How long does the application process take?
Applying for membership is a two-step process. Within 4-6 weeks of mailing your completed application (download at right) you will be notified whether you will be invited to advance to stage two. Stage two consists of a formal presentation of your portfolio to the CAFfeine members. These are scheduled during one of our regular monthly meetings. If you are asked to give a presentation you will be offered a choice of upcoming dates to present, which will range from 2-8 weeks out from the time you are notified. CAFfeine will be as flexible as possible in allowing you to pick a meeting date that will work with your schedule; however, you must schedule your presentation within 3 months of being invited or else you will be asked to re-apply for membership.

After a stage two presentation, a group vote determines whether you will be invited to join as a member. Voting is done privately the week after the presentation and may take as long as 10 days to be completed. Applicants will be notified immediately after voting is finalized whether they have been accepted or declined.

How much education and experience do I need to apply?
There are no hard and fast minimum requirements, but please keep in mind that we are seeking artists who are working at a professional level, who are actively engaging in an ongoing exploration of contemporary ideas and themes in their work, and who have had previous show experience. If you're just starting out and have no show experience we recommend that you get a few shows under your belt before applying. A great way to gauge the level of experience we are looking for is to visit the artists page (link at left) and read each artist's cv. Another way to learn more about the group is to attend our events and artist discussions. If you'd like to join the mailing list to receive updates about events, please click here.

Is there a particular style or medium that you look for?
We do not require that artists work in any particular medium, and in fact encourage diversity in the group. A visit to our artists page (link at left) is a great way to learn more. CAFfeine artists work in mediums including oil paint, watercolor, ceramics, bead weaving, collage, mixed media, printmaking, photography, videography, and more. The unifying theme of the work is the exploration of contemporary themes and ideas using the various media.

How much are membership dues and what do they cover?
CAFfeine members pay annual dues of $150, plus a $50 fee for each show they choose to participate in. Annual dues cover fixed expenses such as liability insurance, website fees and maintenance, mailing list subscription fees, office supplies, etc. Show fees cover promotional costs for each show including posters/postcards, postage, food/drinks for the opening, etc. Members do not have to participate in every show, but must maintain annual dues to have the option to participate.

If accepted, membership dues for the remainder of the year are due immediately and prorated at $12.50 per month including the month in which the member is accepted. For example, if a member is accepted in July they would owe $75 immediately (dues for July-December). Full membership dues of $150 are due January 1st of each calendar year. $50 show fees are typically due 6 weeks to 2 months prior to show openings. Show due dates are announced during meetings and members have plenty of advanced notice of any due dates.

What other responsibilities besides dues are required of members?
CAFfeine holds regular monthly meetings and members are expected to attend at least 9 meetings to remain in good standing. Meetings are held in Greenville, SC, so members need to be in a close enough geographic range to be able to commit to attending the meetings. CAFfeine hosts a private blog where members post works in progress and receive feedback from other members. All members are expected to not only post but to comment on work posted on the blog.

If a member is participating in a show they are expected to attend the opening, artist discussion, and volunteer to cover some hours during the run of the show while it is open to the public. If there are extenuating circumstances, exceptions can be made, but in general if you are going to have work in the show we want you to be there and available to answer questions, meet the public, and represent yourself as a professional artist. We ask that you also make an effort to attend shows in which you may not be participating to support to the group. Each show has a hanging crew, a take-down crew, and a food/beverage crew - members are expected to volunteer to be on a crew at least once per year and hopefully more often as schedules permit. You do not have to participate in a show to volunteer as a crew member.

What benefits do I receive if I am accepted as a member?
CAFfeine is a very close-knit group, and members enjoy comraderie, friendship, and the support of fellow members. Members are interested in each other's success as well as the group's success as a whole and offer feedback on work, act as a sounding board for ideas, and help to push each other artistically.

More concrete benefits for members include a page on the CAFfeine website including a gallery, cv, artist statement and link to the artist's website, access to CAFfeine's mailing list for individual art announcements, emails sent to the CAFfeine mailing list whenever an artist partipates in other shows or has news of note to announce, and the benefit of public relations work done by CAFfeine. Artists also receive profit sharing of revenue generated by shows in which they are paid participants.

Members also have full voting rights, which includes voting on new members and voting on pieces of work for acceptance in each CAFfeine show. Members do not have to be participating in a show to vote on the works selected for that show.

I have a question that is not addressed here. What do I do?
Please click here to send us your question. Please put "membership clarification needed" in the subject line.