Accredited Professional Membership

What Accreditation Means

Accreditation is not a seal handed out to those willing to pay for it. It is a peer-reviewed credential earned through portfolio review, documentation of professional practice, and a panel interview with your colleagues and mentors in the field.

Download Application (opens new window)

When clients, architects, preservation consultants, and institutional partners see the SGAA Accredited seal, they are seeing the endorsement of a community, not just an association. They are seeing studios that have agreed to be accountable, not just to a standard written on paper, but to the people working alongside them in this field.

Accredited Professional Members receive:

• Use of the SGAA Accredited seal, the highest membership mark in the association

• Full Sourcebook directory profile (opens new window) with prominent top-of-page sorting

• Subscription to Stained Glass Quarterly (opens new window)

• Calls for Bid in both Public Art/Commission work and Restoration projects that come through the SGAA office

• Two votes on membership and technical document

• SGAA advocacy to preservation, architecture, and related industries on your behalf

• A membership certificate

• First access and discounts on SGAA Conferences (opens new window) & other travel events

• Attendance at General Membership Meetings and Conferences

• First access and discounts on annual SGAA Conferences 

• The opportunity to serve in volunteer leadership positions, like committees and elected offices

• All benefits of Professional Membership

Who Should Apply?

Accreditation is for experienced studios and individual practitioners who have consistently produced outstanding work and demonstrated leadership in the field.

Applicants must:

• Be Professional Members in good standing for at least two years
• Have operated a stained glass studio or equivalent professional practice for a minimum of five years

Accreditation classifications:

• Restoration/Preservation Studio — professional studios focused primarily on preserving and restoring leaded, stained, and decorative art glass
• Architectural Art Glass Studio — professional studios focused primarily on designing and fabricating original stained and decorative art glass
• Artist/Designer — professionals focused primarily on designing and/or painting glass for leaded, stained, and decorative art glass

Full Accreditation may be earned in multiple classifications. Each classification requires a separate application and application fee.

The Application Process

Accreditation is substantial, and it is meant to be. Studios that complete this process come out of it stronger than when they started, with documentation and systems that serve their practice long after the application is done.

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility You must be a Professional Member (opens new window) in good standing for at least two years. If you are not yet a Professional Member, that is your starting point.

Step 2: Prepare Your Documentation The application asks you to compile:

• Business documentation (license, ownership verification)
• Current certificate of liability insurance
• Studio safety policy or statement
• Resume/CV and key employee summaries
• Sample studio contract
• Sample RFP/RFQ or proposal response in your classification
• Seven letters of recommendation (five from clients, two from current Accredited Professional Members)
• Portfolio of recent work (up to 20 pages, five project samples from the last three years)

Step 3: Submit Your Application Send your completed application, all documentation, and your $300 application fee to membership@stainedglass.org. Use the subject line: Accredited Membership Application – [Your Name / Studio Name]

Step 4: Committee Review The Membership Credentials Committee, made up of your peers and mentors in the field, will review your complete file. Review may take up to six weeks. If materials are missing, you will have 30 days to gather them.

Step 5: Panel Interview If your application is complete and meets requirements, you will be contacted to schedule a panel interview. Interviews are conducted at an SGAA conference or via Zoom. You will be asked to discuss your portfolio, your knowledge of SGAA best practices in health, safety, design, and installation, and your philosophy and approach to work in your classification.

Step 6: Accreditation Upon approval by the committee, you receive your Accredited Professional designation, the SGAA Accredited seal, and your place in a community of studios committed to raising the standard of this field together.

For a detailed look at the accreditation process, benefits, and maintenance requirements, access the full application here:

Accredited Professional Membership Application (opens new window)

Application Fee and Dues

There is a $300 application fee for each accreditation classification. Applications for each classification must be submitted independently.

Annual Accredited Professional Membership Dues

Dues increase in year two as part of SGAA's standard dues schedule. The membership year runs June 1 through May 31. Renewals are sent May 1 of each year.

Sourcebook profile is included with all Accredited Professional memberships. Your profile includes a website hyperlink, images, detailed description, and prominent top-of-page sorting.