Watercolor Society of Alabama
Exhibition artwork

Watercolor Society of Alabama

85th Annual National Exhibition

Heritage Hall Museum, Talladega, AL

May 3 – June 5, 2026

Deadline is March 16th.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Jan 5th.

Location

Heritage Hall Museum
200 South St. E.
Talladega, AL

Valerie White, Director

Eligibility

  • Exhibition is open to all artists working in water media who are at least 18 years of age, members of the Watercolor Society of Alabama whose dues are current, and who reside within the United States. Nonmembers may join WSA and enter the competition.
  • Eligible paintings must be painted after January 1, 2023, and not previously juried into any WSA show.
  • Watercolor paper, watercolor illustration board, watercolor canvas with no added medium, clay board (e.g., Aqua board), Yupo or other synthetic paper, (without mediums that add texture).
  • Watercolor, casein, gouache, egg tempera, metallic, water-soluble watercolor ink, watercolor pencil, watercolor crayons if dissolved in water, and acrylic applied as a water-soluble media.
  • Collage items: original work by the artist on one or a combination of watercolor paper, white rice paper without inclusions, white tissue paper, Yupo or other synthetic papers.
  • Artist’s original work only. No class work. No work done under supervision. No work done by other media instruction (book, DVD, YouTube, etc). No copies or likenesses of another artist’s work including published source, photograph, or reference work not attributable to the artist.
  • No digital image, copy, print, or giclee.
  • No work generated with or assisted by AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be submitted.
  • No Oil paint, water soluble oil, pastels, charcoal, alcohol ink. No texture mediums (e.g., gesso), textured applications (e.g., with pallet knife, applied textured papers). No raised paint, indicates application is not water-soluble enough.
  • No varnished or waxed paintings.
  • No diptychs or triptychs unless in a common frame.
  • Maximum frame size is 48” in any direction. (height or width)
  • Minimum image size (do not include mat or frame) is 140 square inches (multiply height x width)
  • No changes after the deadline.

Entry Fee

  • WSA Members only: $45 up to 3 entries per artist.
  • You may join WSA or renew membership (by selecting Enter as New Member) when paying online at ShowSubmit. The membership fee is $45 in addition to the entry fee. ShowSubmit does NOT ACCEPT PayPal. Credit cards accepted: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JBC, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL may also be paid through WSA website prior to entry.
  • If you wish to pay by check you will need to contact the WSA Show Director. Your entry will not be marked complete until WSA has received your payment and notified ShowSubmit. This MUST happen before the deadline.
  • Questions about your Membership status contact: Heike Covell: [email protected]

Digital Image Requirements

  • One image per artwork MUST be submitted in digital JPEG format (up to 3 artworks per artist)
  • Image should be a min. of 1800 pixels on the longest side, and 300 dpi
  • Show only the image, No frame, No Mat
  • Image should be correctly oriented (vertical or horizontal)
  • Color and image size must be accurate for web and catalogue publication. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements of 300 dpi, make sure your images are high resolution before uploading.
  • Changes/substitutions to entries can be made up until the deadline. No changes after the deadline.
For more information, please see the Image and Filename Specifications section below.

Juror of Selection

Andy Evansen, evansenartstudio.com

Andy Evansen’s interest in art started in childhood, as he can’t recall a time when he wasn’t drawing. He began painting watercolors in the mid 1990s as a change of pace from his career as a medical illustrator. Choosing a ‘style’ was not difficult, as Andy was always inspired by the watercolor paintings of British artists Trevor Chamberlain, David Curtis, Ed Seago and Edward Wesson, among others.

He found himself attempting to capture the landscape with the same economy of brushstroke, taking advantage of the luminosity of watercolors done in just a few washes. In addition, he was impressed with the way those artists seemed to capture everyday scenes in such a way that revealed a hidden beauty, subjects that many would simply pass by.

His work gained recognition after winning an international watercolor competition through American Artist magazine, appearing on their cover in 2005. He’s been featured in numerous other publications since, and has become a sought-after workshop instructor who paints and teaches internationally. He became a signature member of the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) in 2012 and served as their President from 2015-2017. His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze and High Winds Medals from the American Watercolor Society, and he was their demonstration artist for the 2018 Exhibition. His love of painting on location also led to him being a featured presenter at the 2014 and 2016 Plein Air Conventions and inclusion in the 2017 Qingdao International Masters Watercolor Plein Air Event.

Juror of Awards

Matthew Bird, matthewbird.com

Matthew Bird is an American painter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he graduated with honors from the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, New York, in 2000. He is a Signature Member of numerous organizations, including the American Watercolor Society and National Watercolor Society where he served as vice president. His award-winning watercolor paintings have been exhibited in juried shows across the United States, as well as in Canada, China, England, Greece, Hong Kong, and Italy. His work is in permanent museum collections as well as numerous private collections.

Matthew has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine as one of “Today's Masters” (Feb. & Oct. 2018, Feb. & April 2019), American Art Collector (Issue 158, 171), International Artist Magazine (No. 129 Oct./Nov.) Watercolor Magazine “Year’s Best Paintings” (2019, 2020, 2022) and as “One To Watch” (Dec. 2017), The Artist's Magazine (July/August 2017), The Art Of Watercolour magazine (Issue 32), and the Splash-Best of Watercolor book series.

For 15 years he worked as a designer and art director in advertising agencies, specializing in non-profit fundraising. As an illustrator, he has five children’s books published and his paintings have been used as greeting cards for The Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, and the National Audubon Society, among others.

Workshop

Matthew Bird
The WSA workshop is limited to 15 individuals. The workshop will be held at Heritage Hall Museum, 200 South St. E, Talladega, AL, on April 30, May 1, & May 2 from 9:30 AM to 4 pm.

For workshop information contact Walt Costilow:

Workshop Cost & Payment

  • WSA Members workshop cost is $425; required deposit of $225; balance paid one week before workshop.
  • Non-WSA Members workshop cost is $465; required deposit of $250; balance paid one week before workshop.
  • Workshop payments must be made on the WSA website through PayPal.
  • Cancellation of workshop MUST be made one week before workshop and a refund of workshop fee will be made at the discretion of the WSA Board.

Awards

The Juror of Awards will make selections from the actual paintings displayed in the exhibition, and eligible for awards. Approximately $9,000 monetary and merchandise awards will be granted. All artist accepted into the show and their painting is received and hung, will earn one point toward Signature membership or toward advanced levels of Signature membership.

Notification of Acceptance

Notification of acceptance will be posted on the WSA Web site. Accepted artist will receive by the end of the day on the 23rd of March an acceptance letter along with a letter with instructions for presentation and shipping requirements for their painting. If you do not receive an email, you may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account. WSA cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Liability

All artist whose work is selected for exhibition will receive instruction for framing presentation, shipping requirements, and delivery in the Acceptance Notice. Although the utmost care will be taken in handling works of art, WSA and/or WSA’s representatives and the Heritage Hal Museum will not be responsible for damage or loss, whatever the cause. Accepted artist release WSA, WSA’s representatives, and the Heritage Hall Museum from all liability with respect to loss or damage to the artist’s works of art.

It is suggested that artist carry their own insurance, in proper limits. Submitting a work of art to this exhibition shall constitute an agreement on the part of the artist to comply fully with the conditions and terms set forth in this Prospectus as well as in the Acceptance Form.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on March 23, 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 (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 WSA or this Prospectus, please contact Carol Wilder ([email protected]).

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.