Mission Statement:
The Silk Painters Guild for fine artists is devoted to perfecting the discipline of fine art silk painting, expanding the market and enriching lives.
The Silk Painters Guild for fine artists seeks to enhance appreciation of silk painting in the community through producing outstanding objects of beauty and educating arts professionals about the unique cultural entity that silk painting is. Peoples of all continents and most cultures have had their own appreciation for silk painting. Since the era of modern art, however, silk has been overlooked in favor of oil painting. This tide is waning; interest in silk painting, along with its cultural significance rises again. The Guild's activities are largely promotional.
The Silk Painters Guild for fine artists maintains the highest aesthetic standards for enrollment. Crafters are encouraged to apply to other guilds or associations if they will; this group does fine art painting. By this, our membership enjoys the benefits of group sharing for fine art silk painters and effective market networking. We singly or collectively strive for excellence as we coincidentally develop our market.
The guild is suitable for fine artists from a broad range of tastes, banded only by level of quality, professionalism, dedication to this discipline and by common appropriate venues for exhibition. We are not a movement or style, neither subscribing to or prescribing of any school. Simply put, the members selected by the jury would look right beside eachothers' work on a gallery wall.
In order to aid galleries, collectors and curators who deal with silk painting, The Silk Painters Guild for fine artists offers informational services to galleries, museums and others. Lectures and docent training are available from the guild.
At this time, membership is juried in or out solely at the discretion of the Chairperson and chosen guest jurors.
The Organizational Structure and History of the Guild:
The Guild was founded by Kirstin Reagan. Liena Dieck was there from the inception in the fall of 1999. Both were established oil painters whom preferred to paint on silk, feeling that artworld, the market slighted the higher aesthetic of painting on silk out of sheer ignorance.
It was quickly discovered that there were not enough fellows within the USA and the Guild became an international project. The goal remained the same.
Great painters worthy of showing together were joined as the initial group. Other people wanted to join.
Being an international group, it became the group's chief problem to show work together, to do anything together or execute projects, and that remains the main workings in progress at the time of publication.
The Guild publishes web pages and passes around pertinent ideas to silk painters. The Guild collects pertinent ideas for written publication.
The Guild has a Chairperson and a Board of Directors. The Chairperson answers to the board of Directors and relies on the Board of Directors in deciding issues of concern.
The Guild is designed as a non-competitive organization, striving to aid artists by not infringing on any exclusive agreement members may have with galleries, publishers or others.
The Guild is currently comprised of 22 members, 3 of which are on the Board of Directors and 1 the Chairperson.
