The Miniature Artists
of America

* The MAA Candidates Circle, established in 1989, was formed to provide the Jury of Admission with currently eligible miniaturists for consideration to election of Signature Membership. Candidates have either met the MAA's minimum show requirements or have been nominated for membership by at least three Signature Members.
* An invitational organization, MAA accepts no more than ten artists each year into its ranks as Signature Members. The Jury of Admission selects candidates from artists who have been admitted to at least eight competitive shows staged by MAA accredited major nonprofit miniature societies in the United States within the previous five years and who have received awards from these shows. The Jury may also invite other outstanding professionals who work "in little" but who may not be associated with a miniature society. However, they must be nominated by three Signature Members and submit at least five works for review by the Jury. The MAA Jury of Admission of five Signature Members reviews the works of candidates at the Miniature Art Society of Florida Annual Exhibition (MASF). Each of the jurors works independently of the other. The MAA recommends that potential candidates submit five works to the MASF show in order that the MAA Jury may adequately review their work.

The MAA has adopted the standard definition of the Association of Miniature Artists (AMA) for clarification of what the Society considers "miniature" in today's context. The essential tenets are below but please visit the AMA website for further information: www.miniatureartist.com

•Minute in scale vs. life sized. For practicality following the general 1/6th scale for my work sent to formal miniature exhibitions and shows.
•Delicate and painstaking technique that withstands magnification.
•Small in format and size: 25 inches or less for surface area. Sculpture should fit inside an 8x8x8 inch cube including the base.
•High in quality. The work should exemplify Fine Art ~ demonstrating a mastery of composition, color, values etc.

As of January 2010 only two US Society Exhibitions have been accredited* by the MAA for candidate eligibility:
- The Miniature Art Society of Florida, www.miniatureartsocietyofflorida.com
- The Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, DC, www.mpsgs.org

* The MAA encourages shows and societies within the United States to seek accreditation. For more information please contact Kay Petryszak, MAA President, at 1595 N. Peaceful Lane Clearwater, FL 33756 or by phone: 727.584.3883. If you prefer, please email Wes Siegrist, MAA Archivist, at siegrist@artofwildlife.com or by phone: 865.448.2044.