Deadline for entry: March 4, 2026
Open to all
The 2026 PSM Juried Exhibition is an online show only. No work will need to be shipped.
Awards
- First Place : Pastel Society of MS award: first place ribbon and $350
- Second Place : Pastel Society’s Board of Officers award: second place ribbon and $250
- Third Place: “The Degas Pastel Society” award: $100
- Honorable Mentions : 2 awards : $50 each
Entry Fees
- PSM Members: $35 for the first 2 images. $10 for an additional image. Only 3 per artist.
- Non-Members: $45 for the first 2 images. $10 for an additional image. Only 3 per artist.
Entry fees are non refundable. Only enter through ShowSubmit.
Eligible Work
- Open to all artists.
- Works must be in soft pastel—no oil pastels. Mixed media must be predominantly soft pastel.
- The artwork’s final surface must be 80% traditional soft pastel.
- Work must be original and completed since January 2023 (in the last 3 years)
- Work submitted cannot have won any award in a national or international open juried pastel show by the time of the submission deadline for PSM’s “Southern Showcase”
- Work must be original and from your reference, not copied from other artists or published materials.
- Any reference an instructor provides is not eligible, including an instructor-provided photo, still-life setup, or model setup. Work done in a classroom, workshop, or online group scenario is not eligible.
- All artwork must be initially drawn and not created on top of any photographic image. And no portion of the artwork or source material may be created or referenced using Artificial Intelligence.
Notification
Up to one painting per artist may be accepted into this show. Artists will receive notification by email and through their ShowSubmit account when jurying and judging is complete.
Artists retain copyright to their images, however permission to use the artists’ works for PSM marketing and publicity purposes prior, during and for future shows and PSM event promotions are deemed given by the artists with the acceptance of their work.
Artists retain copyright to their images, however permission to use the artists’ works for PSM marketing and publicity purposes prior, during and for future shows and PSM event promotions are deemed given by the artists with the acceptance of their work.
Sales
Work submitted can be for sale or NFS. Pastel Society of Mississippi will accept a 10% donation on artwork sold during the PSM’s “Southern Showcase” Exhibition. Shipping and payment will be the responsibility of the artist.
Juror of Entries and Awards
Marcia Holmes, PSA-Master Pastelist; Master Circle - IAPS/EP
marciaholmes.com
Instagram
New Orleans area artist, Marcia Holmes, native to Mississippi, is a PSA Master, IAPS Eminent-MC. Primarily an abstract pastelist, in 25 yrs, she has exhibited in over 17 solo gallery shows, with enumerable distinctions in juried group and museum exhibitions; notably, the prestigious Ogden Museum of Southern Art-Louisiana Contemporary Exh.(LA), Butler Institute (OH), Lauren Rogers Museum of Art (permanent collection-MS), Festival International du Pastel - Feytiat & Salon du Pastel International-Giverny, France, Vose Galleries (MA), Salmagundi Club & National Arts Club (NY). Known for her water lily paintings, Marcia received Best Floral for her pastel by Plein Air Magazine (Oct. 2022-Plein Air Salon). Spring 2022, Marcia received Pastel Journal’s top Founder’s Award-Pastel 100 feature,she juried the 50th Anniversary Pastel Society of America 2022 Exh., and jurored the Abstracts for PJ 25th Anniv. Pastel 100; Her abstract expressionist painting was juried into AWA “BREAKING THROUGH: The Rise of American Women Artists” - Customs House Museum (TN). She received 2021 Best of Show-Connecticut Pastel Society - Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT. Selected featured publications and books include Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine, American Art Collector, Pastel Journal; Art Journey Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art, Pure Pastel: Contemporary Works by Today's Top Artists and Practique des Art.
marciaholmes.com
New Orleans area artist, Marcia Holmes, native to Mississippi, is a PSA Master, IAPS Eminent-MC. Primarily an abstract pastelist, in 25 yrs, she has exhibited in over 17 solo gallery shows, with enumerable distinctions in juried group and museum exhibitions; notably, the prestigious Ogden Museum of Southern Art-Louisiana Contemporary Exh.(LA), Butler Institute (OH), Lauren Rogers Museum of Art (permanent collection-MS), Festival International du Pastel - Feytiat & Salon du Pastel International-Giverny, France, Vose Galleries (MA), Salmagundi Club & National Arts Club (NY). Known for her water lily paintings, Marcia received Best Floral for her pastel by Plein Air Magazine (Oct. 2022-Plein Air Salon). Spring 2022, Marcia received Pastel Journal’s top Founder’s Award-Pastel 100 feature,she juried the 50th Anniversary Pastel Society of America 2022 Exh., and jurored the Abstracts for PJ 25th Anniv. Pastel 100; Her abstract expressionist painting was juried into AWA “BREAKING THROUGH: The Rise of American Women Artists” - Customs House Museum (TN). She received 2021 Best of Show-Connecticut Pastel Society - Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT. Selected featured publications and books include Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine, American Art Collector, Pastel Journal; Art Journey Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art, Pure Pastel: Contemporary Works by Today's Top Artists and Practique des Art.
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on March 16, 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 4, 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 PSM or this Prospectus, please contact Mandy Ellard ([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.