Philadelphia Water Color Society
Exhibition artwork

Philadelphia Water Color Society

2026 Members Show

May 1 – June 1, 2026

Deadline is March 16th.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Feb 2nd.

About the Exhibition

If you are a PWCS member, this is an opportunity to showcase your work with one of the oldest and the most prestigious watercolor societies in the U.S., the Philadelphia Water Color Society. It is also a chance to compete for cash awards, and potentially, sell your work.

This is an Online Show. There will not be an in-person show this year.

Awards

  • 1st Place - $500
  • 2nd Place - $300
  • 3rd Place - $200
  • 5 Awards of merit - $100 each
  • 5 Honorable Mention Awards - $50 each
Artists may receive no more than one award in this exhibition. Artists will be notified by email by Monday, April 20, 2026 if their work is selected for an award.

Juror of Awards

Annie Strack earned Signature Membership in more than three dozen organizations including the International Society of Marine Painters and International Plein Air Painters and she’s an Official Authorized Artist for the USCG. She exhibits internationally and has been featured in 24 solo shows. An experienced commercial artist, she created designs for countless businesses and produced architectural renderings for architects and contractors. She authored The Artists Guide to Business & Marketing and was Contributing Editor at Professional Artist Magazine for over a decade. She’s an artist materials expert and represents artist supply companies to present programs at schools, art centers, and stores. Her paintings have received hundreds of awards and hang in over 1,000 collections worldwide including the USCG, Navy, Pentagon, Senate, and VA. She travels around the world to teach workshops, jury shows, and paint en plein air.

Her website is anniestrackart.com.

Entry Fee

  • PWCS Members may submit up to 2 paintings
  • $25 per artist, for 1-2 paintings
PWCS membership dues for 2026 must be paid-in-full to gain entry to the Show. To check your membership, login to our website: pwcs.wildapricot.org and click on your name at the top of the screen to learn about your current status.

Entries may be submitted any time from Monday, February 2, 2026 through Monday, March 16, 2026. All entries must be received by the end of the day (11:59pm EST) on Monday, March 16, 2026 to be considered for the Show.

Works Eligible

  • All work must be original and on paper. PWCS is one of the few art societies that accepts “Works on Paper” to include water media, drawings, pastel, charcoal, graphite, acrylic, gouache, colored pencil, pen/ink and hand-pulled prints.
  • Collage elements must be of paper, and any image or color on collage papers must be the work of the artist.
  • No oils, photographic, digital, electronic processes or computer art will be accepted.
  • No work previously exhibited in any PWCS exhibition will be accepted.

    Entries must be no older than 3 years (completed 2023–2026    ) and must not have been done under teacher supervision.
  • All works must be original, not based on another artist’s work, published material, or another person’s photograph.
  • All works must be available throughout the exhibition period and not exhibited (including online) in any other show during this time.
  • Works can either be offered for sale or not-for-sale.
  • All entries that meet the submission criteria will be included in the show and forwarded to the Juror-of-Awards.

Selection for the PWCS Online Members Show

All entries meeting the eligibility criteria in this prospectus will be presented online and considered for awards. The exhibition will be available through the PWCS website, and will be highlighted in various social media at the same time. Artwork selected for an award may be used for promotional purposes on our website and social media throughout the year.
Note that selection for the PWCS Members show does not count toward qualification for PWCS Signature Membership, as outlined on the PWCS website.

Sales

Works may be for sale or not-for-sale. (Sales price will be listed online.) Prices cannot be changed once submitted and all works offered for sale must remain available for sale through the end of the exhibition. All sales made during the Online Members Show will be between the artist and the buyer. PWCS does not take a commission.

If PWCS is notified of interest in a purchase, the artist will be notified and provided with the contact information of the prospective buyer.

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 (March 16, 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

For questions about PWCS or this Prospectus, please contact PWCS (pwcs.wildapricot.org/exhibitions/2026-members-show).

For technical support or entry questions, first check our Help Center or Entry Guide. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.