February 15 to March 23, 2025
Piedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont, California
Entry Deadline: Extended from September 16th to September 23, 2024, 5:00 pm PDT
$15,000 Anticipated Awards
Juror of Selection — Michael Holter
Michael Holter is an American watercolorist known for his dynamic portraits and landscapes and his engaging workshops. Since 2011 he has focused on his painting after a successful career in art education and advertising design. His work has received numerous awards and international accolades and has been published in several Splash publications. He has also been on the teaching faculty of the Plein Air Convention and Watercolor Live. Michael is a signature member of AWS, NWS, Watercolor Honor Society, Southwestern Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America.
Juror of Awards — Gary Bukovnik
Cleveland-born and educated; Gary Bukovnik has lived in San Francisco for more than 45 years. His art conveys a fusion of sensual vitality with powerful colorations, creating floral images of great depth and excitement. Gary has written several books, and is an international lecturer and exhibitor, having shown his work in Europe and Asia. His work is in many public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute, the Smithsonian Institute in DC, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
The building housing the Piedmont Center for the Arts was originally built in the early 1930s as a home and was subsequently used as a church, and then purchased by the City of Piedmont in 2003. Eight years later, a group of citizens formed a non-profit corporation and signed a 10-year lease with the city to operate the building as a community center for performing arts and cultural activities. In August 2011, the Piedmont Center for the Arts was opened to the public. Since then, the Center has been used for a wide range of music performances, atrt exhibits, authors, speakers, film presentations, and gatherings for student art. The building is located at 801 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, California 94611.
| September 23, 2024, 5:00 pm PDT | Entry deadline - Extended |
| October 3, 2024 | Acceptance notification |
| November 18-22, 2024 | Receiving, hand-delivered and shipped paintings |
| November 23, 2024 | Juror's award selection |
| February 15, 2025 | Exhibition opens |
| February 15, 2025 | Artist Reception and Awards Presentation |
| March 23, 2025 | Exhibition closes |
| March 24, 2025 | Pick up of hand-delivered paintings |
ELIGIBILITY
The CWA 55th International Exhibition is open to all artists 18 years or older. Paintings must be two-dimensional and primarily of watermedia on a paper surface; Yupo and Tyvek are acceptable. Pastel or collage may be used as long as watermedia is the dominant element. No digital media, photography, prints, or reproductions. Source material and composition must be wholly original and not derived from any published images. Any photo reference material must be taken by the artist. Entries must be recent works completed within the last two years, entirely the work of the artist, and not shown previously in a CWA National Exhibition. The selling price cannot be changed after entry. No workshop or class work allowed. Artists who fail to provide an accepted entry are disqualified from the next two CWA International Exhibitions.
Additionally, the Piedmont Center for the Arts reserves the right to reject the display of any work depicting nude or semi-nude figures or subjects of an extremely macabre nature, due to the regular use of the room for children’s classes.
SIZE LIMITS
Minimum image: 140 square inches, no side less than 10 inches. Maximum outside frame: 44 x 44 inches.
FRAMING
All paintings must be framed in simple, square-cornered frames ready for hanging and protected under Plexiglas. Glass in frames is not permitted. Mats (optional) must be white or off-white. Colored liner mats are acceptable. Artists outside of the contiguous USA may send artwork unframed, and CWA will frame it for the exhibition for an additional $100 fee. Additional details will be included in instructions to accepted artists.
ONLINE ENTRIES ONLY
All entries will be submitted via our website, www.californiawatercolor.org. Artists may enter up to three digital images in jpeg format, approximate resolution of 300 dpi, with 1200 pixels on the longest side, one painting per file. Show only the image without a mat or frame. CWA members will log in to enter from the Members’ Home Page. Non-CWA members will enter from the Shows/Exhibitions Tab, then click on International Prospectus from the drop-down list, and follow the instructions.
ENTRY FEES (non-refundable)
The entry fee is payable on PayPal by credit, debit, or individual account. CWA members: $45 for one image, $10 for each additional image, a maximum of three. Non-members: $55 for one image, plus $10 for each additional image, a maximum of three. Those wishing to join CWA may add $45 annual dues during the entry process.
ACCEPTED ENTRIES
All artists will receive an email with the list of accepted artists. Artists with accepted artwork may be asked for a higher-resolution image for the catalog. Shipping instructions will be sent to the accepted artists by email. All accepted paintings will have a handling fee of $55. Accepted work must match the submitted image; paintings not consistent with the submitted image may be disqualified. All accepted paintings will be represented in the exhibition catalog. Each exhibition entrant will receive a complimentary catalog prior to the Exhibition opening. Additional catalogs will be available for order.
SALES
Exhibited works will be considered for sale at the price indicated during the submission process. Works not for sale must be designated “NFS.” All sales will be handled through CWA. The commission is 30%.
CONDITIONS AND LIABILITIES
No work may be withdrawn before the end of the exhibit. CWA and Piedmont Center for the Arts reserve the right to photograph artwork or copy images for promotional purposes. Insurance coverage is the artist’s sole responsibility, both in transit and during the exhibit. Neither CWA nor the Piedmont Center for the Arts insure the artwork and neither shall be responsible for loss or damage to any artwork submitted. Accepted artists must sign a release of liability. The submission of entries to this competition shall constitute an agreement on the part of the artist to the terms and conditions as set forth in this prospectus.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions, please email us at 55questions@californiawatercolor.org.
PROSPECTUS
Download the prospectus PDF here.