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SIGNATURE STATUS

Application due September 1, 2022.

Signature Status recognizes those practicing and accomplished artists who are dedicated to the educational mission and high aesthetic standards of the Portrait Society of America. The artist's work must consistently demonstrate a high level of skill and sophistication of aesthetics. This honorary status grants the right to use the initials of the organization (PSS-Portrait Society Signature) on all personally created works as an indication of our harmonious high standards and goals, to create, to advance and to share.

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"One of the major realizations I had after my mentor died, is to understand the most powerful gift one artist can give another. Essentially, to be truly seen and appreciated by someone you’ve admired, changes how you see yourself. Similarly, to be seen and honored by the Portrait Society, reminded me how this transmission continues via our peers. It’s being told; 'I believe in you, and await what you’ll be doing next…' reminding us to be more faithful to who we are." ~ Michael Bergt, 2022 Signature Status recipient

Process and Submission

The process of reviewing the applications shall be conducted as follows:

  1. A panel of three (3) qualified committee members appointed by the Chairman of the board and made up of Signature Members, if possible.

  2. The committee will meet annually.

  3. A specific scoring rubric will be used by the committee members.

  4. All decisions of the panel will be final with no explanation or comment offered.

Submissions should consist of:

 

  1. Ten (10) examples, digitally represented, of the artist's own, solely created works

  2. A Biography (up to two pages, including qualifying exhibits or competitions)

  3. On-line application opens January 1 and the deadline to apply is September 1st of each year.

  4. Applicants must be an active dues paying member.

  5. Applicants will be notified by March 1 of the year after application closes.

  6. Accepted Signature Members will be honored at the annual conference following the year of the designation.

  7. There is a non-refundable $35 submission fee.

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Signature Status members are recognized in the first quarter The Art of the Portrait journal each year.

Criteria for Honorary Designation

To qualify for Signature application the artist's work must demonstrate exceptional merit, the artist must hold current membership in the Portrait Society of America, and have been accepted in either:

 

  1. Portrait Society International Portrait Competition, held annually

  2. Portrait Society Members Only Competition, held annually or:

  3. Any other nationally juried exhibition at an equivalent level. (Equivalent level refers to national organizations such as Oil Painters of America, not regional or local events)

  4. Provide a list of your educational activities that are designed to cultivate a further understanding and practice of representational fine art.  This would include: Mentoring, teaching in established art institutions, private studio instruction, demonstrations and or lectures or production of any and all fine art instructional media

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Signature Status Recipients

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The inaugural Signature Status members were announced at the 2014 The Art of the Portrait conference. Recipients were:  Judith Carducci, Natalie Italiano, and Mary Muller.

 

For the second year, 2015, the Signature Status Recipients were: Leslie Adams, Ellen Cooper, Kristy Gordon, Iliya Mirochnik, Olga Nielsen, Ted Reed, Ardith Starostka, James Tennison, and Wesley Wofford.

 

For the third year, 2016, the Signature Status recipients were: Garth Herrick, Mary Buckman, Romulo Galicano, Richard C. Nelson, Vasudeo Kamath, Harry Ahn and Sharon Sprung.

 

For the fourth year, 2017, the Signature Status recipients were: Robert T. Barrett, Gabriela Dellosso, Lihuai He, David Hettinger, Jacqueline Jasper, Sam Knecht, Ricky Mujica, Aapo Pukk and Mardie Rees. 

 

For the fifth year, 2018, the Signature Status recipients were: Anna Rose Bain, Stephanie Deshpande, Jeff Hein, Olga Krimon, Gregory Mortenson, Paul Newton, Evert Ploeg, Alicia Ponzio, William Suys, Hsin-Yao Tseng, John Walker, Patricia Watwood, Thomas Wharton, and Stephen Zhang

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For the sixth year, 2019, the Signature Status recipients were: Suchitra Bhosle, Casey Childs, Kexin Di, Ben Hammond, Pramod Kurlekar, Shana Levenson, Chin-Hsien Lin, Jun Liu, Ying-He Liu, Sally Ryan, Peter Smeeth, Jianwu Tan, Ming Yu, and Elizabeth Zanzinger.

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For the seventh year, 2020, the Signature Status recipients were: Robin Cole, Joseph Daily, Qiyu Dong, Katherine Galbraith, Johanna Harmon, Kishor Purekar, Timothy Rees, Nathaniel Skousen, Jennifer Welty, and Amy Werntz.

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For the eighth year, 2021, the Signature Status recipient is Carol Peebles. 

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For the ninth year, 2022, the Signature Status recipients are: Daud Akhriev, Gwenneth Barth-White, Margaret Baumgaertner, Michael Bergt, Elena Burykina, Robin Damore, Grace Devito, David Goatley, Liz Harris, Primary Hughes, Fengshi Jin, Linda Kollacks, Yu Liu, Howard Lyon, Kathy Morris, Annie Murphy-Robinson, Patrick Saunders, Oliver Sin, Susan Wakeen, Ernest Wood

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For the tenth year, 2023, the Signature Status recipients are: Jing An, Ned Bittinger, Louis Carr, Kerry Dunn, Barbara Hack, Dana Hawk, Lisa Kovvuri, Shuang Liu, Kevin Macpherson, Judy Takacs, and Vladimir Zlotskiy. 

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