Pastel Society of North Carolina
Exhibition artwork

Pastel Society of North Carolina

Pure Color 2026

10th International Online Juried Exhibition

August 1 – 31, 2026

Deadline is July 1st.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Apr 23rd.

About the Exhibition

Open to soft pastel artists only—and it’s completely online.

Awards

  • Best in Show $1,000
  • Second in Show $800
  • Third in Show $600
  • PSA Award $300
  • Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod $175
  • Piedmont Pastel Society Award $150
  • Three Honorable Mentions $100 each

Juror and Judge of Awards

Tanya Avchinnikova
Tanya is a pastel artist based in the UK. She is a member of The Pastel Society and Signature Artist of The Pastel Society of America. Tactile sensation, direct communication with pure pigment, freedom of applying it on surface straight away, are what Tonya loves about pastel.

“In my works, I try to create the illusion of presence and deep unity with nature, ... to see the traces of “invisible” things, catch them and paint them.”

Tanya is a recipient of multiple International awards including PSA Enduring Brilliance ‘52, McKinley/Robertson Award for the Advancement of Pastel, 2024, New York and Henry Roche Award, Pastel Society, 2025, London. She has several publications in prestigious magazines and exhibits in the UK and USA.

Entry Fee

  • Member Fee: $30 for up to three (3) images for current members of the Pastel Society of North Carolina; $10 for each additional image.
  • Non-Member Fee: $50 for up to three (3) images for non-PSNC members; $10 for each additional image.
  • A total of six (6) entries allowed per artist.
Note to All Entrants: While a limit of two (2) entries per artist may be accepted, acceptance is not guaranteed.

If you would like to become a member of the Pastel Society of North Carolina, visit our website: pastelsocietyofnc.com. Annual dues are $50.

Eligibility Requirements

Please read carefully before entering:
  • To be eligible to enter PSNC Pure Color, you must be at least 18 years old.
  • 80% of exposed surface must be dry pastel.
  • Work previously accepted into any prior Pure Color International Online Exhibition is NOT ELIGIBLE. Please do NOT enter a painting into Pure Color 2026 that has been previously accepted to another CURRENT juried exhibition. The painting will be removed from consideration and you will not be eligible for an award. There will be a penalty with no eligibility for entering Pure Color for two (2) years.
  • The exhibition is open to PSNC members and non-members worldwide. Images will be juried anonymously, with awards selected by the exhibition judge. Acceptance is not guaranteed.

Show Rules

  • Must be entirely the work of the artist and not copied from another artist’s work, photos or publication.
  • Must not be AI generated.
  • May not be glazed works with a finished surface of matte acrylic, resin or solvent varnish.
  • The artwork’s final layer must be 80% soft pastel. No oil pastels, please.
  • Artwork must be original and personally executed, not copied from other artists or from published or copyrighted materials, or from someone else’s real life/still life setup or photo.
  • Artists working from reference photographs must use their own photo that they have personally taken. Paintings using photos taken by another photographer, even used with permission, will not be accepted.
  • Works that appear to duplicate or be a close derivative of a painting previously accepted into any PSNC show will not be eligible.
  • Paintings of nudes will be considered.
  • Artists who enter a painting which shows a recognizable likeness (face or figure) must have a signed model release from the person portrayed in the painting, giving the artist permission to exhibit the painting in a public forum.
  • If a work is not for sale, enter “NFS” on the entry form price field.
  • Artwork may not have been accomplished in a directed, step-by-step class or workshop.
  • Artwork must be originally drawn and not created on top of any type of photographic image.
  • There are no size limitations.
  • A maximum of two (2) paintings per artist may be accepted into the show.
  • An artist is eligible to receive a maximum of one (1) award.

Sales

  • Each artist is responsible for any sales transactions. Once the image is entered and paid for using ShowSubmit, it is considered entered in the show. You may edit your entry text and image prior to entry close date.
  • There is no commission on sales. Artists are responsible for their own sales tax. • Prices may not be changed after the entry deadline.

Promotional Agreement

Artist agrees to allow the Pastel Society of North Carolina and ShowSubmit to reproduce the accepted paintings on their websites and for advertising and promotional purposes only. No images will be used or published for any purpose except as stated above.

Agreement and Liability

Submission of online entry form and fee shall constitute agreement with all conditions set forth in this prospectus.

PSNC reserves the right to exclude any artwork deemed offensive, or any artwork that violates the laws of the United States or of state and local governments. PSNC reserves the right to refuse artwork that does not meet with any show rules or requirements even though accepted by the juror.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on July 20, 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 1, 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 Douglas Stewart ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, PSNC, 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.