Become a Member

ACA is an international network of artist communities and residency programs. 

As a collective voice for the field, there are goals we can accomplish together that no single residency program can do on its own. We can partner with funders to provide grants to residencies in the United States and abroad; we can bring together world leaders to develop strategies for comprehensive support of artists; and we can provide information and resources to artists on the abundance of residency opportunities available.

ACA includes roughly 300 members — a diverse field of artist communities, residency programs, individuals and institutions that support living artists in the creation of new work — in more than 20 countries worldwide and in all 50 U.S. states, with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $5 million.
 

Joining the ACA Member Network:

For Residencies + Other Organizations

• Complete this membership inquiry form. Please allow 10 business days for processing. 
• ACA staff will determine your eligibility. You may be asked to submit additional information.
• Once ACA has processed your inquiry, you will receive instructions to pay your member dues. 
• Once dues have been paid, you will be sent instructions on how to establish a presence in the ACA Directory.

For Individuals

• Complete this membership inquiry form. Please allow 10 business days for processing. 
• ACA staff will determine your eligibility. You may be asked to submit additional information
• Once ACA has received your inquiry, you will receive instructions in order to pay your member dues.

We encourage all new member organizations to complete a member orientation.

Orientation + Networking sessions are hosted quarterly. All members who have joined in that quarter will receive an invitation. 

Membership Agreements + ACA's Rights 

By joining ACA, the member is agreeing to stay current with their membership dues, be forthcoming about their annual budget, and abide by ACA's rules of engagement. Failure to do so can warrant a revoking of membership and/or use of ACA's website. ACA reserves the right to downgrade a member's profile with or without prior notice to that member. 

ACA allows a 45-day grace period after your membership expires to accommodate extenuating circumstances and allow programs sufficient time to complete their renewal. If your program has not paid the renewal fee following this 45-day period, you will lose access to your membership benefits and your organization's profile will be removed from the ACA Directory.

For payment discrepancies, and when current membership status is in question, ACA will provide the best possible documentation for proof of funds received. However, members should also be able to provide proof of past payments. If an organization cannot show that a payment has been made, ACA retains sole discretion over the status of one's membership. 

If an organization should decide that they'd like a refund, they are to notify ACA within 3 months of joining (or within 3 months of most recent renewal). ACA will review these requests on a case-by-case basis and come to a determination within approximately three weeks time as to whether a refund is in order. If a refund is approved, the organization can decide the manner in which they'd like to receive their refund - check or PayPal is preferred.