Deadline for entry: July 17, 2026
Venue
This exhibition is ONLINE only.
Eligible Work
- The show is open to all artists residing in the United States** and working in the soft pastel medium, not oil pastels.
- Work must be at least 80% soft pastel.
- It cannot be painted over an AI-created or a mechanical reproduction.
- Work must not use any varnish or finish except traditional pastel fixative.
- Work must have been completed within the past three years and must be original. It can be neither copied from works or photographs by others, nor done in a classroom, workshop, or under the supervision of an instructor.
**A NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS**
This exhibit is only open to artists living in the United States.
A painting is NOT ELIGIBLE for entry if…
- It won an award at IAPS, PSA, or any other national/international open juried Pastel Society Exhibit. (e.g. Pastel Society of Southern California)
- It was accepted into a national/international open juried Pastel Society Exhibit that runs concurrently with ConneCTing with CPS, either online or in person. *Many of the online shows are up on the Internet for an entire year, so please be aware of that.
- It was exhibited in a former Connecticut Pastel Society Exhibit, whether national or the CPS Members Exhibit.
A painting is ELIGIBLE for entry if…
- It has won an award in a Pastel Society MEMBER Exhibit (e.g. Pastel Society of the West Coast MEMBERS Exhibit).
- It won an award at an exhibit that includes all mediums (e.g. Allied Artists of America, Salmagundi, or AAPL).
**If any of the above rules are not followed the piece will not be included and a one-year ban on entering will be imposed.
Entry and Fees
All entries must be submitted through ShowSubmit.com. No CDs or emailed images will be accepted. Each artist may submit up to three images, but only one may be accepted. Incorrectly labeled or incorrectly sized work will be disqualified. Changes in the price of the painting between entry and receiving will not be honored.
Entry fees must be paid online by credit card at time of submission, and are non-refundable.
Entry fees must be paid online by credit card at time of submission, and are non-refundable.
Members:
$45 for up to 3 digital images.
2026 dues must be paid.
Non-members:
$55 for up to 3 digital images.
Image Preparation
Take a very level, high quality image and crop the photo until only the painting image is visible. Do not
make enhancements to your image. Save the image as a jpg. Additional how-to details are on the CPS website’s entry page.
Additional Information
- All entrants will receive an email notification of acceptance/decline by Monday, August 3, 2026
- Submission of your work for this exhibition constitutes your acceptance and agreement for granting reproduction rights to CPS for this exhibition.
Juror of Selection & Awards Judge
Robert Carsten, PSA-MP; IAPS MC
Studied at the Art Students League of NY; is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design; and a scholar to the Academia di Belle Arti in Carrara, Italy. He is a Signature, Master Pastelist and Honorary Board Member in the Pastel Society of America; a Master Circle pastelist in the International Assoc. of Pastel Societies (IAPS); and has been a contributing writer to Pastel Journal for over two decades. He also writes for Artist’s Magazine and Watercolor Magazine. Robert has juried and judged numerous exhibitions and his work is widely collected in public and private collections, nationally and internationally.
Studied at the Art Students League of NY; is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design; and a scholar to the Academia di Belle Arti in Carrara, Italy. He is a Signature, Master Pastelist and Honorary Board Member in the Pastel Society of America; a Master Circle pastelist in the International Assoc. of Pastel Societies (IAPS); and has been a contributing writer to Pastel Journal for over two decades. He also writes for Artist’s Magazine and Watercolor Magazine. Robert has juried and judged numerous exhibitions and his work is widely collected in public and private collections, nationally and internationally.
Awards
First Place $300
Second Place $200
Third Place $100
Honorable Mention $50
Connecticut Pastel Society Officers
President: Karen Suponski
Vice President: Steve Brunetti
Secretary: Jessica Turgoose
Treasurer: Heather Quay
Membership: Jane Penfield
Exhibition Co-Chairs: Christine Ivers, Leslie Stewart, Don Arsenault, Karen Suponski
For information, contact:
Christine Ivers, [email protected]
Leslie Stewart, [email protected]
Don Arsenault, [email protected]
Karen Suponski, [email protected]
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on August 3, 2026.
If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.
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 (July 17, 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.
Support
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact Karen Suponski ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, CPS, eligibility, artwork requirements, 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.