Arizona Pastel Artists Association
Arizona Pastel Artists Association

2025 Fall Online Open Show

November 2 – December 31, 2025 | Online
Deadline is September 30th. Open to Members and Non-Members.
Glacier Mist by Kenneth Keith
Glacier Mist by Kenneth Keith
Open Calls

Opens August 1, 2025.

Open for entry on August 1, 2025.
Deadline for entry: September 30, 2025

Exhibition Details

The 2025 Open Show will be online and will be juried for entry. Up to three artworks can be submitted to the show per artist via ShowSubmit.

Awards

Approximately $3000 in cash prizes.

Judge of Awards

Corey Pitkin
Corey Pitkin’s work is an exploration of ephemeral beauty expressed simply and genuinely. Using old masteresque muted colors complimented with subtle edgework his pieces shift and glimmer yet maintain their precision. His subjects are memories that slip away when you try to hold onto them for more than a moment.

A predominantly self-taught artist, Pitkin’s award-winning work has been featured in The Pastel Journal, Art Renewal Center, Portrait Society of America, Pratique des Arts Magazine, International Artist Magazine, and Pastel World Magazine, and is held in collections across the globe. He is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America where he also serves on the Board of Governors and has achieved Eminent Pastelist status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. Pitkin teaches frequently online and regularly travels for in-person workshops. He currently resides in upstate New York with his wife Esther and children Anastasia and Xavier.

Jurors of Selection

Tara Will
Tara creates from an infinite well of curiosity. Proficient in pastel, oil, printmaking, and glass she revels in the learning process. March 2024 marked her first solo museum exhibition, “Wild Beauty” with the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. This showcased 42 works in both pastel and printmaking. In 2022, she achieved the highest international designation, Eminent Pastellist, with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She was introduced to the western landscape through plein air. Painting on site outdoors in Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona has helped her understand how to reflect the beauty of the western landscape to the viewer. The Western landscape offers her a different palette of inspiration— contrary to the greens of the east coast. Tara paints unapologetically with bold marks, stark value contrasts, and surprising color combinations. Her hope is to engage the viewer by inviting them to participate in time honored history of art making.

Eligibility

  • Open to APAA Members and Non-Members.

    If you want to become a member of APAA, visit apaa.wildapricot.org. Membership is $40.
  • All work must be original pastel paintings completed in the last two years (2023 – 2025) and not previously shown in an APAA exhibition or show. Work that was entered but not accepted into a previous APAA show may be entered again, provided it meets prospectus requirements.
  • Entries must be of original concept and design. Work must be original and from your own photo reference, not copied from other artists or published materials. Work copied from images, paintings, or photographs, regardless of copyright issues, that have been published or appeared on the internet, AI, DVD, or any publication or that are likely to be published in any format whatsoever shall not be eligible.
  • Digital apps and programs may be used for cropping your reference photos.
  • The artist must provide the original source image upon request if a question arises about the originality of the work. Any work that cannot be verified will be removed from the show.
  • All artwork must be completed with 85% dry pastel as a final layer, underpainting as part of the process is acceptable, no oil pastels.
  • Sales Commission: All paintings must be for sale. No NFS or POR. Artist 80%, APAA 20%. No price changes will be accepted after you have submitted your entry, so please double check your entries for accuracy. Artists are solely responsible for handling their sales.
  • Work done under supervision, mentorship, or in an instructed class, workshop, online instruction, published step by step instruction, DVD, or any other form of instruction is not eligible. Any work shown to be part of any instruction as defined above will be removed from the show.
  • The artist retains copyright to their image(s), however permission to reproduce the artist's work for APAA for marketing and publicity purposes prior, during the show, and for future APAA event promotions are deemed given by the artist with the acceptance of their work.
  • Accepted paintings must be identical to the image submitted for entry. No substitutions, copies, adjustments, repairs, or any other modification to the painting is allowed after the entry image is submitted.
  • By entering the exhibition, you agree that you have read and will abide by all rules outlined in this prospectus.

Entry Fees

  • APAA Members and Non-Members: 3 entries for $40.
Entry fee is non-refundable whether you are juried into the show or not.

Show Catalog

An online show catalog will be available at apaa.wildapricot.org and the ShowSubmit gallery and a print version will be available for purchase.

Technical Help

APAA can assist you with technical issues. Peggy Orbon ([email protected]).

General Information

  • Artist is solely responsible for shipping Sold artwork to the buyer at the buyer’s expense.
  • Artists are responsible for monitoring their emails and the website for postings and updates.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on October 24, 2025.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and tapping the Notifications at the top right of the screen, or in your Entry History.

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.

Note: Entries made prior to 2023 may not display the View Notification link.

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 (September 30, 2025.)
  • 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 APAA or this Prospectus, please contact Peggy Orbon, 505-250-9394 ([email protected]) or Nori Thorne, 240-994-9639 ([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.