15th Annual International Exhibition of Scratchboard Art - 2026

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Ironwood Gallery

2021 N Kinney Rd

Tucson, AZ 85743

·         Full Exhibition Dates: Oct 3 – Dec. 6, 2026

·         ISSA Show Reception/Awards: Friday, Oct 2, 2pm-4pm

·         Seminars/Presentations:  Sat. & Sun., Oct 3-4 9am-4pm

·         Supplemental “Learn from a Master” workshops on Oct 1 and 5 (See very end of prospectus for more info)

SHOW ENTRY DEADLINE: June 15, 2026

Submit Exhibition Entries Online on: OnlineJuriedShows

Exhibition Directors Contact Information:

Cathy Sheeter: hawkcall@hotmail.com

Danna Fruetel: dfruetel@gmail.com

The 15th annual International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) exhibition is an international art competition dedicated to presenting scratchboard as a fine art medium. This competition allows Active, Signature and Master members of ISSA the opportunity to exhibit their work and compete with other artists working in the same medium, as well as having their work seen by the public in a high-quality venue. At least $6500 in cash prizes will be awarded!

Persons not following the rules laid out in this prospectus will have their work excluded without further consideration. Please read it over carefully!

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Definition of Scratchboard Art:

The Scratchboard technique is a two-dimensional, subtractive process. It involves the use of abrasive tools to directly remove a surface layer of one value (typically dark) to expose a second layer of a contrasting value (typically white). The values within the artwork are predominantly achieved by varying the amount of surface layer that has been scratched away or left. The texture and form of all key compositional elements within the artwork must be created by subtractive removal, not exclusively by the addition of paint or ink. Reapplying transparent mediums over the scratching is permissible, but the underlying scratches must remain visible. Works may be color or black and white.

Eligibility: This contest is open only to hand-drawn scratchboard artwork but may include any subject matter or style. The exhibition is only open to Active, Signature, and Master Members of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists in good standing. Submitted works must have been completed in the past five years.   All artworks must be original work executed by the submitting artist and any works based on photographs not taken by the artist MUST have the photographer’s written permission before entering that work.  

The following list below is NOT PERMITTED to be submitted to ISSA Annual Exhibitions:

•  Works created from images not taken by you and that you don’t have specific written permission from the original photographer.

•  Works completed in workshops, from a kit, or where pre-drawn patterns have been used

•  Works created from word-prompt generated Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs as the primary reference (You may use your own photos with minor AI expansion of an edge, but are not permitted to use an image for a work where you type words in a prompt, and it generates an entire AI image from ‘thin air’).

•  Art created with the use of a laser, digital ‘scratchboards’, or other artificial means of scratching not done directly by the hand of the submitting artist

•  Works submitted and accepted to prior ISSA exhibitions or submitted to any ISSA past Online Show may not be submitted again. 

Works submitted, but not accepted, into previous annual shows may be resubmitted if all other criteria above are met.

All selected works are expected to be framed in a professional, gallery-quality manner. No metal frames. Works that have mat board used as either matting or as a backing for a float frame must be behind glass or plexiglass. Artwork must not extend beyond the depth of a float frame. Take pride in your work and set it off with high-quality framing! Poor quality framing may result in your work being excluded from the show.

Works must be equipped with D-rings and hanging wire, no saw tooth hangers. Works may be behind plexiglass, glass, or framed without cover. Works not covered must have adequate layers of a protective varnish to avoid the risk of incidental scratches in regular handling of your work. Works shipped with glass should have the glass taped for shipping and MUST be in a padded Airfloat/Masterpak type box with at least 2” of foam padding around the perimeter of the frame.  ISSA Can not guarantee that glass will be taped by the gallery for return of the work, and the artist assumes all risk of damages if using glass. 

Sales: Works that are for sale and are sold while at the exhibition will have a 30% commission taken by the event host, ASDM.  Works will be sold in US dollars so please price accordingly taking commission and exchange rates (if needed) into consideration. Not-for-sale works are permitted.

Minimum Pricing: - All artwork that is available for sale must be priced at a minimum price of $350 to be considered for inclusion. If your work is worthy of being in a professional art show, it should be worthy of a professional price.

Divisions:

Open – This category is open to all Active and Signature members of ISSA. Members must be current on 2026 dues by June 5.  Artists who are not current on membership by that date are not eligible to enter.  Artists may submit up to three entries, but unless there is an insufficient number of works submitted, no more than two will be accepted.

Master – A category for existing ISSA Master Members in good standing. ISSA Master Members may submit up to two works to the exhibition without being juried or paying a jury fee. MSA must still submit the entry form with the information and image of the completed artwork(s) that they intend to send to the exhibition by the entry deadline. No Work-In-Progress images are permitted - please only submit completed works.

Approximately 60 total works shall be selected for the exhibition, depending on the size of the work submitted, including both Open and Master divisions.

Entry Fees for Open Division: There is a $35 entry fee that allows exhibitors to submit up to three works, but no person shall have more than two works accepted for the exhibition. Entry fees are non-refundable and must be paid by the entry deadline.

Awards: A minimum of $6500 in prizes will be awarded between both Master and Open Divisions. Each division is judged separately.

Entry Submission Process: Jurying will be completed from digital images only. Submit only one photograph of each image being entered. A good quality image of your work is very important to the jury. Images should be in focus and adjusted to show proper contrast, minimal glare, and accurate colors. Images must be cropped to show only the artwork; all framing and background should be excluded. For best results, make sure your image is 1920 pixels at 72 dpi on the longest side (no more than 4MB). Images should be in JPG format and sRGB color space. There is no specific file naming protocol. Help photographing your work and properly sizing your images can be found at: www.OnlineJuriedShows.com/help.aspx. If you need help entering your images or are unable to, please email onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or call 888-666-1351. All entries are to be submitted online on OnlineJuriedShows. Log in above and click Enter This Show to begin your submissions. All entry fees must be paid by the entry deadline.

Jurors: Three ISSA Master Scratchboard Artists (MSA) will be assigned by the ISSA Board of Directors to jury the exhibition and assign awards to the open division. Up to three outside jurors will judge the Master division.

Jury Notification: Results from the jury shall be available by logging into your OnlineJuriedShows account around July 15, 2026. Results are no longer sent by email.

Shipping Selected works will be due between September 20- September 25^th (Intl works may arrive earlier).  Additional shipping details will be on the acceptance letter which can be downloaded on your OnlineJuriedShows account with your jury results.

Shipping cost to the show is the responsibility of the artist, including all insurance, international fees, and shipping costs. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum will pay the return shipping of any unsold artworks. International shipping can be very expensive, so we recommend you check with your preferred shipping carrier to get a price estimate if you are planning to submit and ship large artworks from outside the United States before you submit the work for jury.  Works will be packed up and returned/shipped from the Desert Museum the week of December 7.

Opening Reception Event: There will be an opening reception at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum on Friday Oct 2 from 2-4 PM; at this time awards will be presented. All ISSA members and their guests are encouraged to attend (even if you don’t have work in the show). The ASDM address is located at the top of the prospectus.  Seminars on Saturday and Sunday will also be at the ASDM.

Additional Information: All accepted works MUST be sent to the show. If your work is juried in, and not sent, it will result in the artists’ exclusion from all exhibitions for the following two years. All accepted work must match the submitted images. Submitted images may be used for exhibition publicity purposes, including but not limited to postcards, posters, and promotional images on the ISSA or ASDM website or social media. The artist will be credited for images used whenever possible. ISSA also prints a catalog of selected works.

ISSA reserves the right to exclude work that does not match the submitted digital image, arrives damaged, or is poorly framed. Works that when viewed in person do not meet ISSA’s definition of scratchboard will also be excluded from the show.

Reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety of artwork while in our possession. However, ISSA nor the ASDM will be held liable for any damage or loss during the shipping of artwork. Works will be insured by ASDM for 70% of retail price while being exhibited.  Works need to be insured by the artist for shipping. ISSA and ASDM will not accept nor be held liable for any work damaged in shipment.

Good Luck to all!

Learn from a Master Workshops!

Supplemental Day-long Workshops – Limited to 16 students.

October 1 – Cathy Sheeter, MSA – “Play on Clay” – An introduction to working on Claybord using scratchboard techniques.

October 5 – Ann Ranlett, MSA – “Scratch it Further” – Work with Ann on projects you have started but need advice on how to proceed or take it to the next level.

Enrollment for these classes will be through the ASDM by calling them at  (520) 883-3024 or emailing arts@desertmuseum.org starting on July 1, 2026. Please mention you are an ISSA member.  Preferential enrollment will be given to ISSA members who enroll between July 1 to Aug 3, so we suggest you sign up early to ensure your spot in these classes.  After Aug 3 it will also be open to non-ISSA ASDM students with scratchboard experience.

Please note these are day-long working classes, and separate from our weekend seminars, with a separate fee and enrollment process.  Details on out weekend seminars for Oct 3-4 will be announced later.