Chicago Pastel Painters
Exhibition artwork

Chicago Pastel Painters

Member Show 2026

Eleventh Biennial Member Juried Exhibition

The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago, IL

August 7 – 23, 2026

Deadline is June 15th.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Mar 7th.

About the Exhibition

An In-Person Show Hosted by the Chicago Pastel Painters and Exhibited at The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts

The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts
1012 North Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60610

The CPP Member Show 2026 (new name, same great show) will once again be open to creative uses of soft pastel with other media. Soft pastel must still be the dominant medium. Open to all current members of the Chicago Pastel Painters.

To become a member or renew, visit the CPP website, chicagopastelpainters.org.

Awards

  • Best of Show - $1,000.
  • Additional cash and merchandise awards.
  • Awards will be announced at the reception.

Sales

  • All work must be for sale.
  • The Palette & Chisel Academy will receive a 20% commission.
  • CPP receives 10% commission.
  • Artist will receive 70% of sale.

Eligibility

  • Open to all current members, 18 years and older.
  • Soft pastel should be the dominant medium
  • All work must be original, created and produced by the artist within the last three years
  • No compositions taken from published material or based on another artist’s work
  • No work created in a class, workshop or under any type of supervision
  • Photo references must be taken or inherited by artist or given permission to artist by photographer
  • No work created with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  • No work painted over a mechanical print, copy or reproduction
  • No collaborative work
  • Work previously exhibited in any CPP Exhibition is not eligible
  • In the exercise of its sole discretion, CPP may reject work that appears substantially similar to a painting previously accepted into a CPP show
  • If an accepted painting is not delivered to the show, that artist will be denied eligibility to CPP shows for two years
  • No substitution of accepted paintings
  • All accepted work must remain on exhibit for the duration of the show
  • All work must be for sale
  • Once prices are submitted, they are final
Size Limitations, Glazing and Framing Requirements
  • Maximum outer framed dimension – 36” in any direction
  • All work must be professionally framed and ready to be hung
  • No screw eyes
  • No sawtooth hangers
  • No name plaques on the front of the frame
  • No signed mats
  • Plexiglass strongly recommended for shipped work; glass at artist’s own risk
Paintings not honoring the criteria in any way as stated above in this prospectus, will be disqualified, returned at the artist’s expense, and the artist will be barred from entering the next two CPP Exhibitions.

For additional criteria, please download the prospectus.

Entry Fee

  • CPP Members: $40 for up to three images.
  • Only one painting per artist may be juried into the show.
  • No refund of entry fees.
Entry fees are not refundable and must be paid by the entry deadline. Entries cannot be made past the deadline. No changes can be made after the entry deadline.

Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Delivery

  • Upon acceptance, artists will receive detailed information about hand-delivery and shipping to the Palette & Chisel Academy, handling, and exhibition labels.
  • A minimum handling fee of $40.00 per container will be charged for shipped work.

Juror of Selections

Frankie Johnson, OPA, AIS
frankiejohnsonartstudio.com

For 32 years now, opening in 1994, Frankie Johnson, alongside her husband, Jay, has been the founder, owner and head instructor of the Mainstreet Art Center and Gallery located in Lake Zurich, Illinois. She works in many mediums but concentrates primarily in oils and pastels. She is thrilled to say that her work has been collected by hundreds of art lovers around the world, and winning top National & Regional awards confirms that her hard work and dedicated passion has had some remarkable rewards.

Judge of Awards

Joe Taylor, Artist and Illustrator

Joseph Taylor is a painter, printmaker, and freelance illustrator specializing in digital vector art and figurative work. He has had a studio in Evanston, Illinois for over 25 years. An award winning painter, working in oils and pastels, he studied art at Indiana University and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Joe teaches studio art with Chicago Community Colleges and The Old Town Triangle Association...and he bakes a mean cherry pie. Joseph Taylor is represented by Mendola Ltd. in New York, NY.

Policy

The Chicago Pastel Painters retains the right to deny accepting any work that has been misrepresented through the online process. CPP assumes the right to use any work for catalog or publicity purposes.

Agreement of Entry and Liability

All reasonable care will be taken with paintings and submissions. However, the Chicago Pastel Painters (CPP), its officers or volunteers, and the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, its officers or volunteers, will not be responsible for loss or damage. CPP suggests that participants carry separate insurance for loss or damage in transit. All accepted work (no substitutes) must be delivered or shipped as specified in this prospectus. If accepted work is not available for the exhibition or for the entire duration of the exhibition, the artist will be denied eligibility to CPP shows for two years. Artist will release the Chicago Pastel Painters and the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts from any liability by entering this exhibition.

Questions

Mike Barret Kolasinski, CPP-M, Exhibition Chair
[email protected]

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on June 26, 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 (June 15, 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 Mike Barret Kolasinski ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, CPP, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, 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.