How to apply for membership in a prestigious art organization. The Torpedo Factory Artist's Association

Fleeting Imagination, 18"x14," oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, $800

Having lived in the Washington, DC area for decades, I have visited the Torpedo Factory Art Center more frequently than I can begin to say. Between taking classes, visiting artist studios and showing my work in juried exhibitions there, I have spent countless hours at this artist's mecca. 

For years I have also considered throwing my canvas into the ring to become a part of the Torpedo Factory Artist's Association. That said, I knew that being accepted was not an easy task. Fear played a role as it often has when I was faced with the clear-eyed possibility of rejection. 

In fact, I experienced that rejection a few years ago when I applied. Didn't even make it through the "first round" in the battle. 

This time was different. The art goddesses smiled on me, and I recently received my acceptance. I am thrilled. 

To see the art that I submitted, click read more. 

The Survivor, 24"x36," oil on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein, $2100

For those of you who may be simply curious, I am going to provide a detail of the process. For others, I will show you the ten pieces of art that I used to get through the first phase.  

​The jurying process is completely blind. Odd expression when judging visual arts, I know. What that means is there are no personal identifications on the images you submit. 

Artists are asked to send in ten images of their work via an online form for the first phase (those ten paintings are shown in this post). That means culling through the strongest pieces that you have done, of course. There was 1 judge for the first phase. 

​If you should make it through the first phase, you will be required to bring in 5 original paintings that were included in your original ten. In my case, that meant that I had to have at least 5 of the ten paintings available, and several had already sold (a problem that I am grateful to have).

Finally, you also needed a USB Drive with 12-20 images for the judges to review as well. For those of you counting, that means at least twenty-two images total. I provided twenty-eight total images. 

This second, and final phase, is judged by 3 different judges.

As you can see, this is not for the feint of heart. First you must have an abundance of strong artwork. Second, you must prepare all the images to be viewed by the judges. That means having your artwork well photographed and sized in a format that can be read as per the instructions provided. It is a long process that requires work, fortunately this is labor that I LOVE!  

Oasis, 20"x16," oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, $895

Tucked In, 12"x12," oil on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein, $600

Wild Infatuations, 36"x48," oil on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein, private collection

A Comfortable Space, 8"x8," oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, private collection

Ataraxia, 30"x30," oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, private collection

Beyond the Beyond, 40"x30," oil on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein, $3100

Swimming into Focus, 30"x30," oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, private collection

Ongoing Ritual, 36"x36," oil on canvas, ©Lynn Goldstein, $3100