Mission
ArtTable is the foremost professional organization dedicated to advancing the leadership of women and nonbinary professionals in the visual arts. Through our membership network and community initiatives, we expand professional opportunities for women and nonbinary professionals from diverse backgrounds and at all stages of their careers, supporting and fostering a stronger future for all women and nonbinary professionals in the arts.
All ArtTable members are able to connect with our 1,200+ network of professional peers throughout the United States and across several other countries outside the U.S. Members also have the option to join one of eleven local ArtTable chapters, located in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Florida, Houston, Metro Atlanta, New York, Northern California, the Northwest, Southern California, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Board of Directors and Staff
Career Opportunities
ArtTable continues its dedication to supporting women and nonbinary professionals in the arts at all stages of their careers. In pursuit of this mission, we have implemented a plan to further advance our initiatives with a focus on advocacy, inclusivity, membership, strategic revenue growth, and technological advancement over the next 3 years.
ArtTable Strategic Plan 2024-27
ArtTable is pursuing the following goals in 2024-2027 that collectively reflect ArtTable’s commitment to strategic growth, gender equity, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility more broadly. We will continue to implement DEIA into everything we do and continue to use our DEIA Plan from 2021 to enhance this new Strategic Plan. The key objectives are as follows:
Structural Evolution
Embracing efficiency and unity, we are transitioning away from a chapter-based structure but will be preserving local networking activities. Every member is encouraged to actively participate in programming, local networking events, and member engagement, fostering a more cohesive and involved community. We’ve now empowered ALL of our members to host networking events! Learn how to get involved here.
Unity in Diversity
Imagine an organization where art professionals, hailing from all walks of life, regions, and cultural backgrounds, come together to create something extraordinary. Introducing our ArtTable Programming Committee, dedicated to crafting a national programming strategy that amplifies our mission. The mission is to craft a national programming strategy that not only enhances our programs but also further solidifies ArtTable’s mission. The ArtTable Programming Committee consists of approximately 20 ArtTable members with a keen interest in and knowledge of art world events nationwide. We invite those with insider knowledge of upcoming art world events and those with programming experience to join the committee.
Member Engagement Amplified
Our goal is to fortify member connections. Simplifying the application process, we empower our members to drive networking and social events. We will be looking to not only enhance membership with additional perks but also with enhanced technology to offer ways to identify gaps in our membership as well as find new ways to gain allies outside of the parameters of our membership.
Internal Capacity Strengthened
Examining our internal capacity ensures that our resources align with our evolving needs, supporting our growth and effectiveness in achieving goals. Our needs have changed greatly post-COVID and we continue to analyze what will be the best support available to our members and community from the national office.
For our previous strategic plan, please see ArtTable’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Action Plan approved by ArtTable’s Board of Directors in May of 2021.
History
ArtTable began in individual homes, at lunch and dinner tables in New York City in 1980. As founding member Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz said, “[ArtTable] seemed to take on a life of its own, and that was what was interesting….It was what the art world needed at a moment in time.”
Today, we are a national nonprofit organization with a mutual support network of over 1,200 women and nonbinary professionals throughout the United States, and worldwide, with a community of 12,000+. We serve many members with the bulk of our members located in New York, Washington, D.C., and California Our expanding membership is inclusive of women and nonbinary professionals in all stages of their careers who exemplify leadership in the administration, business, finance, management, promotion, scholarship, and stewardship of the visual arts.
As ArtTable has grown its network and community since the 1980’s, it has relied heavily on volunteers across the country. ArtTable volunteers have been our eyes and ears in places our budget hasn’t expanded enough to have staff travel to and allowed us to be everywhere. We continue to work with volunteers from all parts of the world through our Programming Committee and our Impact Initiatives Committee. We appreciate the time and dedication of our volunteers each and every day.
Through ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives, we educate and inform members and the public about significant developments and issues in the visual arts, as well as support dialogue and promote the evolving leadership role of women and nonbinary arts leaders. Our initiatives provide ongoing educational and public programming, mentorship, and professional development opportunities that are central to our mission as a nonprofit organization. These initiatives are funded through the Impact Iniatives Fund in Honor of Meg Perlman. This fund directly impacts our national fellowship, pay equity advocacy and research, career roundtable initiatives, as well as provides funding to our diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility efforts and Affiliate Membership Program by providing education and mentoring opportunities. For a full description of ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives, click here.
ArtTable continues to evolve and support the visual arts community. In 2023, we updated our goals through our strategic planning process and continue to grow each year. We do this through the support of our network, the diligent work of our staff and Board of Directors, the dedication of our volunteers, and the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations. You can support us too!
To learn more about our history, the pioneering women and nonbinary professionals who have made up ArtTable’s membership, and the significant achievements they made together between 1980 and 2005, read Changing the Equation, ArtTable’s 25th Anniversary publication. To find out more about what we are working on today, see our upcoming programs, our program archive, our impact initiative activities, and our annual benefit celebrations.
View our Archive
ArtTable Archive
ArtTable Over the Years
Support the next generation of women leaders
ArtTable is proud to be a W.A.G.E. Certified organization.