Membership

• 8.1 Applicants are advised to have submitted between 4 to 6 number pieces of work and shown a minimum of two works for two consecutive years at the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition so that Members are aware of the quality of their work. 
• 8.2 If after the first submission an artist is considered of sufficient initial merit in the opinion of the Council, the Membership Secretary will write to said artist to gauge how serious they are about becoming a member by remaining in contact, further details etc. They will be seen to be an ‘encouraged artist’. The wording of a standard letter and approach to be agreed by Council. No tutoring to be involved. 
• 8.3 After the two years, they will then be in a position to apply for Membership and should contact or will be contacted by the Membership Secretary and asked whether they wish to be considered as a candidate the following year. The said artist may delay consideration without needing to go through 8.1 again so long as they apply within the following 12 months.
• 8.4 They are then advised to submit a further 4 to 6 number works and have at least 2 number works accepted at the next Annual Exhibition before being formally invited to be a candidate that year.
• 8.5 Once notification is given to the artist that they have met all the criteria and are being considered as a candidate for membership of The Pastel Society, the candidate will be asked to provide the following for review by the membership during the exhibition and their name will be listed in the exhibition catalogue as being a candidate:
   
•  all materials that they feel support their application and to this end applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a portfolio of supporting works and sketch books. These will be displayed at the Gallery for viewing by the members. Website details and Instagram details can also be given for consideration for judging at the AGM held immediately after the exhibition finishes. In all cases 5 the applicants will be required to show a body of work and demonstrate their skills as an artist in pastel and dry media. •
• a digital CV and statement as to why they wish to join the Society that will be circulated to all members. •
• a one-off non-refundable fee of £25 to The Pastel Society to cover costs associated with the initial application for membership
   
• 8.6 Three attempts may be made to obtain membership unless the Council decides that the applicant has proved sufficiently after their third submission that they could get enough votes to be elected with a further submission.
• 8.7 The Council will inform members before the final submission date of the exhibition the names of the artists who are applying for membership at the exhibition. The members will be requested to make themselves familiar with the artists’ previous submissions and work via the Pastel Society website, the applicants’ own website and social media account information that will be provided to members.
• 8.7.1 Members have a duty to vote on the applications received. This can be done in the manner described in 8.8 below.
• 8.7.2 The Council reserves the right to suggest to the membership any artist that they feel would be a potentially valuable and suitable member of the Society and who has shown commitment despite not strictly having satisfied all the conditions laid out above (e.g. they may only have got one work in during one of the previous years). In this case the Council will make clear to the members the reasons for putting forward this artist and similarly publish their work on the website for members’ consideration
• 8.8 Election is by 60% sealed majority vote of all members present at the AGM plus those who visited the exhibition, saw the artists’ work on display, deposited a voting slip with the Mall Galleries in the sealed box available or sent in to the adjudicator an online vote in the form provided by the Council. The AGM takes place at the close of the annual exhibition and the applicants will be informed in writing of the results of this vote after that.
• 8.9 A one-off fee of £25 is payable on initial application.
• 8.10 Members are entitled to show six works at the annual exhibition subject to the veto of the Selection or Hanging Committee if the work is found to be inappropriate or lacking in the standard required by the exhibition.
• 8.11 Four of the works submitted by members can be of a larger framed format up to that stipulated in The Mall Gallery conditions. The other two works must be no larger than 50 x 50 cm framed.
• 8.12 Members must pay an annual subscription.
• 8.13 It is expected that members will play a positive part in the maintenance and development of the society.
• 8.14 New members will be co-opted on to the Council for three meetings in their first year of membership to learn how the Society operates.
• 8.15 Members of the Pastel Society are expected to exhibit with the society on a regular basis.

For any questions or queries please contact the Membership Secretary on info.thepastelsociety@gmail.com
Note:

• Members are entitled to show 6 works at the annual exhibition subject to the veto of the Selection or Hanging Committee.
• Members must pay an annual subscription.
• It is expected that members will play a positive part in the maintenance and development of the society.
• Members of the Pastel Society are expected to exhibit with the society on a regular basis.