Glorious Pastels 2026
Iowa Pastel Society
Members-only show
Open to submit entries beginning June 1, 2026*
We are excited to offer this show to our loyal members. There has been an uptick in participation in these online shows the past couple of years. Our judges have been impressed by the quality of artwork by Iowa pastelists. We are eager to see more spectacular paintings from you this year.
___________________________________________
Awards
First place: $350
Second place: $200
Third place: $100
Merit award(2): $75@
Honorable mention(2): $50@
Prospectus
ELIGIBILITY:
· The show is open to artists 18 or older.
· Dry pastels only. No oil pastels
· All artwork must be predominantly (80%) dry pastel.
· All eligible paintings entered into this show will be accepted into the online exhibition and considered for awards.
· Paintings must have been created within the last two years and not having received an award in previous IPS shows.
· Artwork must be original and personally executed, not copied from other artists or from published or copyrighted materials. Participants are discouraged from using reference photos taken by another photographer.
· Paintings completed in a workshop are not eligible, regardless of reference or real-life setup.
· All subjects and styles are eligible. If you have any questions about our policy regarding artwork depicting nude figures submitted to exhibits, please contact David Yurdin, IPS president at david@iowapastelsociety.org.
· IPS reserves the right to refuse any entry for objectionable depictions.
· Each photo of the painting(s) submitted must accurately represent the original painting.
· There are no size restrictions for paintings in this online contest.
· Paintings do not have to be for sale. If not for sale, indicate “NFS” in the value box.
· The value or NFS status cannot be changed once entered.
· If a patron inquires about purchasing a painting, we will direct them to the artist to close the sale.
· IPS receives no sales commission in this show.
· Paintings cannot be removed once submitted to the exhibit.
· The judge’s decision on awards is final. If the selected judge must withdraw, IPS reserves the right to choose a replacement.
· Once the show opens, it will be available to view online in the ”published shows” section of OnlineJuriedShows.com and our website.
*IMPORTANT DATES:
June 1, 2026: Open to submit entries
July 31, 2026: Closed to submit at the end of day
Week of August 14, 2026: Live online awards event hosted by IPS. The show will be open to public viewing after the show, until September 7.
ABOUT OUR JUDGE:
Laura Pollak is an Award Winning full time, professional fine artist. She has attained Master Circle Status with the International Association of Pastel Societies as well as Signature Status of the Pastel Society of America, Pastel Society of the West Coast, Pastel Society of North Carolina, and Master Painter of the Southeastern Pastel Society. Laura is a newly juried member of Women Artists of the West, [an exclusive group of 300 women in the Western Hemisphere].
She is the past president of the Pastel Society of North Carolina and the founder of PATiO or Pastel Artists Teaching Internationally Online... [a group which began during COVID, dedicated to instructing other Pastel Artists how to teach online]. Laura has juried and judged a number of national and international shows. She has been a sought after teacher both in person and online with artists studying with her from around the globe.
“My art is a continual search for my place in the universe. Forces of nature excite me! I paint both landscapes and abstracts, as one informs the other. From the earth beneath my feet, the mountains in front of me, to the magic dust of the constellations where life began. My goal is to find the commonality of them all.”
PROCEDURE FOR ENTRY: Please read these instructions carefully.
All entries must be submitted online in JPG format through OnlineJuriedShows. Log in and click Enter This Show to begin. Make sure all photos are clear and cropped to only include the artwork, no frames, background, and no glass reflections. Images must be smaller than 4 MB, and for best results they should be 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi. Images should be no less than 800 pixels on the longest size. The judge sees full-size images.
Your submission may not be edited after the submission deadline.
For help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.
ENTRY FEES:
Members: Fee $30 for 2 entries. IPS Member dues must be current for 2026. Dues of $30 must be paid online on our website at IPS Membership page prior to entry on the Entry fees are non-refundable.
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY:
Submission of entry shall constitute understanding and agreement with all rules stated in this prospectus. The Iowa Pastel Society, its officers, members, and representatives will not be responsible for errors in entry. Please read the instructions carefully. Entry constitutes the agreement granting IPS reproduction rights of your photos for the purpose of advertising this exhibit online and on social media.
EXHIBITION QUESTIONS: Please direct questions to Online Shows chairperson David Yurdin at david@iowapastelsociety.org. For questions or problems with the online site, or for help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.