CONDITIONS, RULES, AND STIPULATIONS

1.      ELIGIBILITY: Artists living in the United States who are 18 years old or older may participate.

2.      ORIGINALITY: Each painting must be an original work of art, painted only by you, and not produced in a class or workshop under supervision. You may not submit copies or likenesses of another artist’s work, or use reference work(s), or published source(s) not attributable to you.

3.      SUBSTITUTIONS AND WITHHOLDINGS: Artists may not substitute another work for an accepted work and if accepted into the show may not withhold their work for any reason. Penalty may include exclusion from future SWS shows as determined by the SWS Board of Directors.

4.      CURRENT WORK: Entries must have been executed after 1 January 2020 and not exhibited in any previous juried, SWS exhibition.

5.      SUBJECT MATTER: Unsuitable material will not be hung.  Nude representations are not allowed.  Decisions of the show chairperson are final.

6.      MEDIA: All paints and media used must be water-soluble (i.e. watercolor, gouache, acrylic, casein, or ink). Water-miscible oils are not allowed.

7.      SURFACE: The painting must be accomplished directly on natural fiber paper or illustration board. 

8.      COLLAGE: Collage or other media may be used on up to 20% of the painting. All collage materials must be original designs executed on watercolor paper. The use of a computer reproduction is not allowed.

9.     PAINTING AREA/MEASUREMENTS: The painting entered on the CAFE website will consist of only the Visible Painting Area. The visible painting area is the painting area seen when the painting is on display. 

     The visible painting must be a minimum of 7" on the shortest side and a maximum of 30" on the longest side.

     The picture of your painting, as entered on the CAFE site, should not include portions of the frame, the mat or any liner.

     If selected for the show then the painting submitted must be the same painting that is displayed on the CAFE site.

10.  PHOTO IMAGE FILE:

          File Type: JPEG or JPG only.

          File Dimensions: 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side.

          File Size: 2 to 5 Megabytes (MB)

11.  MATTING AND FRAMING REQUIREMENTS: SWS strives to hang a professional and coherent show. Frames must have a professional appearance and be free from damage or blemishes. Final decisions regarding the requirements and suggestions for framing will be made by the Juror in collaboration with the show chairperson. 

          The traditional framing method (mat and glazing) and contemporary framing methods (examples: archival wax / varnish) are allowed. 

           Maximum weight is 40 lbs.

           All matted and framed pieces must be under polycarbonate or acrylic (i.e. Plexiglas)

               Glass is not allowed

          Single or double matting is permitted but all matting must be white or nearly white in color.

          A liner (white, off-white, or colored) is allowed.

          Spacers are allowed.

          The painting must not touch the glazing.

12.  SUGGESTED MATTING AND FRAMING TO ACHIEVE A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE:

     The visible mat (including liner) should be a suggested minimum of 2.5" to a suggested maximum of 6".

     It is suggested the liner reveal be no greater than 1/4"

13.  AWARDS: The following awards will be presented:

          First Place                    $500

          Second Place               $300

          Third Place                   $200

          Juror’s Choice Award  $150

          Two Honorable Mentions  $100 each

          In  addition to the above, sponsor’s gifts may be  presented

14.  ENTRY:

·         FORMS: Entry is accomplished by form completion online at the CAFÉ website (www.callforentry.org). 

·         IMAGES: JPG or JPEG IMAGES will be used by the Juror of Selection to determine the paintings to be hung. For this reason, you will want to provide the best picture you can that accurately reflects your achievement. SWS suggests your submissions be professionally scanned or photographed if you are unsure.

·         FEES:  Individuals may submit a maximum of two paintings for this show. Members’ entry fees for the first submission are reduced using coupon codes which will be published within SWS and entered on the form at the time of submission. Entry fee payments are by credit card on www.callforentry.org at the time of entry. All fees are nonrefundable.

     SWS Member Entry Fees are:             1st Painting   $30   (with coupon)

                                                                  2nd Painting  $20

     Nonmember Entry Fees are:               1st Painting   $45    

                                                                 2nd Painting  $20

15.  SALES: There will be no direct sales in this show and SWS is not an agent for the sale of paintings in this show.  Pricing information provided on the CAFE site at entry will be provided to the general public. Information you place on your artist's biographical statement is releasable to the public at large. SWS does not charge a commission or sales tax for sales that take place between the artist and the purchaser. If an artist wants to sell a painting, the transaction is solely his/her responsibility. All paintings that are hung in this show must remain hung until the end of the show and cannot be removed early if sold.  

16.  JUDGING: Acceptance into the exhibition will be done from jpg/jpeg image(s) provided in the application process. Notification of acceptance will be accomplished by email. Accepted artists and painting titles will also be posted on the SWS website. Barring unforeseen circumstances, final judging will take place at the exhibition of the original paintings sometime after hanging.  If possible, the assignment of awards will occur on April 20th.

17.  PROMOTIONAL USE: Your entry in this event entitles SWS to reproduce your artwork and entry information for promotional purposes. Images may be archived by SWS for future promotional use.

18.  ARTIST NOTIFICATION: Only artists whose submissions are juried into the exhibition will receive notification. Artists’ names along with titles of accepted paintings will be posted on the SWS website. For artists who ship paintings, shipping information will be provided when you are accepted into the show. Accepted artists will receive an exhibitor’s packet with more information. Artists who ship painting(s) must provide return, prepaid shipping labels along with their shipped painting(s).

19.  ARTIST BIOGRAPHY AND STATEMENT: Artists selected to participate in the show will provide a current, single-page artist biography and artist statement (formatted as either an MS Office word document (.doc(x)) or raw text file (rtf)), including a current headshot jpg/jpeg image (please, no pdf files). From this, a catalog of exhibition artists will be constructed for virtual reference.  If you do not want your contact information to be public, do not include it in your biography and artist statement.

20.  END OF SHOW: Paintings must be retrieved Monday, May 1st, 2023 between 10:00 am and noon. Changes to the pickup of art must be coordinated with the show chairperson. It is the artist’s responsibility to arrange with the chairperson for alternative pickup or shipping of their work(s).  This coordination must take place before 1 May 2023. Any work not retrieved at the end of the show will become the property of SWS to retain or dispose of as it deems appropriate. Return shipping labels are required for artwork shipped to the exhibit. Shipped artwork will be returned in its original packaging.

21.  LIABILITY CLAUSE: The Spokane Watercolor Society is an IRS federally designated nonprofit organization {501c(3)}. SWS and its agent, the MAC, will take precautions to ensure the safety of the artwork. However, neither SWS nor the MAC will be liable for the loss or damage to any artwork submitted to the show.  Insurance is the sole responsibility of the artist. By entering this event you agree to abide by the conditions, rules, and stipulations imposed by SWS.  Failure to follow SWS conditions/rules may lead to disqualification of your entry.

Application Requirements

   See Conditions, Rules and Stipulations

Eligibility Criteria

You must 18 years of age or older to enter this exhibit.