Core Membership

Core Artist Members are focused professionals with a comprehensive body of work who seek to expand their collector base and participate in a cohesive, vibrant artistic collaborative. Core Artists are active participants in staffing, operations and decision-making.  Core artist members have a two-person show every 24-36 months in the main gallery. In addition, Core members participate in the annual Core member group show, and have the opportunity to sell art via our partnership with 1stdibs.com as well as other benefits listed below. 1stdibs is a well-respected 3rd party online retailer of fine art that works exclusively with galleries. 

Core Member Prospectus

Core membership is designed for artists who are looking to be a part of a well-run, dynamic collaborative of emerging and established artists, and to exhibit in a highly respected Boston gallery. Core members take an active role in gallery operations, and have the opportunity to curate exhibitions, gain an understanding of the gallery business from the inside, grow their network, expand their reach, and be a part of a close-knit community that shares best practices, experience and knowledge. Core members are promoted on the Fountain Street Gallery website, social media, and in our monthly email newsletter to over 2,700 recipients, including art industry professionals. This is a high residency membership and members participate in daily operations and decision-making. Applicants must have strong writing and computer skills. Core membership is capped at thirty members, which limits the number of spaces available in any given year.

Core membership may not be a good fit for someone who has limited time available for gallery staffing responsibilities, or who is located at a distance from Boston, which could make attendance at events and meetings difficult.

Our Online Storefront

1stdibs.com is a well-respected 3rd party online retailer of fine art and luxury goods that works exclusively with galleries. Our reach is greatly extended with this online platform, which has proven itself to be successful. The beauty of 1stdibs is that buyers see a curated marketplace, because galleries are vetted in advance. 1stdibs does phenomenal marketing (just sign up and see how often you see their ads), and reaches an international clientele that we would never be able to reach on our own.

Eligibility

All artists regardless of age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability are encouraged to apply.

• Artist may work in a single medium or embrace multiple mediums. All media are encouraged to apply.

• Fountain Street Gallery encourages work exploring social, cultural, historical, and/or political concepts.

• Artist must be 18 years or older.

Membership Acceptance

Core membership is capped at thirty, which limits the number of spaces available in any given year. Core Membership applications will be vetted by current core members. The Director and Assistant Director will then conduct interviews/studio visits with applicants before making final decisions of acceptance.  New member applications are accepted in June, with an application deadline in July. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by mid-August; memberships begin and renew on September 1st.

• Applications are accepted online ONLY.

• There is no fee to apply; the application is competitive, and artists are not guaranteed acceptance.

Financial Aid

There is no financial aid available at this time.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• Limited to 30 Core members

• Representation on 1stDibs third party online fine art retail website (no limit to the number of works you can list)

• 2-person Exhibition approximately every 24-36 months

  • Curatorial assistance from the Director and/or Assistant Director

  • Gallery assists in creating and distributes a Press Release two-three months before show

  • Gallery designs exhibition postcard

    • The Gallery does not mail postcards

• Sales commission of 60/40 (Artist/Gallery)

• Participation in yearly core member group exhibition

• Gallery website representation: full page on gallery website with images, bio and press links

• 3 free artwork submission to all Fountain Street’s juried call-for-art exhibitions

• Curatorial opportunities

• Core members are encouraged to participate in the Fountain Street’s monthly Artist News feature highlighting artistic practice outside of Fountain Street activities

• Access to create content for Fountain Street’s blog, “Growing a Gallery”

• Access to participate in Fountain Street’s marketing and social media campaigns

MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Annual membership fee of $1,400/yr

  • Option to set up recurring payments at $120/month

• A one-time commitment fee for new members of $200, payable upon acceptance

• Monthly gallery staffing (as of May 2022 one 4-hr shift/month)

• 1 gallery administrative task

• Attendance at quarterly member meetings

• 2 year membership commitment

  • September Membership Renewal

  • 90 day written notice on termination of membership  

• Additional responsibilities in coordination to 2-person exhibition

Core Member Application Requirements

The application for Core Membership is online only.  An in-person interview or studio visit is also required.

Core applicants will be vetted by current core members. The Director and Assistant Director will then conduct interviews/studio visits with applicants before making final decisions of acceptance.

To apply, please use the application form above to provide us with the following information:

• Artist Statement (300 words)

• Artist Bio (150 words)

• Current CV/Exhibition History (.pdf)

• 5 jpeg images of artwork created within the past three years. FILES MUST BE LABELED artist lastname_title.jpg
  Upload  JPEG files, 300dpi, 6 in. longest side, max file size 2MB. If this is a 3D piece, you may upload one additional image.

• Information about each artwork, including title, media, dimensions, price, and date created.

Questions? Feel free to CONTACT US for more information.