IWS 2026 Annual Juried Exhibition

Description

46th Idaho Watercolor Society Annual Juried
Membership Exhibition 
Monday, May 4, 2026 through Monday, June 29, 2026

PROSPECTUS

SHOW JUROR AND WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
IWS hosts an annual statewide exhibition which is juried by a nationally renowned artist. This artist also teaches a painting workshop. In 2026 the juror and workshop instructor will be the highly acclaimed artist JJ Jiang.
ELIGIBILITY

Every entrant must be an active member of Idaho Watercolor Society. Annual dues must be paid before entering the show. It is preferred that dues be paid on the IWS Website:   https://www.idahowatercolorsoc.... You may also send a check payable to IWS to PO Box 9093, Boise ID, 83707-9093.  
Notice: The PO Box is checked weekly. If you intend to mail, please mail early. If your dues are not paid in full prior to registration, your entry will not be considered and will be rejected.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Acceptance into the IWS Annual Juried Exhibition requires participation in the traveling show, if selected for an award. Artists are responsible for insuring their own entries.
Any painting sold during the traveling show must remain with the show until the traveling show is completed.
We are exhibiting in the north in Lewiston for two months, November and December. If you are considering entering your painting to WFWS for 2027 be advised: your painting may not return in time to participate in the WFWS exhibition.  
Any painting sold during the traveling show must remain with the show until the traveling show completed.
PAINTING SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
Entries must be water-media based. Water media includes watercolor, acrylic, non-alcohol ink, gouache, casein, egg tempera, and watercolor pencil. Your entry must be comprised of at least 90% of these components. Oils, water-soluble oils, or computer-generated images will not be accepted.
In addition to natural or synthetic paper Masonite, watercolor canvas, and illustration board will be accepted this year.
All entries must have been painted within the last two years and must be entirely the work of the entrant, not copied from another artist. All work must be suitable for family viewing. Images painted from published sources or completed under instruction in a class or workshop are not acceptable. If any painting is found to be in violation of these standards, if any of the stated specifications are not met, or if the work differs from the original digital representation, it will not be exhibited, and all awards will be forfeited. In addition, the artist will not be allowed to enter an IWS Exhibition for the following two years. The exhibition committee and the juror will be responsible for enforcing all rules and regulations. Once accepted into the IWS juried show, the same image and composition, or a substantially similar image, cannot be entered again in another IWS juried exhibition.
FRAMING SPECIFICATIONS
All paintings must be framed. Mats are not required, but if used must be white only. A darker liner of up to 1/2 inch is acceptable. Floated paintings are acceptable.
Paintings may be varnished, and if varnished do not require plexiglass or acrylic. If not varnished, plexiglass or acrylic must be used rather than glass for protection, and a strong foam-core backing must be used. Outside dimensions of frame may not exceed 44” on any side. There is no minimum size restriction. Simple frames with clean lines are encouraged so they do not detract from your art. Paintings must be prepared for hanging with firmly attached strong wire and “D” rings. Scratched coverings or damaged frames or mats may be disqualified. See IMPORTANT NOTE at the end of the Prospectus.
PRICING/SALES GUIDELINES
When pricing paintings, keep in mind the following: If your painting is sold, commission fees in the various gallery venues may be up to 50%. Additionally, a 15% donation to IWS is suggested. Account for the cost of scanning, framing, and matting when determining the price for your painting.
ENTRY FEES
Each artist may enter two (2) submissions. The fee for entering one painting in the show is $40. You may enter a second painting for an additional $10 (making the total fee $50) increasing your chances of acceptance. Fees will be paid by credit card on ArtCall.
The juror may select only one painting per artist for the show.
PRIZES
Cash prizes totaling over $4000 will be awarded, with Roots Family History again sponsoring the coveted Juror’s Choice Award in the amount of $1000. Last year, the 10 merchandise awards exceeded $1700. Simply being accepted into the exhibition counts toward Merit status even if no award is achieved.
This year we again anticipate up to 65 accepted entrants in the exhibit, with 20 award winners. We will be exhibiting paintings at the Riverside Hotel Water’s Edge Gallery as in 2025.
Due to the upcoming Founding Members event coinciding with the Annual Show, we are unable to exhibit your non-accepted painting. We currently plan on allowing these again in the 2027 exhibit.
We are also working to invigorate the Gold and Silver Sponsor awards.
DIGITAL ENTRY SPECIFICATIONS MUST BE EXACTLY AS FOLLOWS:
• File format: Use only .jpg as the file format.
• Resolution: 300 dpi.
• Submissions must be less than 5mb and a maximum of 4800px on the longest side.
• DEADLINE FOR HELP is MONDAY, MARCH 2.
• If you are not sure your image file is per specifications, please seek assistance BEFORE you enter on ArtCall.org.
SUBMISSIONS WITH ArtCall
IWS will again be using an electronic entry process this year. There will be Zoom training sessions scheduled during January and/or February. Log into ArtCall.org as follows: IWS2026AnnualJuriedExhibition.artcall.org If this is your first year entering on ArtCall, you can create an artist profile at any time and make changes until entry deadline. Be sure to retain your Username and Password when you set up your Artist Profile. You will need that to get back into the site during the entry process. If you participated in the electronic entry process last year, you may use your existing Username and Password to get to your account pages on the site.Follow instructions from the on-line Zoom Training or contact Carol HasBrouck Browning if you have questions. Payment will be made through ArtCall via credit card Upload a digital image of your painting from your computer. (See Digital Entry Specifications section above)
DELIVERY AND SHIPPING OF ACCEPTED PAINTINGS
Please note all dates listed under “IMPORTANT DATES”. Detailed shipping instructions will be sent via email from ArtCall if you are accepted into the show. Be sure to follow all shipping instructions accurately. Do not use Styrofoam peanuts or shredded paper for packing. A $20 fine will be assessed for use of Styrofoam peanuts or shredded paper.

IMPORTANT DATES
2026:
ArtCall Entry Open Thursday, January 15
Deadline for help with entry: Monday, March 2
ArtCall Closing Date Sunday, March 8, 9:00 PM MST
Notification of juror’s decision: Sunday, March 29,  6:00 PM MST
Arrival deadline for paintings: Wednesday, April 28
Installation: Monday, May 4
Juror, JJ Jiang arrives: Sunday, May 31
Jurying process Monday, June 1
Volunteer Luncheon: Tuesday, June 2 – 12:30pm
Critique/Awards Ceremony: Tuesday, June 2, 6:30 – 8:15
Workshop with JJ Jiang Wed, June 3 – Friday, June 5
De-Installation: Monday, June 29
Ship To Twin Falls: Wednesday, July 1
CHECKLIST
_____ 1. Seek help if you are not sure about the specifications of entry.
        Help deadline is MONDAY, March 2, 2026.
_____ 2. Submit entries to ArtCall between THURSDAY, JANUARY 15th and SUNDAY, MARCH 8th, 9:00 PM MST.
_____3. Ship paintings for arrival at Riverside Hotel by Wednesday, April 28th or deliver to Riverside in person on that same date.
IMPORTANT NOTE
In recent years we have received entries with varying degrees of poor quality in:
The protective covering (acrylic sheeting scratched or damaged); Frames with improper or inadequate wire and/or no D Ring hanging installation; Cracked or damaged frames; Colored mats instead of white;Paintings submitted without the ArtCall printed labels
Last year the exhibition chair took personal responsibility for communicating with artists who submitted paintings with the above faulty characteristics, correcting the defects. This resulted in an unreasonable effort required of the chair and will no longer be acceptable.
Entering this exhibit and submitting your painting(s) signifies your acceptance of the Prospectus requirements for acceptance of your painting(s).
If your painting arrives not in compliance with the above guidelines, you will be notified and held responsible for making alterations to your work to make it acceptable. Failure to make required alterations to your work before the juror’s final selections will result in your work being disqualified from the exhibit.