Valley Watercolor Society

2025 Annual Juried Exhibit

Prospectus

The Valley Watercolor Society will hold its 2025 Annual Juried Exhibit March 2-25, 2025.  This will be an in-person exhibit for active members only, at Thousand Oaks Community Gallery,  2331 Borchard Rd., Suite A, Newbury Park, CA 91320.

The Juror is Joseph Stoddard, author of “Pasadena Sketchbook,” “Redlands Sketchbook,” and “Expressive Color.” He has been featured in major art magazines and taught for many years at Art Center College of Design. Joseph’s goal is to “never let reality stand in the way of a good painting” as he captures landscapes, architecture and urban-scapes.

Prizes:

Top Honors:       First Place $300.00

     Second Place $250.00

     Third Place $200.00

Special Honors (3): $150.00

Honorable Mention (5):       $50.00

Should the juror select more than one painting from an artist for awards, only the first painting will receive an award and the remaining painting will receive a Certificate of Recognition. 

Important Dates:

Reception and Awards Presentation:       March 9, 2025 (3PM-6PM)

Entry and Fees:

Entries will be processed by onlinejuriedshows (log in on this page and click Enter This Show to begin your submissions) There will be a charge of $45 for up to 2 paintings submitted for consideration. Help in entering your work can be found on OnlineJuriedShows. Go to the home page and click Helpful Videos for a simple and excellent guide to entering your work and Image Help, a detailed guide to preparing your images.

For help with your submissions, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.

For questions, contact Sylvia Crosbie, Exhibit Chair, at sylvia_crosbie@bluetiehome.com or 818-902-1853.  

Eligibility:  This show is open to current active members of the Valley Watercolor Society.

Requirements  

Entries must have been completed within the past two years.

Entries must be done in water media (at least 80%). Acceptable mediums are:

•      Transparent watercolor

•      Gouache

•      Ink 

•      Acrylic

•      Casein

•      Egg tempera

•      Water soluble pencil

•      Printing or stamping within the composition is acceptable combined with other acceptable mediums

•      Collage is acceptable only if material is painted by the artist with water media and incorporated into a larger work treated with water media.

No oil based media/materials/products/varnishes/sealants are allowed. Krylon-type spray sealants, fixatives, and varnishes are oil-based.

All work must be original work by the artist. No digital artwork, work produced under instruction (in class or workshops), work derived from another’s intellectual property or from copyrighted references will be accepted. Source material must be original and not derived from any published material. No repainted giclee or other reproductions can be entered. Work that is considered plagiarism will be removed from the Exhibit and the artist may be barred from future Valley Watercolor Society exhibits.

•      No painting previously exhibited in a Valley Watercolor Society exhibit (other than a Society Show) may be submitted. No painting may be submitted that was exhibited within the prior twelve-month period at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery.

•      Online entries may not be digitally enhanced. At take-in paintings will be compared with the digital entries.

•      The maximum size for a painting (including frame) is 40 inches in any direction.

•      Matting for artwork must be white or off-white.

•      Frames must include a foam core or mat board backing board flush to the frame.

•      Frames for artwork may be wood or metal and must be black, white, natural wood toned or neutral and plain with no ornate carving.

•      Only plexiglass  may be used in framing (no glass). 

•      Frames must be secured by wire for hanging situated 2” below the top (no tooth hangers). 

Guidelines:

1.      Submitted images must not include matting or frame.

2.      No price may be changed once the painting is accepted into the show. Works not for sale should be designated NFS.

3.      Artists in the Exhibit must agree to perform gallery sitting duty as needed.  

4.      Artists must sign a liability waiver and present it at take-in.

There will be no deviation from the above unless authorized by the President or Exhibit Chair.  All artists must adhere to the eligibility rules and requirements or their work will not be accepted for the Exhibit.  By entering the Exhibit artists acknowledge having read and agreed to abide by the rules stated herein.

Sales:

There is no commission taken by the gallery; 100% of the sale goes to the artist.

Bin Art:

Any artist submitting an entry may display up to 10 pieces of unframed, matted work as bin art whether or not that artist’s work has been accepted into the exhibit. No promotional material may be included with the bin art which will be displayed in racks in the gallery. All bin art must be labeled with the artist’s name, title, and price.

CHECKLIST:

Exhibiting artists must complete the following checklist before take-in:

•      Protective wrapping/corners removed

•      Labels affixed to paintings

•      Bin art labeled

•      Bin art list

•      Liability waiver signed

•      Mats conform to requirements

•      Frames conform to requirements

•      Submitted work is less than 40”

•      Gallery sitting sign-up