We have made some changes to VANS Memberships for 2020.

An Artist Page for every member

Every member now gets an Artist Page (formerly an E-studio) included with their membership fees. The Artist Page used to be an additional benefit offered for a $10/ year fee and was used by 25% of our membership. With the recent decrease in artist directories (like Studio Rally, The Centre for Craft’s Guide to Craft and Art, and the printed Halifax Art Map) we want VANS Artist Pages to become the go-to place for people looking for artists in Nova Scotia. If you already had an Artist Page, it will continue as it is (although you are welcome to edit it anytime) but if you don’t yet have an Artist Page you will be set up with a login, instructions and a template to create one when you renew for 2020.

Membership rates will increase on January 6, 2020

The membership voted in favor of the increase to include an Artist Page with every membership at our 2019 Annual General Meeting. But if you renew your 2020 membership before January 6 you’ll pay our current rates. This is the first time in over 8 years that we are raising our membership fees.

Individual  – $40 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $50
Household (two or more artists living in the same home sharing one subscription to Visual Arts News) – $55 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $65
Senior (age 60+) – $35 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $45
Student (valid for 1 year after graduation) – $30 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $35
Gallery/ Group (arts councils, collectives, arts organizations, etc.) – $60 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $70
Corporate (businesses, institutions) – $75 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $85
International (outside Canada) – $50 until January 6, 2020 when it will increase to $60

You can auto-renew your membership

Members have stated that the main reason they don’t renew their membership is because it slipped their mind, but auto-renew can help. With our new auto-renew feature, you will be charged the initial fee for the full year ahead, and then your membership will be automatically renewed each year, on December 1. The first renewal payment (for the 2021 year) will be processed on December 1, 2020 and will reflect the membership fee increases (that will take effect January 2020). If you renew your 2020 membership before January 6 you will pay the 2019 prices, and when you auto-renew the price will go up for the 2021 year. If you renew after January 6, 2020 you will pay the increased membership rates.

If you do not wish to have your membership auto-renew, click here to select a one-time online payment option (or download and print a membership application/ renewal form and send it along with a cheque to VANS). You may opt out of automatic membership renewals at any time.

Why do I have to create a PayPal account?

To use the new auto-renew feature, you’ll need to create a PayPal account. You can still pay with your credit card through PayPal when you create an account and you won’t be required to connect it to your bank. We use PayPal because they give VANS a charitable discount on their fees, meaning more of your membership fees can be directed to programs and services.

How can I opt out of auto-renew?

On the My Account page of the website (under the Members tab) you can select Membership Details to opt out of auto-renew.

We now have membership bursaries

We understand that membership fees can be prohibitive for some artists, so we are introducing bursaries for fully funded memberships for artists in need. Apply for a membership bursary before January 6, 2020. Show your support by donating to membership bursaries to help provide a free membership to artists, beyond the 12 fully funded by VANS.