Graphic Artists Guild - Graphic Arts

Graphic Artists Guild
The Graphic Artists Guild is a national union of illustrators, designers, web creators, production artists, surface designers and other creatives who have come together to pursue common goals, share their experience, raise industry standards, and improve the ability of visual creators to achieve satisfying and rewarding careers.
We do this through democratic and egalitarian means (see our Mission Statement) within a structure open to all working artists. Every Guild member is guaranteed a voice and the opportunity to actively participate.
We Wrote the Book
When you need information about copyright, contracts, industry pricing or trade practices, chances are you turn to the Graphic Artists Guild's Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. We're the organization behind this indispensable resource, and, more than just writing about it, we actively promote and uphold the standards and ethical practices the book is all about.
Our Members
The Graphic Artists Guild is made up of individuals who work in many disciplines, including illustration, graphic design, photography, cartooning, web design, multimedia, surface design and others. The experience, wisdom, and activism of our members, accumulated over 32 years, is by far our greatest resource.

Educational Events
and Workshops 1

Our Community
The Guild gives you a direct connection to your peers. Workshops and events sponsored at the local Chapter level provide colleagues an opportunity to meet in a noncompetitive environment, network, and take action on issues of concern.
Our active members appreciate a community where information on business practices, employment opportunities, clients, vendors, and technology is shared.
We have Chapters in Albany, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York City, Northern California, Southern California, Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, DC/Baltimore and several that are currently forming. In areas where there is no geographic chapter, members are served by the At-Large Chapter. If there is no Guild chapter where you live but you would like to form one, we will help you make it happen.
Our Efforts

Legislative
Action in California

Equipping artists with the skills they need is what we do best. But helping artists cope with today's market isn't enough. The Guild is organized as a union so that we may act collectively and advocate for artists' rights in the political arena, making sure that we are respected and treated fairly by local, State, and Federal governments.
The Guild has an impressive history of obtaining favorable change for artists, and our ongoing contact with the US Copyright Office insures that we have input into the laws that affect visual creators most.
The Graphic Artists Guild Legal Defense Fund puts our money on the line to support artists when they are involved in legal disputes, especially when the issues involved have the potential to affect the way artists will work in the future. [Read about the Guild's current legal defense efforts]

Members from Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and New York meet at the National Convention