072 http://www.AmericanArtCollector.com
I
n February 1998, Edward Jonas, the current chair of
the Portrait Society of America, and Gordon Wetmore
traveled to New York City to meet with four of the most
accomplished and heralded portrait artists of our time.
At a table in the National Arts Club, they presented to
William Draper, Daniel E. Greene, Everett Raymond
Kinstler and Burton Silverman their plan to create a
nonprofi t organization that would foster and enhance
fi ne art portraiture and fi gurative art. Wetmore and Jonas
asked each of these nationally known artists to lend their
reputation and guidance as advisory board members.
As each one said “Yes,” Wetmore and Jonas looked at
each other with smiles of relief, because they knew if their
answer was “No,” then the plan would not go forward.
Turning an idea into a winning plan is similar to any
project, you have to go back to the fundamentals and
defi ne the fi ve W’s: what, why, who, when, where. The
fi rst step: identifying WHAT. The answer was to build
an educational organization founded by artists, run
by artists, for the sole purpose of all becoming better
artists. Next, if you have the what, you also need to
address the WHY. Everyone involved was committed
to the belief that creating a stimulating environment
where artists would volunteer, contribute and share
new ideas, techniques, concepts and inspiration would
build a bridge between established and aspiring artists
to facilitate the personal and artistic growth through
the open sharing of knowledge.
Now you have created a defi ned mission, but you
have to identify the WHO. An all-volunteer executive
and advisory board was established and paperwork was
fi led for 501(c)(3) nonprofi t status. This would enable
the Portrait Society to exist for many years as an entityseparate from one person who may have profi t making
as their sole motivation. The second part of who is, “who
is your audience?” Our members consist of established
artists, patrons, aspiring and emerging artists and the
public. Finally, the fourth W, WHEN, was answered
over two decades ago at that meeting in the National
Arts Club, when the Portrait Society was established.
Through a broad base of support, the Portrait Society
has grown to 3,250 members from all over the world.
Answering the fi rst four W’s provides a clear path as to
how you get from WHERE you are now to where you want
to be. You have identifi ed what you need to move forward.
Fast forward two decades later and the Portrait Society has
built a fi nancially solid nonprofi t based on a vision of an
organization with the sole purpose of keeping portrai-
ture alive and well through educational programs for art
students, practicing artists and the interested public.
Through collaboration we have made great strides,
and as we embark on our third decade, we will continue
to be centered on o ering the highest quality of educa-
tional resources and the most innovative programs
concerning the history and techniques of portraiture
and fi gurative art.
So, whether you are looking for inspiration or an
educational opportunity, we invite you to join today.
Our members enjoy a variety of benefi ts including:
discounted tuition to programs, complimentary
subscription to The Art of the Portrait Journal and
International Artist, monthly E-News, access to a toll-
free artist hotline for questions on technique, aesthetic
and marketing, and local support and networking
through the State Ambassador Outreach Program. To
fi nd out more information visit: http://www.portraitsociety.org.Join us next year
for our 22nd annual
celebration of The
Art of the Portrait,
April 16-19, 2020, in
Orlando, Florida.1
Anna Rose Bain and
Quang Ho demonstrated
how to approach a blank
canvas with confi dence.2
Michael Shane Neal gave
a portrait demonstration
on the main stage.3
Everett Raymond
Kinstler addressed the
crowd during one of his
popular presentations.THE PORTRAIT
SOCIETY OF AMERICA:
The Founding Five by Christine Egnoski
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