WaterWorks Art Museum
85 Water Plant Rd
Miles City, MT 59301
Juried Exhibit Prospectus:
“Whispers of Color”
SHOW DATES: January 30 - March 12, 2026,
Entries are accepted on: OnlineJuriedShows
Entries due: Friday, December 12, 2025
(Notifications emailed: By Friday, December 18, 2025)
Deliver work by: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Opening/Reception: Friday, January 30, 2026, 4-7 pm
Exhibit Closes: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Pick up artwork: Saturday, Tues, and Wed. March 14, 17, 18 (9-5 pm)
Fee: $40 (covers up to 3 entries)
EXHIBIT THEME: “Whispers of Color”
In the gentle stillness of your studio, the brush glides softly across the canvas, layering delicate hues—rose, azure, pale gold, etc.—in subtle succession. Each stroke is a whisper of color, quietly building emotion and story without shouting for attention. The shades melt into one another, weaving a dazzling tapestry where meaning emerges not in bold pronouncement, but in a quiet symphony of tones. Here, painting becomes an act of listening as much as creating, where silence is honored and every color speaks in its own gentle voice.
The Fee is $40 for up to 3 entries. Entry fees are non-refundable and must be paid by the entry deadline. If you have an accepted piece that you choose not to show, you will not be eligible to submit to WAM juried shows for three years. No substitutions may be made once work is juried into the show. Work presented should be considered for general viewing audiences of all ages.
JUROR: Jordan Pehler
Jordan Pehler is a Billings-based artist and educator. He has served as Education Director at the WaterWorks Art Museum in Miles City, Montana, and as Museum Art Educator at the Yellowstone Art Museum. He now teaches with Billings Public Schools, where he continues to inspire and mentor his students.
Outside the classroom, Jordan draws inspiration from Montana’s vast landscapes. He spends much of his free time exploring rivers and streams with a fly rod, hiking across the state’s expansive public lands, or cultivating his garden. These experiences of rhythm, stillness, and quiet are often echoed in his artistic process.
Working primarily in encaustic—a medium that fuses beeswax with oil pigment—Pehler builds layered, semi-translucent surfaces that invite viewers into spaces of mystery and reflection. The interplay of molten wax and paint produces obscured yet evocative images, suspended between the familiar and the elusive. He was drawn to encaustic for its sculptural quality and supple, tactile surface, which allowed him to balance material experimentation with thoughtful depth.
AWARDS:
Best in show: $300
Honorable mention: $200
Honorable mention: $150
Director’s Choice: $150
People’s Choice: $100
ABOUT WATERWORKS:
Miles City, Montana’s WaterWorks Art Museum is located along the banks of the Yellowstone River. It was constructed in 1910 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. WAM’s art galleries are housed in the renovated former water basins that produced Miles City's drinking water for over 60 years. Open to the public since 1977, WaterWorks Art Museum is a Non-Profit organization and open to the public.
ELIGIBILITY:
Entries must be original works of art, entirely the entrant’s work, and executed within the last two years. Open to artists nationwide.
CONDITIONS:
Entries will be selected for the exhibition from digital images only. Digital images are not to include matting or frame. Artwork must be a minimum of 12” on one side, height or width. Artwork should not exceed 60” in any direction. For best results, make sure your image is 1920 (min 800) pixels @ 72dpi on the longest side. Images should be in JPEG format, sRGB color, and under 4 mb. If you have trouble with your submissions, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351..
TRAVELING COLLECTION:
A committee will select approximately 25 pieces for a representative smaller exhibition that will travel to galleries/art centers in eastern Montana for the remainder of 2026. Please indicate if you wish to be considered for the traveling show when completing your entry. You will be asked before checking out. There is a size limitation on this collection.
SALES:
• If artwork is sold, the Art Center will retain a 35% commission.
• All items sold included in the traveling collection must remain as part of the exhibition
until its conclusion.
• All works will be available for purchase onsite and online. Work must be for sale.
LIABILITY:
By submitting artwork, the artist understands and agrees that the WaterWorks Art Museum is not liable for loss or any damage to artwork. All art will be handled with the utmost care and professionalism. Artwork is insured while at the WaterWorks Museum. Shipping insurance is the responsibility of the artist. While at the WAM, the art is insured.
FRAMING & PRESENTATION:
All 2D and 3D work must be ready to hang by gallery standards, if applicable. Frames must be in good condition and undamaged. Matting is optional. 3D work that hangs must have the appropriate device for installation.
ENTERING YOUR IMAGES:
All entries are submitted through OnlineJuriedShows.com. Log in and click Enter This Show above to begin your submissions. Digital images of work submitted are to be included in the entry process. Submitted images must not include matting or frame. Be sure your pictures are right side up. Please ccartc@midrivers.com to your safe senders’ list.
DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED WORK
Accepted Works may be shipped or hand-delivered to: USPS / FEDEX / UPS
The artist will be responsible for all shipping costs and arrangements to and from the WAM. Shipped entries must be sent in reusable containers, as WAM will send each piece back in the original packing when available.
Artists are responsible for arranging return shipping to the origin’s address through their local USPS/FedEx/UPS or another shipping office. Shipping insurance is the responsibility of the artist. The WAM is not responsible for works lost, stolen, or damaged once picked up by the shipper. Check with your local shipper for prepaid return labels; call tag systems and printable shipping labels. Artists not interested in the Traveling Collection are encouraged to include the return label with the shipment or provide the WAM with a prepaid label before the exhibition’s close. If you indicate that you would like your piece to be considered for the Traveling Collection, please note that some prepaid shipping labels expire. For questions, please email ccartc@midrivers.com or call (406) 234-0635.