Date of next Eligibility Committee: To be determined

Deadline for receipt of applications: To be determined

Please note that you can apply online for membership or apply to the eligibility committee at any time.

To become a professional member of RAAV, any creator in the visual arts field must meet the following requirements:

• have Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status and have been domiciled in Quebec for at least twelve (12) months
• demonstrate that they have at least two years of recognized professional practice in the visual arts, whether in pictorial art (painting, drawing, photography, digital art, print art, etc.), spatial art (sculpture, installation, land art, textile art, etc.) or temporal art (performance art, video art, media art, etc.)

Please note that the eligibility criteria are currently under review. For an application to professional status, the artist must:

• declare yourself as a professional visual artist ;
• create works on their own behalf ;
• have your work exhibited, produced, published, publicly performed or marketed by a presenter as defined in section 3 of the Act ;
• receive recognition from their peers as a professional visual artist by such means as a prize, a grant, a jury appointment, selection for a professional presentation event or any other similar means.

In addition, the RAAV professional artist member agrees to:

• respect the ethical rules of the Association (in French only);
• pay all dues and assessments when due;
• comply with any other condition that may be decreed by resolution or by-law of the Board of Directors or the general meeting of members.

The professional member must accept the non-partisan nature of the RAAV. They have the right to vote at general meetings and may be elected to the Board of Directors.

Annual membership fee: $100 + $25 for the eligibility committee assessment

Application for Professional Membership

Any artist who wishes to become a professional member of RAAV, with the exception of Illustration Québec professional members, must submit an application to the RAAV Eligibility Committee, whether it is a first application, an evaluation of the file at the end of the studies or a re-evaluation to change from associate status to professional status.

The Eligibility Committee evaluates the applicant’s professional status based on the criteria established in section 1,1 of the Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, film, the recording arts, literature, arts and crafts and the performing arts, R.S.Q., c. S-32.1, and applied by RAAV in light of the information contained in the file submitted for analysis.

The RAAV evaluates in particular the professionalism of the venues in which the applicant’s work has been exhibited, produced, published, publicly performed or marketed. To do so, the RAAV relies primarily on the list of venues, organizations and events in contemporary art published and periodically revised by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec (in French only).  This list is not exhaustive the RAAV evaluates the venues presented by artists in their application on a case-by-case basis.

The RAAV does not judge the aesthetic value or the content of an artist’s work; this is the responsibility of the presenters and funders.

In the event that the application does not meet the Association’s requirements, the Committee automatically grants “associate” status. The RAAV Board of Directors will ratify the Committee’s recommendations and decide on any request for appeal rights.

The Eligibility Committee meets 3 to 4 times a year. Applications for professional membership may be submitted at any time. Applications are held until the next Committee meeting.

Here is the list of documents to be provided for the evaluation of your file by the eligibility committee:

• Artist Resume;
• Copy of two contracts with a presenter (a professional presenter is required to establish contracts with artists);
• Relevant university degree (if applicable);
• Letter of confirmation of grants (if applicable);
• Press kit or invitation cards or press releases (3 maximum).

Exclusive membership application for Illustration Québec members

In April 2012, the RAAV and Illustration Québec (IQ) entered into an agreement to offer professional illustrators, recognized as visual artists within the meaning of Law S-32.1, the opportunity to benefit from the services and advantages offered by RAAV. According to the agreement between the two associations, professional members of IQ can apply for professional membership in RAAV without going through the eligibility committee. The professional illustrator must attach to the application form a letter from IQ confirming his or her status as a professional member as well as an up-to-date resume.

Emerging artists, visual arts students, non-artists and corporations: any individual or organization interested in the aims and objects of RAAV may become an associate member. An associate member of RAAV agrees to:

• pay all dues and assessments when due;
• respect the ethical rules of the Association (in French only);
• comply with any other condition that may be decreed by resolution or by-law of the Board of Directors or the general meeting of members.

An associate member must accept the non-partisan nature of the Association. The Associate Member may attend meetings of the members but shall not participate in the deliberations and shall have no other privileges.

Associate membership shall be granted at any time without evaluation by the RAAV Eligibility Committee.

Annual membership fee : $100

Student members are included in the associate member category. As such, the RAAV student member agrees to:

• pay all dues and assessments when due;
• respect the ethical rules of the Association (in French only);
• comply with any other condition that may be decreed by resolution or by-law of the Board of Directors or the general meeting of members.

An associate member must accept the non-partisan nature of the Association. He/she may attend meetings of the members but may not participate in the deliberations and has no other privileges.

A student enrolled in a visual or media arts program at a recognized institution must attach proof of enrolment and a current resume to the membership application form. Proof of student status is required each year.

Annual membership fee: $25