Application Closed
Entry Fee (Entry Fee): $50.00
Images | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 3
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 3
Eligibility: National
State: Texas
PROSPECTUS
61st Annual Membership Exhibition Southwestern Watercolor Society
The Southwestern Watercolor Society (SWS) is a prestigious national organization celebrating its 61st 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 | $50 for up to three artworks | Section II below |
| Juror | Fealing Lin, NWS | 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 |
Fealing Lin, NWS
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 2024-2025 must be paid no later than the close of the exhibition call for entries, June
30, 2024, by using either:
• PayPal (the preferred method), at SWSwatercolor.org, under the Join drop down
menu.
• By check, sent to SWS Treasurer, Janet Southern, 6205 Sierra Ct, Arlington, TX 76016.
Section II: Entry Fees and Registration:
The nonrefundable entry fee is $50 for up to three entries.
The entry fee must be paid online through the call for entry (CaFÉ) 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
Image Requirements:
• 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 1200 pixels on the longest side.
• For complete specifications, tutorials and resources, please go to the CaFÉ
Help/Uploading Media menu. For further technical support, please call CaFÉ support
at 303-629-1166.
III. Juror of Selection and Awards – Fealing Lin, NWS:
Judge and Juror Fealing Lin, NWS, has gained renown for her loose brushwork and
semi-abstract compositions that imbue a sense of life and movement to her portrait and
landscape watercolors. Her paintings have earned her signature status in the National
Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Watercolor West, San
Diego Watercolor Society, and the Missouri Watercolor Society. She has won numerous
awards participating in the exhibitions of those societies and many others.
Born in Taiwan where she studied before coming to the United States, Ms. Lin followed
her family tradition of medicine and dentistry which she then abandoned in favor of a
pallet and brushes. Now she is a teacher, demonstrator, judge, and active exhibitor. "My
passion for watercolor," says Ms. Lin, "comes from the opportunity it gives me to be
totally spontaneous in the pursuit of traditional watercolor transparency, which is the
"glow" from the white paper that emerges through the paint once a fusion occurs from
the application of wet into wet. To learn more about Fealing Lin, go to
www.fealingwater.com.
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
Joel Sampson Memorial Award $500
Additional cash and merchandise awards will be given.
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, 2022. | |
| 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 42 inches in either direction. |
| Frames | All paintings must be framed. No stretcher wraps without frames will be accepted. 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. |
| A mat is not required for sealed artwork. However, 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 3:00 p.m., Sunday, August 25, 2024 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 3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 29, 2024
only. SWS and the Library are not responsible for the secure storage of hand-delivered
art not picked up during these times.
Shipped Art - Remote accepted artists must:
• Email Constance Corbett at Constance.Corbett@gmail.com of their intention to ship
their artwork, enabling her to keep close track of arrivals.
• Ship their art via FedEx or UPS (or other preferred shipper) directly to
SWS Annual Membership Exhibition
c/o Constance Corbett
143 Sunset Drive
Murphy, TX 75094
• Ensure that the art is received between Thursday, August 1 and Tuesday, August
20, 2024. SWS will store the paintings until they are hung. F u r t h e r s hipping
instructions will be sent with your acceptance email. A pre-paid return shipping label
must also be included with the shipped art.
Liability - Although SWS will exercise due care in the handling of artwork submitted to this
exhibition, you are encouraged to insure your art when shipping for your own protection.
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. Lillian Bradshaw Gallery Hours:
Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Section VIII: Art Sales and Pricing:
Art Sales and Pricing:
No sales prices or payment transactions are permitted at the Lillian Bradshaw Gallery at
the Main Dallas Public Library, but visitors will be able to get a price list from the
Southwestern Watercolor Society website and can contact the Exhibition Chair to
arrange a sale with the artist. Receipt of payment and delivery of the art to the purchaser
will be the artist's responsibility. The artist will be responsible for paying a 30%
commission to SWS on any painting that was displayed and then sold to someone who
saw it in the exhibition. This fee supports SWS and its programs. Artists may choose to
enter a $0.00 sales price in CaFÉ 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 painting and it will be removed from the show.
Section IX: Accepted Paintings and Signature Membership:
Notification - Artists will receive email confirmation of works accepted or not accepted
into the Exhibition by Monday, July 15, 2024.
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 for the exhibition catalog, printed materials, the website, and for
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 at all from the CaFÉ
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.
Section XI: If You Need Assistance:
Questions regarding the Exhibition and entry may be emailed to April Hare, Exhibition
Chair, aprilhare19@gmail.com.
For technical support with the on-line entry process, call CaFÉ support at 303-629-1166 or
go online at Callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/.
XII. AGREEMENT:
Entering this exhibition shall constitute an agreement on the part of the artist to accept all rules and conditions as set forth in this Prospectus.
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.