Since its founding in 1979, the Portrait Society of Atlanta has provided Atlanta area portrait artists unique opportunities to enhance their skills and bond with other artists. We have been able to study with some of the best portrait painters in the country and commune with regional artists throughout the years in various ways.
We sponsor public exhibitions as well as five regularly scheduled educational programs.
We offer workshops as often as we can arrange for noteworthy artists to teach them.
We have expanded member benefits through open studio sessions with life models, critique sessions, and online virtual events where members share their work based on monthly challenges.
All of this without a permanent location and thanks to the volunteer efforts of our members. As Gordon Wetmore, founding Chairman of the Portrait Society of America, stated, “It’s just amazing that an all-volunteer non-profit artist organization has survived for so long!” As far as we can determine, we remain the oldest such group in the country.
For the last 25 years, it has been our tradition to review the history of our founding every five years for the benefit of newer members and as a reminder of their vision to everyone. This year we celebrate our 45th anniversary, remembering where we started and recognizing many of those who have dedicated their time and talents to make our continued presence possible. Our celebratory dinner on November 16 will be a special event featuring keynote speaker and Chairman of the Portrait Society of America, Michael Shane Neal.
(Click here to register by October 16.)
In the late 1970s, our founder, Anna M. Norris, attended a John Howard Sanden portrait conference in Atlanta. Inspired, she wished to learn more about portraiture and build (with her fellow artist friends who were students of Ben Shute) a community similar to Sanden’s New York group. After seeing Norris’ work, Sanden had stated that there was no reason for anyone to leave Atlanta if seeking a good portrait painter. That prompted her to begin the Portrait “Club” of Atlanta, which initially met in her home. Soon after, more artists would join them. The “Club” became a “Society” and eventually obtained its non-profit status. By 2003, we had grown to more than 300 members. Today membership hovers around 185.
Traditional portraiture is being challenged today by digital enhancements, and portraits produced using computer-generated techniques. Our Mission continues to focus on encouraging artistic quality, and training shared freely among members. Through our exhibitions we offer the public exposure to fine art portraiture. We continue to encourage traditional, hand-crafted works produced without mechanical aids. It remains a challenge but some amazing fine artists using time-honored methods continue to emerge.
As part of this milestone, we’d also like to honor those volunteers who have devoted so much time over many years to help fellow artists grow in their technical skills and understanding of this historically significant art form. It is vital that we, as a unique community of artists, continue to nurture these skills without letting them get lost with time and technological advances. There are artists alive today who will be remembered as Masters in the future—and that artist might be you. We are still on the journey, growing together.
Thank you for your continued support of the Portrait Society of Atlanta. Please come celebrate with us!