Cowgirl Artists of America Pro Membership 2026

Description

Cowgirl Artists of America
Pro Member Application 2026
STOP! You must be a CGA member, and have completed your orientation  before applying to Pro.
Call Opens April 1 (12 AM Central)Call Closes April 30 (11:55 PM Central)$50 application fee
Pro Membership is a juried tier designed for artists actively working at a professional level and gaining momentum in their careers. It is open to a broad range of working artists—from those earlier in their career, to more seasoned emerging artists who may not yet meet the criteria for Signature Membership. 
This tier serves as a valuable stepping stone for artists who are serious about building their careers in Western art. While some applicants may still be refining consistency in style, presentation, or branding, they should already demonstrate professionalism, originality, and skill in their work. They should have a strong technical foundation and be creating work that reflects a consistent level of quality. Pro applicants are expected to have a developing body of work that reflects a unique artistic voice—not a replication of someone else’s style. Pro Members are actively pursuing growth and visibility in the Western art world, and this membership reflects both potential and commitment. 
The standards for Pro level are more nuanced, but artists must still be approved through a panel of jurors who assess the artist’s work, application presentation, and professional presence. We encourage applicants to approach this process with curiosity, and a mindset of growth. As a juried tier acceptance is not guaranteed. 
 ⚠️ If receiving a rejection from Pro Membership would cause you to lose your confidence, stop creating work, send a rude email, argue about the outcome, or generally behave in a way that would be unprofessional or harm your creative practice you are not ready to apply. Artists working at this level understand that rejections happen. They don't take it personally, and, when applicable use it as a reason to keep growing. If you are not there yet, that's okay. Lean into the part of your journey that you are in. We encourage you to continue to work on growing your confidence, professionalism, and or skill before applying to these tiers. 
Call Opens April 1 (12 AM Central)Call Closes April 30 (11:55 PM Central)$50 application fee
Artists hoping to become Pro Members must submit 5 pieces of work created within the last 2 years. 
Images are submitted in JPG format with a minimum of 1920 px and a max of 4800 px. and max of 10 MB
No works created under instruction or during a class workshop.
No works created using AI. 
Work must have been completed in the last two years.
Each submission may only include one disciple (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) You may submit multiple applications if you wish to be juried in for multiple disciplines.
The work does not need to be available for sale, but should be indicative of the artist's current style.
 Artist will also submit documentation showing their professional and exhibit history, along with an artist statement. Artists whose application makes it past the initial stage will have their website and social media accounts viewed before finalizing acceptance. The committee is looking for professionalism, and some level of consistency in style and quality of work. Please note that Pro Membership is a juried tier, meaning applicants are reviewed and selected by a panel based on the overall aesthetics, quality, consistency, and presentation of their work, as well as how it aligns with CGA’s mission and standards. Acceptance is not based on sales volume or experience alone. While we celebrate all forms of success, including commercial success, we also prioritize artistic quality, professionalism, and readiness for this particular level of representation within CGA. Juries and art are inherently subjective, and jury decisions reflect the professional opinions of the reviewers at the time of the application. Not being accepted is not a reflection of your value as an artist, and we welcome and encourage reapplication as your work continues to evolve.Getting juried in as a Pro Member is an honor in CGA. It requires additional documentation and application beyond your basic membership. We expect to see professionalism in your application. We understand that tech issues happen, but artists who wait until the last minute to submit their application may not have access to tech help. Jury process and evaluation:Applications are reviewed by a jury of CGA Signature Members and CGA Team Members. Fine and traditional artists are welcome to apply. Artwork submitted will be evaluated on its first impression, composition, style, technique, craftsmanship, and cohesiveness as a body of work. Further, traditional and realist work will be evaluated on accuracy of representation, while contemporary work will be evaluated on appearance of purposeful decision-making in composition and color choice.
We only accept artists working in the western genre into juried tiers of Cowgirl Artists of America. The Western genre is expansive and we do not have a preference for contemporary vs. traditional western art, or fine vs. traditional art. Further, Indigenous artists creating cultural art and/or documenting the American West/ Western culture who chose not to describe their work as "Western" are still welcome to apply. If you are presenting Indigenous cultural arts please add your tribal affiliation to the description of your work. Jurors will also take into account professionalism of documentation provided, the artists website, presentation of work (see below), and whether or not the artist followed submission instructions. Remember, Pro Membership is not guaranteed. Approach your application with care and thoughtfulness.​Images should be clear, sharp, and well-lit. Submissions of 2-dimensional work should be of the work only. You should submit what you would sent to a printer for a reproduction.) Artists working in 3 dimensional media should photograph their work in a professional manner. Backgrounds should not be distracting. Think about how can you show off you work in the best way. Artists submitting 3-dimensional work may be asked to submit additional photos, upon review. Artists may be asked for additional documentation or information should the jury require it to make an informed decision.Your application fee is non-refundable, and acceptance is not guaranteed. We do our best to provide individualized feedback to artists who are not accepted, if we feel we have feedback that would be valuable. We do not guarantee that you will receive individualized feedback. If you don't receive individual feedback it is usually because one of the two following: 1- Your application was incomplete, had errors, or your documentation (such as your bio) needed work or 2- You need to continue honing your skills and developing your consistency. All applicants will receive notice of the status of their application by June 15th.Please email info@cowgirlartistsofamerica.org with questions.
Submission Instructions and Tips
* Ensure that you upload a clear, sharp, well lit image*You will submit all images as one submission. Please ensure that you follow the instructions. You will be able to edit any portion of your application and until the call closes.
Step 1: Create or update your account information (includes- name, contact, bio, statement, CV, etc.) (Note: The system automatically times out after 60 minutes. Do not leave your application, unsaved. It is not recommended that you write your bio statement or CV within the application fields; rather copy and paste them from your master copy so you do not risk losing information if the system times out.)Step 2: Begin your application-For "Title" put your name. Media- Applicants may submit one application per primary discipline. Applications are evaluated within the selected discipline. Acceptance does not automatically apply to other disciplines/media. Artists wishing to be recognized in an additional discipline must submit a separate application.**In the "Description" field, list the title and size of each work submitted. You may also include a brief one to three sentence description if you feel that it is needed for the jury to understand your work.Pay your submission fee.Step 3: Upload 5 images of current work samples in the discipline selected. These should be good examples of your style and skill. Image attachment types max 10mb. Work samples from the past 2 years only. No works created under instruction or during a class workshop. No works created using AI. (All 5 images will be uploaded under one submission, so ensure you follow the instructions for the "title' and "description" section found in step 2.)Photos of your work should be only the work (not the work with the frame or behind glass).
**Please note: Pro Members may only exhibit work in the discipline(s) in which they were juried for Pro specific opportunities. 
Technical Notes:
Files must be 10 MB or less jpg filesNo specific file name requirementsPrimary Discipline Categories:Drawing and Pastel (Graphite, Charcoal, Ink, Colored Pencil, Pastel, Scratchboard)Painting-Oil and Acrylic (Oil, Acrylic)Painting- Watermedia (Watercolor, Gouache, Casein, egg tempera)PhotographyPrecious Metal  (Silver, gold, western jewelry, engraving)Sculpture- Cast ( Bronze and other cast metals)Sculpture- Carved (Wood, stone)Sculpture Assemblage/Mixed Media (mixed media, found object, constructed sculpture)PrintmakingTraditional Indigenous ArtsLeather (boots, chaps, saddles, tack, leather accessories)Rawhide