Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Benefits of Joining
Membership Levels
Resizing Images
Annual Dues
Jury Fees
Payment of Fees
Specifications for Jurying
SSA and MSA Juries
Applying for Higher Levels
Re-applying for Levels
Contact with Members
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Benefits
What are some of the benefits of joining ISSA?
The goals of ISSA are to promote interest and excellence in Scratchboard Art by providing international exhibitions opportunities and creating teaching and learning opportunity for individual artists. ISSA hopes to connect artists with others working in the same medium as well. ISSA also provides materials for artists to hand out to help educate the public about scratchboard. There is also a Mentoring program in place.
Additional benefits for all levels of members include:
– Connect with a community of other artists working in Scratchboard Art.
– Exposure for members on ISSA’s web site
– Quarterly newsletters, emailed & archived (see a sample)
– Receiving invitations to annual exhibition openings, workshops, and various other society functions
– The ability to hold office and vote on Society matters
– Discounted fee for workshops (all levels of membership) and invitation to participate in ISSA exhibitions (for Active, Signature and Master members).
– Access to the private ISSA Facebook page
– Access to exclusive content in the Members Only section of our web site
– Access to highly skilled members who offer mentorship
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Membership Levels
What are the different membership levels?
ASSOCIATE – supporter level – open to anyone with an interest in scratchboard. This is an entry level and there is no jury process. Anyone who pays for membership at this level will receive the benefits listed above, except where noted. Members at this level are NOT eligible to submit work to juried shows. To become an Associate member, fill out the Associate member form and pay the required dues.
ACTIVE – Open to all artists working in scratchboard who may wish to submit to the annual juried exhibition or who have an interest in moving up to Signature or Master membership levels either in the same year or following years. Active members receive all of the benefits listed above and also are eligible to enter all exhibitions and may apply for higher membership status at the annual jury process. Upon approval, members have 30 days to pay their dues.
To become an Active member you must submit: a jury fee of $20, the Active membership application, and a portfolio of five (5) scratchboard works that represent your best work. A Master (MSA) member will evaluate your portfolio and you will be notified of the results within 30 days. You may apply for Active membership at any time of the year, annual dues are pro-rated. You may apply for Active membership up to two times in a year. Note for previous Active members: should you not be able to retain your Active status, you may go on Leave of Absence (LOA) for a period of one (1) year, provided you submit notification in writing. If you choose not to renew your Active status and have not contacted us, reapplying will mean that you must go through the jury process again; only this time you must submit at least 2 new works, three works that were previously submitted may be re-used.
Do I have to become an Active member before I can apply for Signature or Master level?
YES, you must be approved for Active membership before applying for a higher level during the SSA/MSA Jury process, but you can apply for Active membership in the same year that you apply for SSA or MSA. However, your dues for Active must be paid 30 days before the SSA/MSA jury date, so applying for Active in early January is suggested if you plan to apply for SSA or MSA in the same year.
After I am an Active member do I have to become a Signature member before I apply for Master level?
NO. After being approved for Active you may choose whether to apply for SSA or MSA. Bear in mind that our highest level of membership is only for artists working at the very highest level of our medium who are also actively working to promote the medium. Read each level’s descriptions carefully to see where you best qualify.
SIGNATURE (SSA) – Open to current Active members showing advanced scratchboard skills. Signature members may have the eventual goal of becoming a Master member. Signature members are eligible to submit work to all ISSA exhibitions and may use the initials SSA after their name. They will also have increased promotion on the ISSA web site, including artwork in the online gallery.
To apply for this level, members must submit their work during the annual application period for SSA. They must pay a jury fee of $35 and submit the Signature Membership Application (there will be a link on this page when applications are being accepted), and a portfolio of seven (7) images. The portfolio should consist of works representing your best scratchboards. The jury process is completed by designated Master (MSA) members. Upon approval members have 30 days to pay their dues. If you have applied for this level previously and wish to do so again, you are asked to supply seven (7) images; four (4) of which may be ones you previously submitted.
MASTER (MSA) – Open to current Active or Signature Members who have excelled, and not only artistically work at the highest levels of scratchboard art, but also work diligently to promote the medium in the public eye. Members must have distinguished themselves and the quality of their work through four or more of the following methods:
– Museum, National, and/or International exhibition history;
– National or International Awards;
– Solo Exhibitions;
– Gallery representation;
– Teaching of workshops or demonstrations;
– Publication in a recognized industry magazine/book;
– Other activities that show a member’s dedication to promotion of the medium.
To apply for this level, members must submit their work during the annual application period for MSA. They must pay a jury fee of $50 and submit the Master Membership Application (there will be a link on this page when applications are being accepted), and a portfolio of ten (10) images. The portfolio should consist of works representing your best scratchboards. The jury process is completed by designated Master (MSA) members. Upon approval, members have 30 days to pay their dues. If you have applied for this level previously and wish to do so again, you are asked to supply ten (10) images; seven (7) of which may be ones you previously submitted.
Upon approval, Master members will become jurors and will no longer be required to be juried into ISSA exhibitions. Master members may use the initials MSA after their name. MSAs will be called upon to jury membership applications or exhibitions from time to time. They will also have increased promotion on ISSA web site, including artwork in the online gallery.
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Resizing Images:
ISSA has specific requirements for images submitted with applications and for exhibitions. You’ll find those requirements on each application page and in each exhibition or show prospectus. Patrick Hedges MSA has written an excellent tutorial on how to resize images.
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Annual Dues:
What are the Annual Dues for membership?
Associate – $25
Active – $40
Signature – $60
Master – $80
If I pay my dues for my present membership level in January and then am approved in the same year for a higher level, do I have to pay annual dues twice in the same year?
You will be charged the difference. Annual dues paid in January for Active or Signature will be applied toward the dues you owe if approved for a higher level. This does NOT apply to Associate membership dues. For example, if you paid for Active membership in January ($40.00) and applied for Signature and were accepted, you would be charged an additional $20.00 to meet your Signature membership fee. If you applied for Master and were accepted from the Active member level, an additional $40 will be charged to you; if you applied for Master from the Signature level, you will be charged an extra $20. Our Fiscal year is from January 1st to December 31st of each year.
If my membership lapses do I have to re-jury for membership?
Members not paying their dues by January 31 will be sent a reminder. If not paid by the end of February, all membership rights shall be revoked until the member’s dues have been paid. If a Signature (SSA) or Master (MSA) member’s dues lapse for more than one year, they will be subject to jurying again in order to regain their previous membership status. Active membership status shall be reinstated once all dues are paid without re-jurying.
Any Active, Signature, or Master member may request a one-time only leave of absence (LOA). This request must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. This would allow the individual forego paying dues for up to, but not exceeding, two years, and retain their status the following year. The member would not be eligible for Exhibitions or other shows/events during their LOA.
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Jury Fees:
What are the Jury Fees for each Level?
Associate – no jury, no jury fee
Active – $20 jury fee
Signature – $35 jury fee
Master – $50 jury fee
What happens to my jury fees?
Jury fees for all levels of membership are retained by the Society whether you are approved or not. You must pay the annual dues within 30 days if you are approved for the membership level for which you applied. You must pay your dues in full before you will receive any of the benefits of membership.
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Payment of Fees:
How may I pay for membership and jury fees?
The only method of payment that ISSA accepts is PayPal. Our PayPal account is treasurer [at] scratchboardsociety.org. PayPal buttons are included with the various application forms on our web site. PayPal is free to sign up for and by far the fastest and most convenient way for the Society to receive payments.
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Specifications for Jurying:
What are the Specifications for Jurying for Each Level?
Guidelines for applying for Active membership are found on this page. Signature (SSA) and Master (MSA) guidelines are available two months prior to the jury process for those memberships and links will be posted on the informational pages for SSA and MSA on this site.
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Signature (SSA) and Master (MSA) Juries:
When is the jury (application period) for SSA and MSA each year?
The annual jury will be announced to our members on our website, Facebook page and Newsletter; as well as via email. Exact due dates will be published on the web site at least 90 days in advance. We will start to accept applications two months prior to the jury deadline.
How are SSA and MSA jurors selected?
Master (MSA) members shall be rotated through in a pre-selected order for jurying.
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Applying for Higher Levels
May I submit the same images I used before when I apply for a higher levels of membership?
You may re-use no more than 70% of images submitted for a lower level of membership when applying for a higher level. So you can use no more than three of the same images used for applying to Active when applying for Signature (SSA) or Master (MSA). If you are approved for SSA and then try for MSA the following year, you may re-use no more than four (4) of the images submitted with your SSA application. No more than seven (7) works may be reused when re-applying for MSA membership in a subsequent year.
If I apply for Master (MSA) membership, but the jury does not think I meet the requirements for that level, but I do for Signature (SSA) will they give me SSA status instead?
NO. You should only apply for a level for which you think you are qualified. The jury will only consider your application for the level for which you apply. If you are not approved for MSA you will still retain your Active membership level and be granted the permissions that go with that level. You will not know if they jury thinks you meet the requirements of SSA unless that is the level for which you applied.
If I become a Master (MSA) member will I be required to be on a membership or exhibition jury panel at some time?
YES. All MSA members will be called upon to evaluate artwork for individuals submitting to Active membership throughout the year, and may also be asked to be on the panel for either the annual MSA jury process or to judge an annual or regional exhibition or show. To avoid undue bias from any one individual MSA member, all MSA members will be asked to do their part from time to time.
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Re-applying for Levels:
May I submit the same images I used before when I re-applying for membership (if I was not approved for a specific level on my first try)?
If you are not approved for your applied for level of membership the first time around you may try again one more time in the same year for Active, but will have to wait for the following years’ annual jury to try again for Signature (SSA) or Master (MSA). You may not use more than 70% of the same work submitted in a previous application when re-applying for any levels (3 for Active, 4 works for SSA, or 7 for MSA).
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Contact with Members:
How does the society correspond with members?
Correspondence for ISSA is conducted through e-mail, so it is important that every member have an e-mail address and check it regularly, as some items may be time sensitive. Society newsletters will also be only available online and not in printed format.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact ISSA at any time and we’ll be happy to help you.