The Portrait Society of America

What The Portrait Society of America does

The Portrait Society of America is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in February 1998 by Gordon Wetmore, Edward Jonas, and Tom Donahue and headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. Its mission is to further the traditions of fine art portraiture and figurative art through education, competitions, publications, and community-building events serving professional and amateur artists, students, veterans, and art patrons.

The Society's core offerings include the annual four-day "Art of the Portrait" conference, Wednesday Webinars, three annual competitions (International Portrait Competition, Members Only Competition, Future Generation Competition), critique services, Signature Status credentialing, mentorship and grant programs (including the Edward Jonas Memorial Fund, Everett Raymond Kinstler Mentoring Fellowship, Gordon Wetmore Scholarship, and a Veterans conference scholarship in partnership with the Patriot Art Foundation), and the Cecilia Beaux Forum blog. It also sells educational videos, museum-quality reproductions such as the Sargent Palette ($195+) and limited-edition giclées ($345–$485), branded merchandise, and publications including "The Art of Seeing" by current Chair Michael Shane Neal. Distribution runs through a website storefront, memberclicks.net membership portal, state ambassadors, and social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Revenue is generated from four streams: recurring membership dues, annual conference/event registration, product sales (educational videos, books, museum-quality reproductions, and merchandise), and donations/grants (Sargent Circle sustaining donors and named memorial funds). The organization has no parent company, no venture backing, no disclosed financial statements, and operates under a board of directors with Michael Shane Neal serving as Chair following the 2020 death of long-serving founding chair Edward Jonas.

Name

The Portrait Society of America

Legal name

Portrait Society of America

Website

https://portraitsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Portrait Society of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1998 that advances fine art portraiture and figurative art through education, competitions, an annual conference, webinars, mentorship, and publications for a community of 3,000+ artist members across 20 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Fine art education
• Portrait painting
• Artist community
• Figurative art
• Art competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to competitions, webinars, educational resources, and member-only content
2. Event Registration: Annual conference fees for The Art of the Portrait conference featuring demos, lectures, critiques, and hands-on learning
3. Product Sales: Sale of educational videos, books, merchandise (swag), museum-quality reproductions (Sargent Palette, giclées)
4. Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions including Sargent Circle sustaining donors, memorial funds (Edward Jonas, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Gordon Wetmore), and general donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Portrait Society of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes fine art portraiture and figurative art through educational programs, annual conferences (The Art of the Portrait), competitions, webinars, mentorship, and publications. It serves 3,000+ artist members across 20 countries with membership benefits, skill-building resources, recognition programs, and a curated marketplace of art-related merchandise and reproductions.

Product overview

The Portrait Society of America operates as a unified platform offering educational programs, competitions, and merchandise to support fine art portraiture and figurative art. The core offerings center on the annual Art of the Portrait Conference, International Portrait Competition, and Wednesday Webinars for artist education. Additional products include the Sargent Palette reproduction ($195), Special Edition Giclees ($345-$485), Michael Shane Neal's book "The Art of Seeing" ($29.95), and PSOA branded merchandise (hats, tumblers, totes, aprons). The organization also provides mentorship programs, grants (Edward Jonas Memorial Fund, Kinstler Fellowship, Gordon Wetmore Scholarship), Signature Status recognition, and critique services. Membership tiers include standard membership and the Sargent Circle giving circle for major donors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Art of the Portrait Conference Annual four-day educational conference featuring demonstrations, lectures, critiques, and hands-on learning for portrait and figurative artists.
• Wednesday Webinars
• International Portrait Competition Annual international portrait competition recognizing excellence in portrait and figurative art, with finalists displayed at the annual conference.
• Members Only Competition Annual competition exclusive to Portrait Society members featuring various categories and awards.
• Future Generation Competition Competition designed to support and recognize emerging artists in portrait and figurative art.
• Mentorship and Grants Program Programs providing mentorship opportunities and financial grants to artists, including the Edward Jonas Memorial Fund ($1,000 annual grant), Everett Raymond Kinstler Mentoring Fellowship, Gordon Wetmore Scholarship Fund, and Conference Scholarship for Veterans.
• Sargent Palette Reproduction Museum-quality reproduction of John Singer Sargent's arm palette, handcrafted by New Wave Fine Art Products, including an exclusive digital interview with Richard Ormond, grand nephew of John Singer Sargent.
• Special Edition Giclees Limited edition pigment-based giclée prints on canvas, including the Everett Raymond Kinstler giclée priced at $345 and the tripartite portrait by Daniel Greene, Everett Raymond Kinstler, and Burton Silverman priced at $485.
• The Art of Seeing: Everett Raymond Kinstler on Painting (Book) Book by Michael Shane Neal capturing the teachings of his mentor Everett Raymond Kinstler, organized in ten chapters including Drawing, Value, Color, Edges and Feeling, with profits donated to the Portrait Society in Kinstler's honor. Priced at $29.95 plus $7 shipping.
• Educational Videos Instructional video content for portrait and figurative art education, available for purchase through the organization's store.
• Signature Status Program recognizing member artists who have demonstrated sustained excellence in portrait and figurative art.
• Critiques Professional critique services for artists seeking feedback on their portrait and figurative work.
• Publications and Subscriptions The Art of the Portrait Journal and other educational publications for members and subscribers.
• Sargent Circle Sustaining Donor Program Named giving program in honor of John Singer Sargent, providing vital support to the Portrait Society's annual operations and endowment through initial and annual sustaining gifts.
• PSOA Merchandise Custom branded merchandise including baseball hats ($19), tumblers ($22), tote bags ($25), and aprons ($35) featuring the official Portrait Society logo.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Patriot Art FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Portrait Society partners with the Patriot Art Foundation to provide free education and materials to veterans who desire to use art as a conduit for self-expression, connection, and purpose. A selected veteran is awarded a full scholarship to attend the annual 4-day Art of the Portrait conference. The foundation was founded through the efforts and experiences of Mary Whyte's 50 painting project entitled 'We the People.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Academy of Design: Honor society and museum for American artists offering exhibitions, classes, and credentialed membership; comparable nonprofit serving representational fine artists.
• International Guild of Realism: Membership organization promoting contemporary realist art through exhibitions and events; closely analogous nonprofit community for working representational artists.
• Art Students League of New York: Historic nonprofit art school and community providing classes, workshops, and exhibitions for figurative and representational artists; directly comparable educational mission.
• Salmagundi Club: One of America's oldest artist-member clubs hosting exhibitions, classes, and events for representational artists; closely analogous nonprofit club/community model.
• Art Renewal Center: Nonprofit dedicated to promoting representational and classical fine art, operating educational programs, exhibitions, and a virtual museum; direct peer in mission and constituency.
• National Arts Club: Historic nonprofit arts membership organization offering exhibitions, lectures, classes, and community for fine artists in New York; directly comparable membership-driven nonprofit model.
• American Watercolor Society: Nonprofit fine art organization with annual exhibitions, member competitions, and educational programming for watercolor artists; analogous event- and competition-driven nonprofit.
• Oil Painters of America: Nonprofit for oil painters with national and regional exhibitions, workshops, and member competitions; directly comparable in its representational-arts focus and event-driven model.

Emerging players

• Patreon (creator education platforms): Subscription platform enabling individual artists to deliver paid portrait/figurative art education directly to subscribers; a partial-overlap emerging channel competing for the same learner audience.

Broad incumbents

• National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian): Major museum and educational institution dedicated to portraiture through exhibitions, programs, and collections; broader incumbent in the portrait-art category with museum scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PortraitSocietyUSA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/portraitsociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_portrait_society
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portrait-society-of-america-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Portrait Society of America