About
Art entries that are something to experience with wonder.
Venue
IUP Museum of Art
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
1011 South Drive
Indiana, PA 15705
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
1011 South Drive
Indiana, PA 15705
Curator
James Rickard
James Rickard is an artist, playwright, teacher, and museum curator for the IUP University Museum.
Upon graduating from college, he moved to the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains where he taught art in Culpeper, Virginia before settling in Montgomery County, Maryland. He kept busy by teaching high school art and French and writing art curriculum at a fine arts academy. In 2015, he moved back to Indiana, PA where he taught art at St. Bernard's Learning Center.
When he was not teaching, he worked as a print model in Washington DC and wrote the two-act play "Something Mutant", which was published in 2009 by Playscripts, Inc. and debuted in 2014 in Kansas. His one-act play "Piaget's Revenge" was performed in 2006.
As a professional artist, he works in watercolor, acrylic, and installations. His work has been shown in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, and at Arizona State University where in 2018 he was a guest artist. He has presented at the Maryland Art Education Association Conference and was a guest judge for the Rare Artist Competition on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. He also worked as a background actor for TV, movies, and commercials.
He currently sits on the IUP University Museum Board, where he is the Vice President, the Evergreen After School Club Board, where he is President, the United Way of Indiana County Board, the Foundation for the Arc Board, and volunteers with Downtown Indiana. He formerly served on the Indiana Arts Council Board as President, the Indiana County Conservation District Board, and on the IUP Leadership Society Advancement Council. He has volunteered for the Visiting Nurses Association, Hopeful Hearts as a grief advocate, and Big Hearts Little Hands as a mentor.
Artist Eligibility
Open to all mediums and all paid NAWAPA members.
Artwork Requirements
- 3–5 artworks per artist.
- Work must be original.
- Work must be under 8x8 ft in size and weigh no more than 40-50 lbs.
- 2D piece must be exhibit ready, professionally presented and ready to hang (no sawtooth).
- 3D works must be exhibit ready and come with clear presentation instructions. Pedestals available.
- Artwork cannot be suspended from room ceiling.
- Artwork must be for sale. No NFS or POR.
- Original art based upon another's intellectual property is not eligible for entry in NAWA exhibitions, even if permission has been obtained from the source.
- Artwork generated through artificial intelligence based upon a third party's intellectual property will not be accepted.
- Artificial Intelligence ("AI") assisted, as a minor component (not entirely AI generated or underpainted) and digital media are acceptable if labeled with "digital" and/or "AI assisted" somewhere in the medium label. Original digital artwork is acceptable as a fine-quality printout.
- If AI is determined by the submission and not declared, it will be disqualified. Please be honest about your chosen medium.
Entry Fee
- NAWAPA Members Only: $30 for 3 works. $5 each additional.
- Up to 5 works.
Liability & Sales
Work must be for sale; NFS is not allowed.
NAWAPA receives 5% of sales price exclusive of tax; artist receives 95% of sales exclusive of tax. See NAWAPA Waiver for Liability.
Entry Agreement
Entry Agreement (National Association of Women Artists Pennsylvania Chapter - NAWAPA)
The entry application will serve as the entrant's agreement to all conditions (including the waiver below) set forth in this prospectus. Entries will be disqualified for failure to follow these instructions.
NAWAPA Waiver
Please read carefully, your delivery signifies agreement with nawapa.
My application for entry into the Indiana University of Pennsylvania ("IUP") exhibition entitled "The World Is A Mystery," located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, binds me to the agreement as stated below, and I am to hold available said artwork from date of acceptance until the closing of the exhibition on Friday, March 5, 2027.
In consideration of the display of my artwork, I hereby declare I am the owner and creator of the original artwork being submitted by me, both as to the artwork's physical manifestation and the copyright of the artwork. I accept full responsibility for any casualty of any kind while in the NAWAPA exhibition at iup.
I understand that my work may not be included if it fails to meet professional presentation standards (as determined by the Exhibitions Committee), including but not limited to unprofessional framing, sawtooth hangers (must be professionally wired), or delivering wrong work.
I hereby waive any and all claims against NAWAPA, as well as their employees, officers, directors, and committee personnel. Nevertheless, for the purpose of this agreement, I agree that the stated value of the artwork shall be One U.S. Dollar (1 USD, $1), in the event of any loss or damage to the piece of artwork.
I agree to allow an image of my artwork to be exhibited or to be used without charge for advertising and/or promotion in the furtherance of the Exhibition, and for other purposes including, but not limited to traditional media, social media, website, as well as for public relations, prior to and/or during or after the Exhibition. My work is to be available for sale at the price hereinbefore agreed on. I agree that if my work is sold during the exhibition, I will pay NAWAPA 5% within 7 days of the sale, and I will retain 95% of the selling price.
Point of release clause: the work on exhibition is considered part of the exhibition from the point of delivery (between Sunday, January 3 – Saturday, January 16, 2027) and the close of the exhibition (Friday, March 5, 2027). NAWAPA retains the right of discretion not to exhibit artworks if they do not meet the requirements of NAWAPA show standards, or contain any inflammatory or offensive materials.
Labels: NAWAPA is a not-for-profit art organization, and as such will not list anything other than the name of the artist, the title of the work, its dimensions, medium, and price on the labels.
In the event of a dispute with regard to this Waiver Agreement, we agree that all disputes must be adjudicated in a State Court in the County, City, and State of Pennsylvania, under the Laws of the Commonwealth of PA, without regard to choice of law rules.
Note: The use of the National Association of Women Artists, Inc.'s logo, or NAWAPA, without prior written permission is prohibited. The use of the registered Trademark Seal and the logo of the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. or NAWAPA for any personal or business use on any documents, postcards, invitations, and other promotional materials and communications is a violation of law.
Signature below shows I agree to the policies of this Waiver and those that indemnify iup.
Upon entering this competition, Artist agrees to the policies of this Waiver.
Submission of art shows Artist agrees:
- to the policies of this Waiver,
- those that indemnify NAWA and nawapa,
- that all fees are non-refundable,
- submission of art does not guarantee acceptance by the Venue.
Image and Filename Specifications
- File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
- Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
- Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
- Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
- File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
- File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.
Additional Entry Information
- You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
- After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (November 6, 2026.)
- Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
- Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Notifications Are Posted in Your Account
Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on November 9, 2026. You will also receive an email.
Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.
Support
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact Lolly Owens, NAWAPA President, 509-336-9622 ([email protected]) or Mandi Moerland, Exhibition Committee Chair, 850-559-1341 ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, NAWAPA, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, sales, etc.
Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.