The Professional Arts Membership formally acknowledges you are a practicing professional in the Arts. Arts Habitat Edmonton assesses Professional Arts Membership applications for the following categories:
- Professional Artists
- Professional Arts Organizations
Why Membership?
Guided by our mission, we aim to create appropriate and accessible art spaces to allow arts communities to thrive. To do so, we’ve created art spaces within The Habitat (our art space network) to be bookable by artists, NFP arts organizations, and the general public. Moreover, we’ve set aside select Project Studio, Studio, and Office space within The Habitat for professional artists and NFP arts organizations to ensure access to their livelihoods.
Membership Benefits
To book select Studios and Offices in our ArtsHubs across The Habitat, artists, and NFP arts organizations must present their Professional Arts Membership to be granted access to make the booking.
*Professional Arts Membership qualifies you for the Professional Artist Rate Program at The Orange Hub.
Professional Artist Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for your Professional Arts Membership as a Professional Artist you need to meet a minimum of 1 of 3 criteria from the Mandatory Criteria list and meet a minimum of 1 of 3 criteria from the Supporting Criteria list.
Mandatory Criteria
- Training – Has received professional training, either in an educational institution or from a practitioner or teacher recognized within their profession, OR is in the process of becoming an artist according to the practice of the artistic community in their respective discipline. Methods of non-traditional training, as well as apprenticeship/internship, would also be considered.
- Peer Recognition – Has received public or peer recognition in the form of honors, awards, professional prizes, or by publicly disseminated critical approval.
- Compensation – Receives or has received compensation for their work, including but not limited to sales, fees, commissions, royalties, residuals, grants, and awards, any of which may reasonably be included as professional or business income.
Supporting Criteria
- Presentation – Has presented their work to the public by means of exhibitions, publications, performances, readings, screenings, digital media channels, or by any other means appropriate to the nature of their work
- Promotion – Devotes a reasonable proportion of their professional time as an artist to promoting or marketing their work, including but not limited to, presenting themselves for auditions, seeking sponsorship, agents or engagements, or similar activities appropriate to the nature of their work.
- Association – Has membership in a professional association appropriate to their artistic activity whose membership or categories of membership are limited under standards established by the association; or which is a trade union or its equivalent appropriate to their artistic ability.
Professional Arts Organization Criteria
To qualify for the Professional Arts Membership as a Not-For-Profit Professional Arts Organization all of the following criteria must be met:
- NFP Arts Organizations must be Edmonton-based or complete the majority of work in Edmonton.
- The work and goals of the organization must actively support artistic practice in their discipline(s).
- The organization must pay the majority of their artists at professional fee standards.
- The organization must employ at least one paid administrative staff (even if this person is part-time, seasonal, or contracted).
- The organization must be a registered not-for-profit organization in good standing with AB registries.
- The organization must have some kind of accreditation or membership in a professional association appropriate to their artistic activity whose membership or categories of membership are limited under standards established by the association; or which is a trade union or its equivalent appropriate to their artistic endeavors and purpose.