Getting Involved

I am a member of several different art organizations, including the St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art, Art Saint Louis, the Columbia Art League and Woman Made Gallery. When I become a member of an art group, I like to try to get as involved as I can in what they are doing. This is very challenging with those groups that I belong to outside of my hometown, but I still try to do my best to keep up with what they are doing.

There is a lot to learn from being involved with the groups that you belong to. And many of those organizations need volunteer support and member involvement to continue their programming. So it is a huge benefit to both parties when the members take a vested interest in the groups to which they belong.

Unfortunately, many artists are so busy that they cannot afford to be more involved. As a result, they may have no idea of what is going on within the group. They also lose out on having any input towards future programs and opportunities. As I've pointed out before, a lot of artists can be quick to complain about the opportunities offered, but if they are unwilling to get involved in trying to change them then their complaints, both legitimate and not, amount to little more than whining.