Watercolor Ohio 2025 Prospectus

Ohio Watercolor Society

48th Annual Juried Exhibition

Springfield Museum of Art

107 Cliff Park Rd, Springfield, OH 45504

September 20 – November 16, 2025

Juror of Selection and Awards: Paul Jackson

Paul Jackson spent his adventurous childhood in Starkville Mississippi. He discovered his passion for watercolor at Mississippi State University in 1985. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Missouri in 1992, and has since been relentless in pursuit of his creative dreams, receiving top honors in national and international competitions, contributing his art to a vast library of magazines and books and sharing his creative influence in all corners of the earth.

Paul was honored by the American Watercolor Society with signature membership at the age of 30, and more recently with the Dolphin Fellowship, the highest honor in watercolor painting.  Paul is also a Signature member of the National Watercolor Society and an Honor Member of the Missouri Watercolor Society.

A prolific artist and ambitious world traveler, Paul Jackson is one of today's most versatile and visible contemporary watercolorists. Whether his subject is landscape, cityscape, portrait, architecture, still life or abstract, Paul captivates his audience with genuine emotion, intensity and finesse that energize each of his creations.

EXHIBITION CALENDAR  

ELIGIBLE ARTISTS:  Associate, Signature and Lifetime members of the Ohio Watercolor Society.   Nonmembers should join the OWS (note restrictions on out-of-state residents) as an Associate for $35 prior to submitting to the exhibition: https://www.ohiowatercolorsociety.org/join-the-ohio-watercolor-society#join  

ELIGIBLE WORK:

•       Watercolor, thinned acrylic, casein, gouache, and egg tempera.  Water-soluble oil paints are not eligible.

•       Paintings may be done on any material that supports the paint, including paper, illustration board, canvas and Yupo. 

•       Painting must have been completed within the past three years.

•       Artist’s original work only. No classwork. No work done under supervision. No copies or likenesses of another artist’s work including published source or reference work not attributable to the artist.  

•       Collage materials must be artist-generated using a water-based medium on a surface that accepts water media, excluding commercially or mechanically printed substrates. The maximum allowed depth of the collage is 2-1/2 inches.

•       No work previously exhibited in Watercolor Ohio may be submitted.

•       All entries must be matted, framed and wired, ready to hang

•       Maximum frame size is 44" in either direction (height or width).

•       Minimum image size (do not include mat or frame) is 121 square inches (measure to the nearest ½ inch and multiply image height x width). [Typical minimum image sizes are 9 x 13.5”, 9.5 x 13”, 10 x 12.5”, 10.5 x 12”, and 11 x 11”]

•       Weight: 40 pounds maximum

•       Glazing: Plexiglas (acrylic)—no glass accepted

•       Matting: Single mat or top mat (if multiple) must be white or off-white

ENTRIES

All entries for the 2025 Exhibition will be made online through OnlineJuriedShows. Log in here and click Enter This Show to begin your submissions. If you do not already have an OnlineJuriedShows account, you can create one here: https://onlinejuriedshows.com/CreateNewAccount.aspx

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

About Your Digital Image:  

•       Digital file must be in JPG format 

•       Images should be at least 1920 pixels (800 minimum) on the longest side @ 72 dpi

•       File size is up to 3.5MB 

•       Show only the image, no frame or mat. 

•       Images that are not correctly formatted are liable to exclusion from jurying. 

By entering Watercolor Ohio 2025, entrants grant permission for OWS to reproduce their artwork for OWS publicity or publication purposes.

 FEES

Entry Fees:   Your first entry is free of charge—you may submit a second entry for $20.  Only one entry can be accepted for the exhibition.

Hanging Fee:  Accepted artists will be charged a $20 hanging fee.

 LIABILITY

The Ohio Watercolor Society and the hosting gallery accept no liability for damage to paintings. All entries listed as “not for sale” (NFS) must have a value stated on the Painting Label (accepted works).

 SALES

30% of the sales price will be retained as a commission to be given to the gallery and/or as a donation to OWS. The artist will receive 70%. All work sold must remain in the exhibit and, if selected, in the Travel Show until these exhibits close.

 AWARDS

Awards are decided by the juror based on review of the actual paintings. Awards in previous years have averaged more than $5000 in cash and materials.  Accepted artists will be asked to check a box on the Painting Label as to whether or not they want to release their painting for inclusion in the travel show.   Paintings not released for the Travel Show (see below) are not eligible for awards.

TRAVEL SHOW

The juror will select up to 32 works including all award-winners for the OWS Travel Show. These selected works will be exhibited in museums, art centers and galleries throughout the state.  

SIGNATURE MEMBERSHIP

Any artist who has been accepted in two (2) OWS annual exhibitions is eligible for review for Signature membership.  The application deadline is Saturday, June 14, 2025.  Use the form on the “Apply for Signature Membership” page:

https://www.ohiowatercolorsociety.org/member-info/apply-for-signature-membership