Deadline for entry: July 15, 2026
Online Exhibition is open for entries from our Associate Members only.
- AIS Associate members may enter up to five artworks.
- $20 entry fee for your first painting and $10 per painting up to a total of five paintings.
- Artists receive 100% of commission.
- Artwork does not have to be for sale.
- All accepted works will be posted in a special AIS online digital catalog, ShowSubmit gallery and AIS Facebook pages.
- Artwork may be in a gallery or another non AIS exhibition.
- No size limitations.
- No shipping.
- Acceptance in the AIS Online Exhibition does not count toward AIS Signature Membership.
- Awards Judge: Barbara Jaenicke AIS
Awards
$5,000 in cash prizes
- Best Impressionist Work/Best of Show: $2,000
- Award of Distinction Featured Artist in Fine Art Connoisseur ($1000 value)
- Three Awards of Merit $750 for each
- Ten Honorable Mentions: $75 for each
- Awards Judge Barbara Jaenicke AIS Book: Painting the Poetic Landscape
Eligibility/Requirements
Membership
- Must be a current (or new) paid Associate member of AIS and must be a legal US resident to be eligible to enter the exhibition.
- 2026 membership dues of $65 must be paid prior to entering. If dues are not paid prior to the entry deadline, entry will be disqualified.
To join online www.americanimpressionistsociety.org.
Medium
- Oil, Pastel, Acrylic, Watercolor, Casein, Egg Tempera, Oil Sticks, and Gouache.
- No mixed media, photography, digital, AI or any other media.
- No digitally manipulated work, painted giclee prints or any other type of reproductions, no manipulated or painted over photos.
- No work that has been created with AI (artificial intelligence).
- Any artist whose work is determined to be in violation of this rule will be disqualified, will forfeit any awards received and will be banned from any and all AIS exhibitions for the following three years.
Work requirements
- Work must be original in concept and execution, impressionistic in style, and must have been completed within the last three years.
- Work done in ANY class and/or under the guidance of an instructor is not eligible for entry.
- Work painted from reference photos must be created from the artist’s own photographs, not from any other photo source, copyrighted or not.
- Entries must not violate any copyrights.
- Diptychs, triptychs or multi surfaces not permitted.
- Entries may not have been exhibited in any previous AIS show. Work that was entered but not accepted into previous AIS shows may be entered again as long as they meet the above requirements.
Size & Quantity
- No Size limitation.
- Up to five paintings may be submitted.
- Maximum of one painting per artist may be accepted into the show.
Framing
- NO FRAMING REQUIRED! We encourage you to frame your work if you sell your work.
Liability & Agreement
The artist retains copyright to his/her image(s), however, by submitting to this show, artist agrees to AIS's use of the images for publicity (including future AIS event promotion) and archival purposes. Artist agrees to abide by all rules in this prospectus. Submission of entries and entry fee, which is non-refundable, constitute agreement with all conditions set forth in this prospectus.
Sales Commission
- AIS will direct buyers directly to artists. Artists' websites and contact information will be included in the online exhibit.
- Artists retain 100% of sales price.
- AIS will not process sales transactions or make shipping arrangements to buyers.
- Work may be entered that is not for sale.
- If your work is for sale it must be priced according to your standard pricing. Paintings that do not reflect the artist's current pricing structure may be disqualified.
- No price changes, changes to NFS or for sale will be accepted once you have submitted your entry-please double check your entries for accuracy of information.
- An artist who withdraws an entry after acceptance into the exhibition shall not be eligible to enter any AIS exhibition for the two succeeding years.
Entry Fee
- $20 for one painting and $10 per additional entry up to five works.
- If you enter a total of five your entry fee is $60.
- Entry fees are nonrefundable whether your paintings are juried into the exhibition or not.
$20 One painting $30 Two paintings $40 Three Paintings $50 Four paintings $60 Five Paintings
Jury Process
Your work will be reviewed by a panel of five highly qualified, nationally recognized Master and/or Signature level artists. The jurors do not know who the other jurors are and they each work independently. We use a “blind jury” process where the juror does not know the identity of the artist whose work he/she is viewing. Scoring is based solely on the merit of the work, including technical merit and level of impressionistic style. The jurors view every painting that is entered and the five member panel is different for each exhibition.
Judge of Awards
Barbara Jaenicke AIS, barbarajaenicke.com
Barbara’s early career was spent in advertising as an art director, then later in corporate marketing communications. In 2002, she turned her focus to a fine art career, pursuing it full steam ahead.
Working in oil and pastel, Barbara strives to capture light-filled landscapes in a painterly, impressionist style. Although most of her work is completed in the studio, a steady practice of plein air (outdoor) painting enhances her ability to create a genuine impression of light in her landscape paintings. She holds signature memberships in Oil Painters of America (OPA) and American Impressionist Society (AIS), and has earned the distinctions of Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America (PSA) and Eminent Pastelist in the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).
Barbara’s early career was spent in advertising as an art director, then later in corporate marketing communications. In 2002, she turned her focus to a fine art career, pursuing it full steam ahead.
Working in oil and pastel, Barbara strives to capture light-filled landscapes in a painterly, impressionist style. Although most of her work is completed in the studio, a steady practice of plein air (outdoor) painting enhances her ability to create a genuine impression of light in her landscape paintings. She holds signature memberships in Oil Painters of America (OPA) and American Impressionist Society (AIS), and has earned the distinctions of Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America (PSA) and Eminent Pastelist in the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).
She has been featured in numerous art publications including Plein Air Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Artists Magazine, Pastel Journal, and Southwest Art, and has served as a contributing writer for some of these publications.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Barbara also lived in Atlanta, Georgia for many years until she yearned for snow and mountains for her landscape subject matter, which prompted her family’s move to Bend, Oregon in 2015.
“I strive to paint experiences, effects, and emotions, rather than “things.” To do this, I need to push beyond the basic mechanics of creating the work. No painting is ever easy for me. Each one challenges me to create that magic that goes beyond just a painting of a thing. That magic doesn’t always happen in every single attempt, but it’s those euphoric instances when the painting 'hits' that make it worth going through all the painful 'misses.'"
Born and raised in New Jersey, Barbara also lived in Atlanta, Georgia for many years until she yearned for snow and mountains for her landscape subject matter, which prompted her family’s move to Bend, Oregon in 2015.
“I strive to paint experiences, effects, and emotions, rather than “things.” To do this, I need to push beyond the basic mechanics of creating the work. No painting is ever easy for me. Each one challenges me to create that magic that goes beyond just a painting of a thing. That magic doesn’t always happen in every single attempt, but it’s those euphoric instances when the painting 'hits' that make it worth going through all the painful 'misses.'"
Calendar
AIS 2026 Associate Members Online Exhibition Calendar
No exceptions can be made to the following dates.
No exceptions can be made to the following dates.
Monday, June 15, 2026–Wednesday, July 15, 2026: Entries accepted at www. ShowSubmit.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2026: Deadline: Midnight Pacific time (PST). We highly recommend entering well before the final deadline to avoid possible last minute issues that can and do arise, especially if you are not familiar with using the digital entry system.
Friday, August 7, 2026: Jury results will be emailed to entrants and posted on AIS website. ShowSubmit online gallery opens.
On or before August 20: Awards Announcement and Video Presentation
Questions
Contact Liz Ahrens, AIS Executive Director
231-881-7685
[email protected]
www.americanimpressionistsociety.org
231-881-7685
[email protected]
www.americanimpressionistsociety.org
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on August 7, 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 (July 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 Elizabeth Ahrens ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, AIS, 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.