% believe that students in elementary, middle, and high school should receive an education in the arts
- 74% agree that the arts help students to perform better academically
- Nationally, more than 40% of secondary schools did not require arts courses for graduation for the 2009-2010 school year
- Federal funding for arts & humanities is around $250 million a year, while the National Science Foundation is funded at around the $5 billion mark
- Arts and music education programs are mandatory in countries that rank near the top for math and science test scores, like Japan, Hungary, and the Netherlands
- According to a nationwide study, 63% of eighth-graders took a music class, and 42% took a visual arts class
- Students in the Northeast were twice as likely (68%) to have taken a visual arts class than students in the South (35%)
- Students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, which is often used as a proxy to identify low-income students, scored an average of 26 points lower in music than those not eligible and 22 points lower in visual arts
- In the District of Columbia, 75% of white students took an art course, compared to 49% of black students
What Is Abstract Expressionism?
In Depth
Home to one of the nation's most historically vibrant and enduringly thriving arts scenes, New York City ranks high among places for creative individuals to live and work. The groups included here reflect this urban richness, providing creators of all kinds with opportunities to develop, explore, and share their craft, in disciplines from painting to theater. In no particular order, here are five organizations in the Big Apple designed especially for artists.
For #1 we get The Players, a private social club established in 1888 by renowned actor Edwin Booth. Housed in a renovated Gothic Revival-style building that faces Gramercy Park, it operates with the aim of fostering exchange between theatrical professionals and artists in a number of associated disciplines. Members, who come from the fields of film, television, music, publishing, and more, receive admission to the clubhouse as well as to various events such as readings, concerts, and dinners.
The Players' clubhouse includes a myriad of lavish, historic spaces for members to gather, converse, and observe incredible art and cultural artifacts. Immediately greeting visitors is the Grill, which features the pool table on which Mark Twain played, plus works from luminaries such as Norman Rockwell and James Cagney. The Great Hall boasts a twenty-ton fireplace and a white marble mantel, while The Kinstler Room contains portraits of famous Players such as Katharine Hepburn and Christopher Plummer. Other areas include a library and dining room, plus Booth's parlor and bedroom. If you know someone in the club, have them propose you as a member.
Other areas include a library and dining room, plus Booth's parlor and bedroom.
Showing up at #2 is ArtTable, which is devoted to promoting female leadership in the visual arts. The organization carries out its mission by cultivating an inclusive national network of women at all levels of their careers, and by offering sundry community events that provide them with creative, educational, and professional opportunities. Committed to boosting diversity in the arts market, the group awards annual fellowships to female graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, with the goal of helping them transition into professional careers.
ArtTable's programs span the country from New York to California, and involve everything from book clubs to exhibits and breakfast conversations. One of the group's signature offerings is MeetAT, a free member event that brings together people from all areas of the art world for networking and discussion. Equally significant is the Career Development Roundtable, a mentoring program for burgeoning creative leaders in the New York metro area. Other events include a professional empowerment series, private gallery viewings, and tours of innovative exhibitions led by artists and curators. Support the organization's initiatives by making a donation through its site.
For #3 we have the Sculptors Guild. One of the oldest artist-run groups in the city, SG champions and supports contemporary sculptors and their craft through exhibitions, professional development, and civic outreach. Loyal to the modernist sensibilities and objectives of its founders, the organization develops a membership of diverse sculptors who employ a range of unique, progressive, and inventive aesthetic methods. These members include both national and international artists who have achieved substantial recognition or exposure with their work.
Loyal to the modernist sensibilities and objectives of its founders, the organization develops a membership of diverse sculptors who employ a range of unique, progressive, and inventive aesthetic methods.
Events and exhibitions featuring SG members include a multitude of solo and group shows, which take place at galleries, parks, courtyards, and other community locations. Possessing a wide breadth of concepts, sizes, styles, and media, the sculptures and installations on display invite observers to contemplate topics ranging from gender to environmentalism. Complementing the exhibitions are artist talks, studio visits, parties, and classes that further promote an engagement with the aesthetics and politics of contemporary sculpture. Become a patron of SG to help sustain and advance its programming.
Arriving at #4 is American Abstract Artists. Founded in 1936 as a sanctuary and hub for adventurous artists whose work faced public resistance, today A.A.A. continues to serve as a center for the support, appreciation, and proliferation of abstract art. Through an array of exhibitions held at museums and galleries around the world, it gives exposure to vital contemporary creators and globally promotes the significance of an often misunderstood aesthetic movement. Both members and invited guests are able to participate in these unique exhibitions.
In addition to showcasing creative works, A.A.A. publishes journals that help to spark and perpetuate discourse around ideas related to abstraction. Containing essays and reproductions of different artworks, the journals represent an intellectual confluence of creators, historians, critics, and members from the wider community. Further fostering the public's aesthetic engagement are the organization's print portfolios, which are held in more than 75 library, university, and museum collections across the globe. Assist A.A.A. and its operations by making a contribution through Fractured Atlas, the group's non-profit sponsor.
Further fostering the public's aesthetic engagement are the organization's print portfolios, which are held in more than 75 library, university, and museum collections across the globe.
Finally, for #5 we come to The Lambs, which was inaugurated in 1874 as the first professional theatrical club in the United States. A supportive social gathering space for artists and patrons, it nurtures an inspiring atmosphere in which performers, writers, directors, and many other creative professionals can come together, exchange ideas, and develop fruitful partnerships. On top of its clubhouse functions and activities, The Lamb also stands as a historical society that conserves and celebrates its storied legacy through a collection of fine art and memorabilia.
Situated in the heart of Manhattan, The Lambs' clubhouse is a nine-story building that contains a Grand Ballroom, a dining salon, guest suites, and a private floor that features rehearsal rooms and a performance space. Among the bevy of activities it hosts are recitals, luncheons, film screenings, author talks, and a weekly happy hour, plus large-scale formal celebrations of holidays and certain special dates. The Club significantly contributes to the community through The Lambs Foundation, a charity that benefits educational programs, theatre nonprofits, and up-and-coming talent. Make a gift to the Foundation to help support the arts in New York.
