Application Closed
Entry Fee (Entry Fee): $45.00
Media Fee(Add'l media fee): $5.00
Images | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 3
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 3
Eligibility: National
State: Texas
PROSPECTUS
60th Annual Membership Exhibition Southwestern Watercolor Society
The Southwestern Watercolor Society (SWS) is a prestigious national organization celebrating its 60th anniversary, with over 400 members throughout the United States. Information about SWS may be found on our website at SWSwatercolor.org, including a monthly newsletter, and on Facebook.
Key Information:
| Venue | J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 4th Floor 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX 75201 | |
| Qualified Entrants | SWS members only; new members are welcome | Section I below |
| Online Entry Fees | $45.00 - $55.00 | Section II below |
| Juror | Stan Miller, AWS | Section III below |
| Awards | Over $8,000 in cash and merchandise credits | Section IV below |
| Exhibition Sales | Commission of 30% on sales | Section VIII below |
Calendar:
Registration Opens: Monday, May 1, 2023, Sections II and V below
Registration Closes: Friday, June 30, 2023, 11:59 p.m.
Preview Party: Saturday, July 8, 2023, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Library, Watch for a website posting
Acceptances Sent: Email notification on or before Saturday, July 15, 2023, Sections IX and X below
Shipped Art Due By: Friday, August 25, 2023, Sections VI below
Shipping address:
SWS 60th Annual Membership Exhibition
c/o J. Erik Jonsson Central Library - DELIVERY 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Paintings Drop-Off: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Section VI below
Exhibition Opens: Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 10:00 a.m., Section VII below
Awards Judging: Monday, September 11, 2023
Awards Reception: Saturday, September 23, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Library, Watch for a website posting
Exhibition Closes: Friday, September 29, 2023, 6:00 p.m., Section VIII below
Art Pick-Up: Saturday, September 30, 2023, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Section VI below
Shipped Art Mailed: Monday, October 2, 2023For Assistance
For Assistance: Section XI below
Section I: Eligibility:
The SWS Annual Membership Exhibition is open to all SWS members in good standing. (Membership in SWS also confers eligibility to enter the Western Federation of Watercolor Society’s (WFWS) Annual Exhibition in October.) Current membership dues for 2023-2024 must be paid no later than the close of the exhibition registration by using either:
*PayPal (the preferred method) at SWSwatercolor.org, under the Join drop down menu, or by a
*Check sent to Membership Accounting, c/o Jan Venuso, 2520 Fenestra Drive, Dallas, TX 75228.
Section II: Entry Fees and Registration:
The nonrefundable entry fees are as follows -
$45.00 - one painting
$50.00 - two paintings
$55.00 - three paintings
Entry fees must be paid online through the call for entry (CaFE) website Callforentry.org. Applying is a three- stage process:
Upload your paintings at My Portfolio
Apply to the SWS Annual Membership Exhibition at Apply to Calls Complete and pay the entry fee at Checkout
Digital image submission should show the painted image only, not the mat or the frame. Only a JPEG or JPG format is permitted, with an image size of under 5 MB, and a minimum of 1,200 pixels on the longest side. For complete specifications, tutorials and resources, please go to the CaFE Help/Uploading Media menu. For further technical support, please call CaFE support at 303-629-1166.
Section III: Juror of Selection and Awards – Stan Miller, AWS:
Stan Miller was born in Sioux Falls, SD in 1949. He moved to Spokane, WA in 1966, and attended Spokane Falls Community College, taking one year of liberal arts and three years of fine art, graduating in 1973. He has been a professional artist since 1973, working primarily in watercolor and egg tempera. Miller is internationally known, having won numerous awards and taught watercolor workshops around the world. Stan Miller respects and excels at the challenges of working in water media. His watercolors show great mastery over the unpredictable nature of the medium. Miller passes along the lessons he's learned over a lifetime of being an artist to his many students. One of his more famous quotes is, “...for me, painting in oil was like training a dog. Painting in watercolor is like trying to train your cat.” To learn more about Stan Miller, please go to his website at www.stanmiller.net.
Section IV. Awards:
Over $8,000 in cash and merchandise will be awarded at the discretion of the Juror, including -
- Naomi Brotherton Best of Show $1,500
- Edgar A. Whitney Transparent Watercolor Award $1,000
- 1st Place Award $750
- 2nd Place Award $600
- 3rd Place Award $500
- Lou Bono Memorial Award $500
Section V. Requirements and Restrictions - Please Pay Close Attention:
| Artwork | No more than one entry per artist may be accepted into the show. |
| Artwork must have been painted after January 1, 2021. | |
| Artwork must be original, painted only by you, and cannot have been produced in a class or workshop. | |
| Any photo reference material must have been taken by you. | |
| No digital media, photography, prints or reproductions may be a physical part of the painting. | |
| No diptychs or triptychs will be accepted. | |
| No paintings of nudes will be accepted. | |
| Entries received after the drop-off or shipped-art deadlines will not be accepted. | |
| Works previously hung in an SWS or WFWS exhibition are not permitted. | |
| Substrates | Only paper or Yupo are permitted. |
| Mediums | Watercolor and acrylic paints, inks, gouache, casein, egg tempera, watercolor pencils, and watercolor crayons are permitted. |
| Collage | Collage materials must be painted with water media by the artist. Collage build-ups must not be greater than the thickness of the collage paper and must not exceed 1⁄4-inch. |
| Minimum Image Size | The minimum image size permitted is 100 inches squared (h x w), without mat or frame, e.g., 10x10.” |
| Maximum Outside Framed Size | The maximum permitted outside framed size is 46 inches in either direction. |
| Frames | Simple frames are encouraged. Damaged frames will not be hung. |
| Framed works must be wired, ready to hang, with backing. No saw-toothed hangers will be accepted. Please use D-rings instead of screw eyes. | |
| Unvarnished Art- work | Unvarnished artwork must be framed and matted and under clear, unscratched plexi- glass. Glass will not be accepted or hung. |
| Mats | Only single mats will be accepted, in white or off-white. Colored or beige mats will not be accepted. Mats must be clean without blemishes or damage. |
| Varnished Artwork | Artwork may be sealed with varnish or cold wax. Sealed work must be free of lint, hair, debris, haziness, or visible brush strokes. |
| If a sealed painting is matted and not protected by plexiglass, the mat must also be sealed. |
Section VI. Delivery of Accepted Paintings:
Drop-Off - Local artists are responsible for promptly dropping off hand-delivered artwork to the 4th floor of the Library between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., Saturday, August 26, 2023 only.
Pick-Up - Local artists are responsible for promptly picking up hand-delivered artwork from the 4th floor of the Library between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Saturday, September 30, 2023 only. SWS and the Library are not responsible for the secure storage of hand-delivered art not picked up at this time.
Shipped Art - Remote accepted artists that need to ship their art may ship via FedEx or UPS (or other preferred shipper) directly to the Library. The art must be received by Friday, August 25, 2023. The Library will store the paintings until they are hung. Shipping instructions will be sent with your acceptance email. A pre- paid return shipping label will be required. You are encouraged to insure your art when shipping for your own protection. Neither SWS nor the Library will be responsible for damage incurred prior to reaching the Library.
Liability - Although SWS will exercise due care in the handling of artwork submitted to this exhibition, neither SWS nor the Library will be responsible for any loss or damage to your artwork. You are responsible for insuring your painting.
Section VII. Library Gallery Hours:
- Sunday: Closed
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday:10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Section VIII: Art Sales and Pricing:
A 30% commission will be charged on any sold paintings in order to support SWS and its programs. Artists may choose to enter a $0.00 sales price in CaFE for paintings that are Not for Sale (NFS).
No price changes will be admissible after acceptance into the show. Any price changes made after acceptance will disqualify the entry, the painting will be removed from the show, and the artist will not be allowed to enter again the following year, 2024.
Section IX: Accepted Paintings and Signature Membership:
Notification - Artists will receive email confirmation of works accepted or not accepted into the Exhibition.
Use of Images - Acceptance into the Annual Membership Exhibition gives SWS the right to use images of your artwork for promotional purposes. Digital archives of accepted entries will be retained by SWS to be used for the exhibition catalog, printed materials and the website, as well as for use in our permanent collection.
Signature Membership - SWS Signature Membership is earned by having five different paintings accepted into SWS- or WFWS- sponsored exhibitions.
Section X: Disqualifications and Rights of Refusal:
Artwork which does not meet the Prospectus specifications or differs substantially from the CaFE image submitted will be disqualified. SWS reserves the right to refuse any entry.
Art must hang in the show for the duration of the show. If not presented for hanging or judging, or if removed during the show, the painting will be disqualified this year, and the artist will not be allowed to enter again the following year, 2024.
Section XI: If You Need Assistance:
General questions regarding the Exhibition and entry may be emailed to: Robyn Jorde, SWS Membership Exhibition Chair, at robynjorde@att.net.
For technical support with the on-line entry process, call CaFE support at 303-629-1166 or go online at Call- forentry.org/artist-help-cafe/
Application Requirements
Please review artwork requirements in section V.
Eligibility Criteria
The SWS Annual Membership Exhibition is open to all SWS members in good standing. See Section I.