Committees
SERVICES TO ARTISTS COMMITTEE
Description
The Services to Artists Committee (SAC) was formed by the CAA Board of Directors to seek broader participation by artists and designers in the organization and the Annual Conference. SAC identifies and addresses concerns facing artists and designers; creates and implements programs and events at the conference and beyond; explores ways to encourage greater participation and leadership in CAA; and identifies ways to establish closer ties with other arts professionals and institutions.
ARTspace
Initiated in 2001 at the 89th Annual Conference in Chicago, ARTspace has grown into one of the most vital and exciting aspects of the yearly meeting. A conference-within-the-conference, ARTspace presents programming designed by artists for artists and is free and open to the public. ARTspace promotes dialogue about visual-arts practice and its relation to critical discourse. It also provides professional-development seminars and roundtables as well as opportunities for the creative exchange of ideas.
ARTspace offers an informal, dynamic setting with morning coffee hours, sessions and panels, and other social events. Past presentations have covered artists’ residencies, health and safety issues, and artists’ materials. Other diverse, timely panels have addressed arts funding, politics and art, censorship, and criticism.
It currently holds a wide range of conference and year-round programming for artists — including panels and roundtable discussions, podcasts, workshops, professional development sessions, Graduate screenings, ARTexchange, and the annual Distinguished Artist Interviews.
Annual Artist Interviews
Each year, the Services to Artists Committee selects two artists for the Annual Artist Interviews, one of the most highly-anticipated events at the CAA Annual Conference. This key conference event features renowned artists, usually those with long-standing connections to the host city, who are invited to discuss their work with a respected colleague.
ARTexchange
Originally formatted as a pop-up exhibition and meet-up event for artists and curators, ARTexchange provides an opportunity for artists to share their work and build affinities with other artists, historians, curators, and cultural producers.
Graduate Screenings
Each year SAC invites current graduate students to submit video work for consideration in the Graduate Screenings: Film/Video, Animations, & New Genres panel at CAA’s Annual Conference.
Through this screening and exhibition initiative, SAC aims to give the next generation of artists and practitioners an opportunity to display their work. Our annual Graduate Screenings celebrate the hard work of graduate students across the nation and world, while exposing their artworks to a broad audience.
Current Committee Members
Elyse Longair, Chair, Queen’s University (2026)
Alex Bostic, Mississippi State University, CAA Board Liaison, ex officio
Vladimir Cybil Charlier, Independent Artist (2027)
Matthew Conboy, Robert Morris University (2027)
Marlo Jessica De Lara, AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts (2025)
Amanda Lechner, Virginia Tech–School of Visual Art (2027)
Meredith Lynn, Florida State University (2026)
Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, School of Visual Arts & Design, University of Central Florida, CAA Board Liaison, ex officio
Gina Washington, Mateza Gallery LLC (2027)
Contact committee chair: servicestoartists@gmail.com.