Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

The Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, retain, and safeguard the personal information you share with us, in accordance with the Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Quebec) and other applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

We will never rent, sell, or share your personal information with any third party outside of the SCA except as described in this policy. By becoming a member, registering for an event, or otherwise engaging with us, you agree to the practices described here.

The President of the SCA is responsible for the protection of personal information and oversight of this policy. This responsibility may be delegated, in writing, to another designated individual within the organization as permitted by law.

Why We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect only the information necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was provided. These purposes include:

Membership & Event Registration

When you become a member or register for a juried exhibition, event, or program, we collect contact and payment information necessary to process your registration and confirm your participation. The SCA does not retain credit card information beyond the transaction.

Communications & Member Updates

We use your contact information to keep you informed about SCA news, upcoming exhibitions, member benefits, newsletters, and other relevant announcements. Our primary communication platform is Mailchimp. You may unsubscribe or update your communication preferences at any time by:

• Clicking “Unsubscribe” in any SCA email
• Emailing us at membership@societyofcanadianartists.com

Juried Exhibitions, Promotions & Surveys

When you participate in an SCA juried exhibition, open call, promotion, or survey, we may collect contact information and optional supplementary details relevant to that activity. Aggregate or anonymized survey results may be used for reporting and organizational planning purposes only.

Website Analytics

We may collect non-personal, anonymized data about how visitors use our website — including traffic patterns, page visits, and general demographics — to help us improve the experience for our members and community. This data cannot be used to identify individual users unless voluntarily linked to personal information you have provided.

Cookies

Cookies are automatically used for payments and to establish a user session when you signup for, or login to, your Society of Canadian Artists account. These cookies are critical for basic functionality. By signing up for, or logging in to, your Society of Canadin Artists account, you accept the use of these essential cookies.

Who Has Access to Your Personal Information?

SCA Board Members, Staff & Select Volunteers

Access to your personal information is limited to those board members, staff, and vetted volunteers who require it to serve you or to support the SCA’s operations. All individuals with access are informed of their privacy obligations and are required to agree to confidentiality terms upon taking on their role.

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers (such as Mailchimp, payment processors, and membership management platforms) to carry out certain business functions on our behalf. These providers receive only the information necessary to perform their role and are contractually bound to keep your information confidential and to use it solely for the purpose for which it was shared.

Legal Disclosure

The SCA may disclose personal information when required or authorized by law, including:

• In response to a lawful request from a government authority or regulatory body
• Where we have reasonable grounds to believe disclosure may assist in the investigation of unlawful activity
• To comply with a court order, subpoena, or warrant
• To our legal counsel, as required
• To an archival institution where applicable

How We Protect Your Information

The security of your personal information is a priority for the SCA. We maintain appropriate technical and organizational safeguards — both physical and electronic — to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or misuse. Member data is stored in secure, confidential systems accessible only to authorized personnel.

While we take every reasonable precaution to protect your information, no system can be entirely guaranteed against all risks. In the event of a privacy breach that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by law.

How Long Do We Keep Your Information?

We retain your personal information only for as long as it is needed to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to maintain our membership records, or to meet applicable legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, it is securely destroyed or de-identified in accordance with our records retention practices.

Your Rights & How to Access Your Information

You have the right to access, correct, or request removal of your personal information at any time. Specifically, you may:

• Review the personal information we hold about you
• Request corrections to inaccurate or outdated information
• Ask how your information has been used or disclosed
• Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information
• Request that we stop communicating with you

To exercise any of these rights, or if you have questions, concerns, or a privacy complaint, please contact us at:

Privacy Officer — Society of Canadian Artists
president@societyofcanadianartists.com
www.societyofcanadianartists.com

We will acknowledge your request promptly and respond as quickly as reasonably possible. To protect your privacy, we may require verification of your identity before making changes or disclosing information.

Updates to This Policy

The SCA’s Executive Committee may review and update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology, or our practices. The current version of this policy will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review it periodically.