Deadline for entry: August 17, 2026
Overview
APS Summer Online Showcase is non-juried. Entrants are urged to submit their best work completed in 2026. Stage one of this competition begins with the selection of 4 works. Notification letters to ALL members that submitted work will learn if they will be progressing to Stage two. To advance to Stage two the 4 finalists must commit to delivering their art to the Awards Dinner for completion of judging. This is where your work will be judged in person and given an evaluation outside of cyberspace. If a finalist is unable to advance to STAGE TWO due to scheduling conflicts, then another work by another artist will be chosen. Good luck and we look forward to seeing your new pieces.
Venue
Online Exhibition
Because this is an online show, framing isn't required, except for the finalist artworks. See Framing Required for Awards Ceremony below.
Awards
- Best in Show $300 and certificate
- 3 Awards of Excellence $150 and Certificates
Entry Fees
- APS Members only: $40 per artist for up to two (2) paintings.
Entry Requirements
- Open to all Austin Pastel Society Members who have paid their 2026–2027 dues.
For new membership or renewal please go to the APS Website. - Paintings must have been completed in 2026.
- Entries must not have been previously exhibited in any prior APS Exhibitions.
- All entries meeting the eligibility criteria will be included in the online virtual gallery and be considered for awards.
Medium:
- Work must be minimum 80% soft pastel. No oil pastel is allowed.
Originality:
- All work presented for this exhibit shall be original. Compositions based on another artist’s work, or published materials of any kind are NOT considered original and are not eligible.
- Paintings executed in a workshop under another artist’s supervision or paintings based on another person’s photograph (even if it is copyright-free, and even if you have been given permission) will not be eligible.
- Paintings created with the help of optical projects or digital assistance are not eligible.
Subject:
- Representational, traditional or abstract art works. Figural nudes in good taste are accepted. The Exhibition Committee reserves the right to reject work deemed unsuitable for exhibition at the venue.
Framing
- Because this is an online show, framing isn't required, except for the finalist artworks.
- Finalists will need to frame their work.
Framing Required for Awards Ceremony
The top four finalist paintings must be framed in a professional manner, ready to hang, using wire supported by two sturdy hangers. D-Rings are recommended. They will be displayed at the Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Saturday, September 26. Artwork will be displayed on APS decorative easels.
Judge of Awards
Tetyana Aleksenko, taleksart.com
APS is proud to announce that our Judge of Awards for this year's "APS Summer Online Showcase" is Tetyana Aleksenko. She is an award-winning artist who paints mostly in soft pastels and oils specializing in seascapes, florals, and portraits.
After a career in biomedical field, Tetyana became a full-time artist in 2022 and had her first soft pastels Solo Show in 2023 at Degallery (Bryan, TX). Tetyana has been serving as a President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas since January 2025 and as a Board Member of DEGA international Art Association since 2025. She is an Associate Member of The Pastel Society of America and a soft pastels instructor who has been teaching classes and workshops in The Woodlands and surrounding areas since 2023.
Tetyana actively participates in local and international art exhibitions and plein air events. Among her recent awards are an Honorable Mention at Dakota Art Pastels First Quarter 2025 Competition, Best of Show and Best Floral at Conroe Art League 2025 Judged Show, and a Second Place at the International Juried Art of the Pastel 2025 Exhibition. Tetyana’s work is represented by Downtown Art Gallery in Brenham, TX and Degallery in Bryan, TX. Her paintings can also be found as a permanent exhibition at Hummingbird Tearoom in the Woodlands, TX, and in private collections in the US, Canada, England, and South America.
APS is proud to announce that our Judge of Awards for this year's "APS Summer Online Showcase" is Tetyana Aleksenko. She is an award-winning artist who paints mostly in soft pastels and oils specializing in seascapes, florals, and portraits.
After a career in biomedical field, Tetyana became a full-time artist in 2022 and had her first soft pastels Solo Show in 2023 at Degallery (Bryan, TX). Tetyana has been serving as a President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas since January 2025 and as a Board Member of DEGA international Art Association since 2025. She is an Associate Member of The Pastel Society of America and a soft pastels instructor who has been teaching classes and workshops in The Woodlands and surrounding areas since 2023.
Tetyana actively participates in local and international art exhibitions and plein air events. Among her recent awards are an Honorable Mention at Dakota Art Pastels First Quarter 2025 Competition, Best of Show and Best Floral at Conroe Art League 2025 Judged Show, and a Second Place at the International Juried Art of the Pastel 2025 Exhibition. Tetyana’s work is represented by Downtown Art Gallery in Brenham, TX and Degallery in Bryan, TX. Her paintings can also be found as a permanent exhibition at Hummingbird Tearoom in the Woodlands, TX, and in private collections in the US, Canada, England, and South America.
Artists Award Ceremony
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 6:00 pm. Artists, Members and Guests are welcome to attend.
Attendance to the Award Ceremony is open to all members and their guests. You will be able to prepay for this event via a reservation form to be provided at a later date.
Attendance to the Award Ceremony is open to all members and their guests. You will be able to prepay for this event via a reservation form to be provided at a later date.
Sales
Work may be for sale: NFS is allowed.
- Request for sales will be forwarded to the artist who is solely responsible for the sale and delivery.
- Prices cannot be changed once submitted.
- APS receives no commission on sales.
Agreement and Liability
By submitting artwork to this exhibition, the artist grants organizers to use images of the submitted artwork for promotional, education, and publicity purposes, including but not limited to print and digital media (Such as catalogs, websites, social media, and press releases). This permission is granted without compensation, and the artist’s name will be credited in any use of the image.
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on August 21, 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 (August 17, 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 Signe Cox ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, APS, 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.