Membership in the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists is open to all flatwork artists and sculptors who support the goals of the Institute. Art students as well as established artists are welcome.

Click here for membership application form

Working Artist Membership in CIPA is divided into three specific categories:

   
Although the term “portraiture” is widely used to include animals as subjects and is produced in many forms, such as photography and computer engendered or modified art, CIPA recognizes as portraiture two or three dimensional original work produced by hand (i.e., drawings, paintings and sculptures) with a human being as the principal subject or subjects.

All artist applicants are juried for initial membership and you may be considered for Associate or Fellow level membership, at the discretion of the Selection Committee. The jurying of artwork for these membership levels requires adjudication of original artwork.  You will be contacted if it is necessary to provide an original piece.   In areas of the country where a member of the Selection Committee is not available, artwork must be shipped to head office or the nearest available Selection Committee member. You will be contacted and arrangements made in regard to shipping destination. All shipping costs are the responsibility of the individual.

Those meeting the exacting standards of professional excellence in portraiture set by CIPA are elected to Fellow (CIPA) artist membership. Those who do not achieve Fellow level membership may qualify for either Associate (ACIPA) or Active Artist membership. Members in the latter two categories are free to apply to another category at a later time. An adjudication fee of $75 is charged for current members’ jurying; this fee does not apply to new members.

Membership fees are as follows:

Active: $45

Associate: $65

Fellow: $75 

CIPA Friends and Supporters: