New Member Screening
The Application
We usually hold membership screenings 2-3 times a year. Applicants submit their work for both online and in person screening. The members view and assess your work with an on-line viewing/screening, followed by an in-person screening for those members who wish to see/touch/feel the submitted work.
Email us to let us know if you are interested in the next screening. Dates to be announced later. We will notify you of the date.
General Information
The Artery was established in 1974 by a small group of Davis artists and craftspeople who had been meeting regularly to share work and ideas. We now have approximately 60 members-owners and the present space is our third. Our store area features the work of all members throughout the year. Our gallery space features changing monthly exhibits showcasing the work of one or more members.
The Artery is incorporated as a California Cooperative, owned and operated by local artists whose work is displayed. All members-owners MUST purchase shares in the Corporation. A refundable share assessment of $300.00 is due within the first year of membership. This original investment is refunded upon termination of membership.
A nonrefundable buy-in fee of $150.00 is payable upon joining. Monthly dues are currently $50.00. Commissions are paid to the store in the amount of 27% of all sales.
The Artery is a cooperative and as such, members usually live locally and are expected to commit to fully participating in events, openings, and meetings, as well as being available for hands-on participation when needed. Please be aware of the distance you live from The Artery and recognize your full obligation to operating and running the organization. Distance from the gallery is an unacceptable reason for non participation. Artery members must work approximately 13 six-hour shifts in the store each year (1-2/month Jan.-Nov., and 2 in Dec.) and be able to operate the store/gallery on his/her own. The Artery uses a computer-based Point of Sale (POS) system, and members must be able to use a computer for entering inventory and make sales at the front desk. Every member must work an additional 6 “cooperative hours” per year for chores such as painting, cleaning, carpentry, computer work, or other duties. In lieu of hours worked members have the choice to pay the gallery $14 per cooperative hour not worked annually. Members are expected to attend an annual general membership meeting.
The Artery Board of Directors meets once a month and all members are encouraged to attend. Artery members receive a monthly newsletter. The Artery supports a website, on-line newsletter, Instagram and Facebook page. Additional information is available in the By-laws and Disclosure Statement.
About the Screening
Work to be screened is set up in the gallery for the general membership to view from 12 until 6:00 p.m. Your digital images will remain on line for members to view. Members may vote in person or on line. The screening coordinator holds a meeting at 6 PM for interested members to review, and discuss the work. Voting commences after the discussion.
Criteria considered include:
1. execution and craftsmanship,
2. aesthetic quality and originality, and
3. suitability for The Artery, including whether the applicant is local and able to commit to being a fully engaged cooperative member.
Members generally carry a large responsibility in working the gallery on their own. You will have an initial training with managers, and then 6 hours spent shadowing a member during store hours. You will then be scheduled to work a 3 or 6 hour shift on your own. It requires experience and maturity to handle problems that may crop up during open hours when dealing with the public. As such we ask members to be at least 21 years of age.
Should you be accepted for membership, you’ll be contacted to choose two different dates, one from each session, for a two hour training session each date. Those dates usually fall within the 3rd and 4th weeks of the month post screening. You’ll Training dates for this period:
1st session
To be announced
2nd session
To be announced
You’ll learn about our Point of Sales System and how to enter inventory and print bar coded tags for your work. You’ll learn how to process sales and get the general lay of the land.
The screening procedure for The Artery represents our attempt to decide as fairly and wisely as possible what is appropriate for our store at a given time. We don't consider ourselves to be art critics in a broader sense and we hope that no one will place more importance on our decisions than is warranted. Many Artery members have applied more than once before being offered membership. Please do not be discouraged from trying again if you are not accepted.
We welcome your interest in The Artery and
look forward to seeing your work.