There are now two new Graphic Artists Guild chapters, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., ready to serve the needs of graphic artists in these two major metropolitan areas.

A sufficient number of Guild members expressed interest in chapter development and successfully gathered the number of petitions required by the Guild’s constitution by-laws of 30.

The Guild’s Executive Committee unanimously accepted the petitions at their September 6 meeting. The next step is presenting the chapter charters to the Guild’s National Board during this years annual convention being held in Seattle November 16 – 19.

A committed core of Guild activists assumed a leadership role in developing Philadelphia’s chapter status earlier this year in response to the needs of the growing number of artists in the greater Philadelphia and surrounding New Jersey areas. Petitions were gathered over the summer and the election of officers is expected to occur sometime this fall. Sherri Johnston, Barbara Torode, James Ulrich, Ellen Zucker, Brian Biggs and Joanna Libonati spearheaded the chapter development.

The Washington, D.C. chapter will serve artists in the D.C./Baltimore areas and will provide a local Guild presence to further the Guild’s political agenda, especially around issues related to copyright.

Lead by At-Large leaders, Mona Kiely and Sherrell Medbury, the D.C. chapter formation also began in earnest earlier this year. Momentum gathered quickly with petitions circulated and completed over the summer.

Chapter elections are slated for early fall. Way to go Philly and DC!