What is a member?

Membership at the Art Students League is an essential part of building your career and connecting to a community of likeminded artists. The Members of the Art Students League fulfill our founders’ mission by meeting the objectives laid out in the Art Students League constitution: the maintenance of an academic school of art, and the cultivation of a spirit of fraternity among art students.

It is this spirit of fraternity among League Members that has enabled the League and its artists to thrive for nearly 150 years. League Members have had an incomparable influence on the trajectory of American and global art. It was through being a part of this community that artists like Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg, or Louise Bourgeois and Louise Nevelson, met and influenced each other. To this day, becoming a League Member is considered a milestone achievement that reflects an artist’s commitment and potential, as well as their acceptance into a network of artists who learn, grow, and succeed together.

Member Voting Status

A fundamental right of members is to decide who sits on the Board of Control through the annual election. Members also participate in key decisions by voting on important issues during regular members business meetings.
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Members are Active as long as they have attended or voted at one meeting within the twenty-four months preceding any exercise of their rights of membership. Members who have not attended or voted at one meeting within that twenty-four-month period are automatically deemed Inactive. Inactive in good standing have the same rights and privileges as Active members except that they don’t have the right to vote, make nomination proposals, be counted for purposes of the minimum number of signatories for a petition, or receive ballots and member notices. Inactive members shall be reinstated as Active members either: (i) immediately upon showing up in attendance at any Annual, Business, or Special Meeting, at which they shall be entitled to exercise all rights as an Active Member, including to be counted as part of a quorum and to vote, or (ii) 30 days after submitting a written request for reinstatement to the Board of Control. Lapsed members are members who have not paid their dues. To learn what to do if your membership has lapsed, visit our Membership Standing page.‍

Voting status is distinct from, and does not affect, Membership standing.

Serving on the Board of Control

The Art Students League of New York is governed by the Board of Control, which is annually elected by the membership. If you are a member in good standing of the League and are interested in serving on the League’s Board of Control, please fill out this form.
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When your form is received, a member of the Board of Control Search Committee will contact you to arrange for an opportunity for you to discuss your interests with a current Board member.
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We thank you for your interest in serving The League through Board membership.

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