Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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I am a paying member and would like to use images from your museum to print on commercial merchandise and sell. This is OK, right?
No, as a paying member you are welcome to use the images, including the high resolution images that have been made available on the ARC website for personal enjoyment, sharing with friends, home schooling, other non-profit educational purposes such as presentations, or by a teacher in a classroom. The paid membership is not intended for individuals seeking to use the images on ARC to make personal profit, or commercial gain. If you would like to use the images on ARC for this purpose, please visit our image usage page for more details.
Are the images on your website the highest resolutions you have?
Not always. Many of the images we have on the website are too large to make available online without taking up considerable amounts of bandwidth. If you are looking for a specific image in our museum at higher resolution then is available, please contact yvette.lytle@artrenewal.org for more details. There is a fee associated with this service, since it takes up extra time and work by our small staff.
I am looking for a school where I can learn how to draw, paint, and/or sculpt in the realist tradition. What do you recommend?

If you are looking to dramatically improve your skills we have a large number of ateliers, academy schools, workshops, and tutelage programs around the globe that have the highest level of training in this field. On our ARC Approved™ Atelier page you will find an index of these schools and programs.

You can also take a look at our atelier map which places these schools on the globe. There are schools across the USA, Western Europe, and other regions as well.

Please note that the schools, ateliers, and programs listed on the ARC Approved™ Atelier page are not owned and operated by ARC, but are promoted and approved by ARC. To learn more information about any of the schools listed, please visit their website; the links are provided on the atelier's page individual page on ARC.

I am a student, who would like to become a great artist, but cannot afford to get professional schooling, what options are available to me to help improve?

We have a significant body of free information on the technical aspects of drawing, painting and sculpture. On our website, if you go to the drop down menu for articles and select Technical Articles, you will see a variety of helpful material.

There is also some discussion in the ARChives section that deal with technique and can help answers some of your questions. You will find the majority of them alphabetically under T, for technical and technique, though there is other content you may find useful as well in the ARChives section as a whole.

If you cannot afford to attend one of our atelier school or workshop programs, perhaps you can afford some self-help books or DVDs. We have a selection that are available through our website in the ARC Store, all of which we have reviewed, or are by ARC Living Masters™ who have gone through our rigorous approval process.

Finally, we do have a yearly Scholarship Competition to help talented artists attend one of our approved schools. The ARC Scholarship has its own FAQ section on the ARC website. Please visit our Scholarships application page to have all your questions answered.

I want to apply to the ARC Scholarship Competition, when will you be accepting applications?
Applications for the ARC Scholarship Competition are accepted every May, starting May 1st, and ending May 31st.
I applied to this year's ARC Scholarship Competition, when will I be notified that I am a winner? When can I use my award?
Winners of the Scholarship Competition are normally notified sometime in late July or August. The funds are intended for use during the upcoming fall semester, or the spring semester that follows. If funds are not used within one year of the time the award is given, the award money will be put back into the scholarship fund and be awarded to a new individual the following year. Funds must be used at an ARC Approved™ educational program and proof on enrolment must be supplied by the school to accept the award.
I have more questions about the ARC Scholarship Competition. Where can I find more information?
The ARC Scholarship has its own FAQ section on the ARC website. Please visit the following link to have all your questions answered.
I did not get a chance to enter this year's ARC International Salon, but would like to enter next year. When will you be collecting entries? When will the deadline be?
The ARC International Salon completion begins August 1st; which is when we start accepting entries. The deadline for entries is November 15th, 11:59pm.
Do I need to be an ARC Approved Artist™, or a paying member to enter the Salon?
No, the ARC International Salon Competition is open to everyone. However, you do have to become a member so that we can associate your entries to you. There is a free membership option. To create an account, please click on the Login button on the top of the homepage to either login or create an account.
I need to make changes to my Salon entries. Can you do this for me?
Actually, you can do this yourself. Just log in and go back to your application. You will be able to change the image, title, and other information as well. If you have already paid and would like to change your entry, you can do that as well, and as long as you are not adding a larger number of entries, our online system will not ask you for additional payment.
I entered this year's Salon Competition, when will I be notified whether or not I am a winner?
All applicants will receive e-mail approximately 6 to 7 weeks after the entry deadline, with a list of the Finalist's names. The winners will be announced approximately 3 to 4 months after the entry deadline. Winners will not be informed ahead of time, unless they have been chosen to receive a purchase award, or an award which requires advance notification or additional permissions on the part of the artist, in which case they must be contacted ahead of time to ensure the piece is still available for sale or that the artist can participate if that is a required part of the award. Although the names of the finalists will be revealed to the contestants, the pieces which were chosen will remain a surprise until they are posted on the ARC website.
I have recently discovered 19th century painting, and would like to educate myself more on this period, where should I start?

I would review the work by the following artists, whose names are staples of the period. If you click on the artists names below, you will be able to view a good representation of their body of work, and become familiar with the most important artists of the period:

In addition I suggest you read The ARC Philosophy, where ARC Chairman Frederick C. Ross describes in detail what happened to the art of this period and why it is not more well known today.

Why can't I find works by modernist or post-modernist artists on your website?

ARC focuses on Realist painting from the old masters through the contemporary realists of today. We do not believe the work by artists such as Andy Warhol, Picasso, Jackson Pollock meet the standards we uphold on the ARC website. Please read the ARC Philosophy to learn more on our beliefs that throwing paint at a canvas does not qualify as art.

I have a work of art, and would like to know more about it, can you help?
Yes, please visit our Painting Appraisal page for more details.
I am interested in taking out a sponsor column banner ad. Who should I contact and what does it cost?
For pricing and details please visit our Sponsors page.
I am an artist who would like to improve my career, what do you recommend?
You should apply to become an ARC Approved Artist, which, along with the prestige, has many benefits that can help further your career.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists are set up with a gallery on our website. Each Artist is allowed up to 30 images of their finest work. This includes 30 high-resolution images and 30 large thumbnails with the title, date, medium and dimensions of each work. Living Artists may include their biographical and contact information with their gallery of images along with any awards, reviews and commentary. The artist will have access to change and add content to your gallery after we establish the artist on the ARC website.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists are given a Free Membership to the ARC Museum for use of high resolution images.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists may submit news items of current exhibitions, publications, and notable awards, for possible inclusion in our blog. You will be given access to submit the blogs yourself via our online system, similar to a Facebook group. All posts will be reviewed first by the ARC staff and ARC reserves the right to edit or refuse posts if they do not meet ARC criteria.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists will gain access to add content to the ARC Events Calendar to add news about upcoming exhibitions that include their work, lectures they may be holding, demonstrations they may be giving, or workshops they may be holding.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists will have an option, for an additional yearly fee, to mark works in their gallery as available for sale. Emails will be sent to you via the ARC email system from any individuals who wish to inquire or they may choose to write directly through the email address provided on the gallery page.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists may promote publications they are included in through the ARC website via advertising options, a listing on their gallery page, or possible inclusion in the ARC Store.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists will automatically receive regular ARC updates and prospectus for all upcoming competitions.
  • All ARC Affiliated Artists are invited to submit articles and essays for possible publication on the ARC website.
  • If accepted as an ARC Associate Living Master™ or full ARC Living Master™, all classes and workshops taught by you will automatically be considered ARC Approved and qualify for a listing on our Atelier Page and Map.

For more details and to submit an application, please visit our ARC Affiliated Artist application page

I have a school that teaches in the realist tradition, and would like to apply for ARC Approval™ so I will qualify for a listing on your website and for the ARC scholarship which has given out hundreds of thousands of dollars to date. How should I go about getting my school ARC Approved™, so my students will qualify for the ARC Scholarship Competition™?
We would be happy to review your school for ARC Approval™. Please visit the following link for more details and to submit an application.