Pikes Peak Pastel Society Presents

LUMINOSITY

A National Pastel Exhibition

We invite all artists who reside in the US or Canada, and who create original fine art in soft (dry) pastel to submit their artwork to our juried Luminosity show, a Pikes Peak Pastel Society National Pastel Exhibition. The exhibit begins on October 2, 2026 and ends on October 29, 2026. Library 21C in Colorado Springs, Colorado will host the exhibit.

ELIGIBILITY & GUIDELINES

Open to all artists who paint using soft (dry) pastel (80% of the piece entered must be soft (dry) pastel; no oil pastels).

The size of each painting is limited to 36 inches wide by 48 inches high (including frame). No nudes, giclée prints, or digital artwork; no works created under supervision (workshop or class) are eligible. No diptychs and triptychs are allowed. Paintings that have won an award at any national level exhibition are not eligible. Artwork displayed in any previous PPPS juried exhibition is not eligible.

Artwork may have neutral mats; no colored mats allowed. All work must have been created in the last two years. Artwork must be original – no work copied from published work, copyrighted images, or photos taken by anyone other than the artist is allowed.  

Any reference photos used to produce submitted artworks must have been physically taken by the artist. By submitting paintings to the show, each artist certifies that they took any applicable reference photographs from which the work was produced, either in whole or in part. Each artist agrees that upon request from PPPS, they will provide a digital copy of the reference photo(s) used and any other information related to the photo(s) that PPPS requests in order to prove source of origination.

Artwork must be framed and ready to hang. All work accepted for display must meet the following criteria: Framed art must have wire to hang. Sawtooth hangers will not be accepted.  Wire must be attached to hangers on the frame. Eye screws are acceptable for small pieces with little weight. Two- or four-hole hangers with wire are preferred. 

Selection is not guaranteed. The juror has the final decision and reserves the right to reject any piece. Paintings that have been juried into the show must remain on display in the exhibit until pick-up on October 30, 2026. Works juried into the show and not delivered for the exhibit will prohibit the artist’s entry in future PPPS sponsored exhibits for two years.

ENTRY FEES

For PPPS members, the entry fee is $40 for up to 3 paintings. For non-members the entry fee is $55 for up to 3 paintings.  Additional paintings (above the initial 3) may be submitted for $15 each.

ARTWORK SALES

All entered artworks must be for sale. Payments will be made directly by the buyers  to  the artists. Each artist is responsible for collecting applicable taxes and arranging for delivery to the buyer.

LUMINOSITY SHOW ENTRIES

Submit all entries through OnlineJuriedShows. Log in and click Enter This Show above to begin. The entry form must be filled out in its entirety, including unframed dimensions (or size), framed dimensions (if not known, estimate), medium, and price. List sizes up to the nearest half inch. Submitted images must not include matting or frame. Crop the photos to include only the artwork. Be sure your images are right side up.

Images should be in JPEG format, sRGB color space. For best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi. Help with 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.

JUROR

We are excited to have Lisa Ober as our juror and judge of awards. She is a pastel artist from St. Louis, Missouri who is acclaimed in multiple genres of pastel painting, including portraits and still life. Ober is a workshop teacher and founder/ board member of Heartland Art Club in St. Louis. Her work has appeared in publications including The Pastel Journal and Southwest Art. She has enjoyed numerous awards in the Pastel 100, an international pastel competition sponsored by The Pastel Journal. She has won a top award in the prestigious PastelWorld, a competition and exhibit held at the International Association of Pastel Societies’ (IAPS) Biennial Convention. She has been asked to create a portrait pastel set for Unison Pastels. Collectors have recognized her work for its clever content, exquisite realism and detail. Ober enjoys making pastels "behave" the way she envisions as she endeavors to use the medium in fresh new ways. Ober is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and an IAPS Master’s Circle member.

AWARDS

Total cash and sponsor prizes will equal at least $3,500 in value.

Cash Awards

·         Best in Show $750

·         First Place - $500

·         Second Place - $250

Sponsored Awards

·         Academy Art & Frame Award

·         Terry Ludwig Award

·         Clairefontaine/PastelMat Award

·         Earthberry Award

·         Jack Richeson & Co Award

·         FrameTek/Art Spacers Award

·         UART Pastel Paper  Award

Honorable Mention Awards

Upon review of the entries, a number of Honorable Mention Awards may also be recognized. 

Prizes will accompany all awards with our heartfelt thanks to our terrific sponsors listed above, and also Diane Townsend, LederEasel, Airfloat Systems, Holbein Artist Materials, and Pastels Girault.  Additional sponsor awards may be added later.

CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT DATES

SHIPPING – Additional Information

Artists shipping entries will be charged a $25 handling fee. Shipped art must be packed in a sturdy box meant to ship artwork, such as a U-Line or Airfloat. Art shipped any other way will result in the artist being charged an additional fee.  All shipped entries must include a pre-paid return shipping label. Please pack work carefully and ship it with adequate insurance. If a painting is sold during the show, the shipping box will be returned to the artist.

MARKING ARTWORKS FOR DISPLAY

All accepted artworks must be securely labeled on the back (top) with: 

·         Artist’s name

·         Artwork Title

·         Price

·         Artist’s Phone

·         Size (including frame)

DISCLAIMER/LEGAL
Pikes Peak Pastel Society reserves the right to use images of entries for publicity with credits to the artist. Care will be taken to protect all artwork, but please note that the artist assumes the risk of loss or damage to the artwork while the it is in the custody of the Pikes Peak Pastel Society or the Pikes Peak Library District. The artist is responsible for making appropriate insurance arrangements.