Call Description

The 4th Annual Lazarus Excellence in Watercolor Award Exhibition 2026 

Exhibition Dates are February 25 - March 20, 2026

Gallery Reception & Awards Ceremony, Saturday, February 28, 2026 5 to 8PM

Three Cash Awards, and 1 Honorable Mention

1st Place: $600   2nd Place: $400   3rd Place $250 + Honorable Mention

TAG Gallery Celebrates Art, Excellence, and Creativity in Watercolor Painting

JUROR: Marisa Murrow 

Marisa Murrow was born in Santa Monica and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her travels across the world continue to inform her practice, with time in India and Indonesia leaving a profound and enduring imprint on her visual vocabulary. Rooted in the landscapes of her native California, Murrow approaches each place as both traveler and witness, gathering observations on site and transforming them into vibrant, intimate paintings of lived environments.

Her work has been exhibited on both coasts, including a recent solo exhibition of her Mobile Home Park series at the Adler\Smith Gallery. She has also shown with institutions such as the Laguna Art Museum, the California Heritage Museum, the Huntington Beach Art Center, the Torrance Art Museum, the Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, the Brand Library Art Galleries, TASCHEN, 7811 Gallery, the Malibu City Gallery, the McLean Gallery in Malibu, Rebecca Molayem Gallery, Schomberg Gallery, the LA Design Center, the LACMA Rental Gallery, the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, the Jonathan Club, The Red House Gallery, Gallery 825, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, the San Diego Art Institute, Project Angel Food, the Garboushian Gallery, the Palos Verdes Art Center, the McNish Gallery at Oxnard College, the Western Manufactured Housing Congress, Las Vegas and The Manufactured Housing Institute(MHI), Las Vegas.

Her work has appeared on Jane the Virgin, Call Me Kat, 5 Star Weekend, Cape Fear and countless other TV productions.   

IMPORTANT DATES

Exhibit Entries Open: Tuesday December 9, 2025

Deadline for Entries: Saturday January 31, 2026 by 10:59 MST

Notice of Acceptance: Sunday February 8, 2026

Delivery In-Person & Drop-Off Dates: Deliver Wednesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 21, 2026, 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM Please note, TAG is only responsible for accepting artwork arriving on or before Saturday, February 21, 2026 for this exhibition.

Shipped Artwork must be received no later: Friday, February 20, 2026

Exhibit Begins: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Gallery Reception & Awards Ceremony: Saturday, February 28, 2026, 5-8PM

Exhibit Closes: Friday, March 20, 2026

Artwork Pick-Up Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Shipped Artwork Return Date: Returns begin Saturday, March 28, 2026 

SUBMISSION CRITERIA AND CONTENT

Entries must be original watercolor, gouache or watercolor pencil paintings (acrylic or non-watercolor pigment paintings will not be accepted) of the artist’s own execution. All artwork must be for sale.TAG's commission on sold artwork is 40%, and a possible discount of 10% of sales price. TAG’s commission applies from Acceptance to one month after the exhibition. Do not submit artworks that violate copyright laws. Artworks created and completed under the direct supervision of an art instructor are not eligible. If an artwork is accepted, it may not be substituted for another artwork; this includes not increasing or decreasing the size of the artwork between acceptance and delivery. Artwork is to be delivered and checked in to TAG, and/or shipped to TAG, on designated days, not before, or later. TAG is not responsible for exhibiting artworks that do not arrive on or before the curation day. Installed artworks must remain on display at TAG Gallery until Friday, March 20, at 7:00pm.

All hanging artwork MUST be prepared to hang on a wire, or for heavier pieces D-Rings or a Cleat. If your work is complex, please provide instructions/photos for installation. We reserve the right not to hang artwork prepared in a way that risks being damaged during installation (too heavy, too fragile, or not prepared to hang).

ARTWORK FORMAT, PRESENTATION & REQUIREMENTS:

Artwork submissions are limited to five (5) original watercolor artworks per artist, submitted as JPG images. Maximum size of watercolor artworks is 52 inches high and 52 inches wide framed. Do not ship glass, use plexiglass instead. Do not ship a package weighing more than 25 pounds. 

FORMAT FOR DIGITAL IMAGES (JPGS):

All entries must be submitted as a high resolution (2-3 MB) digital JPEG. Images should be cropped to remove background and/or frame. Image quality is critical. Poor photography and presentation may affect acceptance by the juror. The submitted photographic image of the artwork (JPG) must faithfully represent the submitted artwork, size and medium, to be exhibited.

ENTRIES & FEES:

One entry is $40.00. 

Artist may add up to 4 additional entries at $5.00 each.

Payment is made through CaFÉ via credit card. Fees are non-refundable, there is no guarantee of acceptance into the exhibit.  

SALES:

All artworks in this exhibition must be for sale. All sales will be handled by TAG Gallery. Artist will be notified when a sale is made. TAG Gallery will receive 40% commission for sale of artwork in this exhibition, in addition, a 10% discount may be applied when staff negotiates with clients and partners. Artists will be contacted if more than a ten percent discount is requested by a client. TAG’s commission applies from Acceptance to one month after the exhibition.

SHIPPING:

Invited artists will receive an email with shipping and delivery information. Artists who ship artwork(s) must provide a Prepaid Return Shipping Label along with each shipped artwork(s).

Inside your packaging, please include a copy of the TAG-addressed mailing label, and TAG will apply your Pre-paid Return Label on the return shipping box (if the artwork is not sold). Use a strong box for shipping artwork. Consider purchasing a reusable shipping box designed for transporting artwork.

TAG is not responsible for storing or return-shipping artwork that is shipped without a Pre-paid Return Label. Artwork that is not picked up 30 days after the exhibition closes is considered abandoned and is donated to local charities. 

GALLERY AND AWARDS RECEPTION:

The in-person gallery reception and awards ceremony for The 4th Annual Lazarus Excellence in Watercolor Award Exhibition will be Saturday, February 28, 2026  5 - 8 PM at TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Ample street parking is available.

PROMOTION OF THE EXHIBIT:

TAG strongly encourages cross-promotion on your social media platforms.

EXHIBITION LOCATION:

TAG Gallery 5458 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

ABOUT THE GALLERY

TAG, The Artists Gallery is a Contemporary Fine Art Gallery located on Museum Row in Los Angeles California. The Gallery represents award-winning contemporary Southern California regional and international artists and creates new exhibitions and events each month of the year.

Founded in 1993, The Artists Gallery is an artist-founded and operated not-for-profit arts cooperative that provides mutual benefit and creative freedom to its members, encouraging the exploration of new media, collaboration, and artistic focus among the members in hopes of enriching individual artists, our community, and the art world at large.

Application Requirements

See SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND CONTENT before applying

Eligibility Criteria

TAG Gallery invites 18 years and over residents of the United States to submit to the 4th Annual Lazarus Excellence in Watercolor Exhibition. This call for watercolor open to broad variety of styles and themes accepted. Submitted and accepted artwork must be available for sale by TAG in order to be shown in this exhibition. Artists may submit Watercolor, Gouache, or Watercolor pencil artworks, at or under 52 x 52 in.