Venue
Lyme Art Association (LAA)
90 Lyme Street
Old Lyme, CT 06371
860-434-7802
90 Lyme Street
Old Lyme, CT 06371
860-434-7802
Eligible Work
- The show is open to all artists residing in the United States** and working in the soft pastel medium, not oil pastels.
- Work must be at least 80% soft pastel.
- It cannot be painted over an AI-created or mechanical reproduction.
- **This year we are not allowing collage or cut pieces of pastel paper.**
- Work must not use any varnish or finish except traditional pastel fixative.
- Any subject or style is eligible.
- Work must have been completed within the past three years and must be original.
- It can be neither copied from works or photographs by others, nor done in a classroom, workshop, or under the supervision of an instructor.
- Furthermore, no AI generated work will be permitted.
- Size limit is 28 inches in either direction, including frame.
- Artwork must be securely and professionally framed (NO colored mats, only white or off-white allowed) under glass or plexiglass and be ready to hang with screw eyes and wire, no sawtooth hangers.
**A NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS**
The Renaissance in Pastel exhibit is only open to artists living in the United States.
A painting is NOT ELIGIBLE for entry if…
- It won an award at IAPS, PSA, or any other national/international open juried Pastel Society Exhibit.
(e.g. Pastel Society of Southern California) - It was accepted into a national/international open juried Pastel Society Exhibit that runs concurrently with Renaissance, either online or in person. *Many of the online shows are up on the Internet for an entire year, so please be aware of that.
- It was exhibited in a former Connecticut Pastel Society Exhibit, whether national or the CPS Members Exhibit.
A painting is ELIGIBLE for entry if…
- It has won an award in a Pastel Society MEMBER Exhibit (e.g. Pastel Society of the West Coast Member Exhibit).
- It won an award at an exhibit that includes all mediums (e.g. Allied Artists of America, Salmagundi, or AAPL).
**If any of the above rules are not followed the piece will not hang and a two-year ban on entering will be imposed. Anyone attempting to submit an AI-generated piece will be banned permanently from entering any CPS show.
Entry and Fees
All entries must be submitted through ShowSubmit.com. No CDs or emailed images will be accepted. Each artist may submit up to three images, but only one may be accepted. Incorrectly labeled or incorrectly sized work will be disqualified. Changes in the price of the painting between entry and receiving will not be honored.
Entry fees must be paid online by credit card at time of submission, and are non-refundable.
Entry fees must be paid online by credit card at time of submission, and are non-refundable.
Members:
$45 for up to 3 digital images.
2026 dues must be paid.
Non-members:
$55 for up to 3 digital images.
Image Preparation
Take a very level, high quality image and crop the photo until only the painting image is visible. Do not make enhancements to your image. Save the image as a jpg. Additional how-to details are on the CPS website’s entry page.
Delivering Your Work
All entrants will receive an email notification by Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Artists whose work is accepted will receive an exhibition label and shipping instructions. The label must be completed and affixed to the back center of the painting. A list of other accepted artists, by state, will be included for ride sharing. The painting submitted must be identical to the accepted JPEG; no substitutions.
All hand-delivered work must be dropped off and ready to hang Saturday or Sunday, November 7 and 8, 2026, between 10am and 5pm, at Lyme Art Association.
Lyme Art Association
90 Lyme Street
Old Lyme, CT 06371
860-434-7802
*There will be a one-year ban from entering the show if your image is accepted and the identical painting is not delivered.
Shipped work must arrive to Lyme Art Association by October 30th. There will be a $30.00 shipping & handling fee (check made out to LAA). Detailed shipping instructions will be attached to your acceptance email.
Sales and Removal
All work must be for sale; no POR or NFS allowed. All sales transactions will be handled by LAA. A 30% commission will be taken on all sales, and the artist will receive 70% of the sale price. LAA will collect and pay the Connecticut sales tax on sales.
If you are not able to pick up your work at that time, please arrange to have another artist pick up your painting. Artists who do not pick up their work may be charged a $10 per week storage fee starting 30 days after the end of the exhibition.
Hold Harmless Agreement
All work will receive careful handling by competent staff. The Lyme Art Association, Connecticut Pastel Society, Inc., and anyone connected with this exhibition are not responsible for loss or damage of delivered or shipped work. We recommend that artists carry their own insurance. Submission of your work for this exhibition constitutes your acceptance and agreement, while granting reproduction rights to CPS for this exhibition.
Jury of Selection
Barbara Groff, PSA-MP
Romeo Cortez, Jr.
Shuk Susan Lee, IAPS-MC, PSA
Awards Judge
Claudia Seymour, OPA, PSAM, IAPS-MC, President Emerita Salmagundi Club
Claudia Seymour is President Emerita of the historic Salmagundi Club in New York and a widely collected artist; she served as president of the Club from 2007 – 2013. Claudia is a Master Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and has been awarded Master Circle status by the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is also a Signature Member of both the Oil Painters of America and American Women Artists.
Claudia works principally in florals and still life, as she attempts to portray the light-filled interaction between objects, their highlights and shadows, and the surroundings in which they are set. Claudia’s classic still lifes in oil and pastel have been shown in over 185 national and international exhibitions, and she has won numerous prizes, as well as six medals, for her work in both oil and pastel. Both magazines and books have included her artwork, and she has written numerous articles for various art publications. Handwright Gallery in New Canaan, CT, Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison, CT, and J.M. Stringer Gallery in Vero Beach, FL represent her work.
Awards
CPS® Renaissance Best in Show $1,000
CPS Founders Award $800
CPS Presidents Award $600 value
Dianne B. Bernhard Award $400
CPS Honor Award $400
Philip M. Danylik Memorial Award $250
Pastel Society of America Award $200
Pastel Society of the West Coast Award $200
Allied Artists of America Award $150
Academic Artists Association Award $150
Central Massachusetts Pastel Society $150
Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod Award $150
Salmagundi Club Award $150
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Award $150
Maryland Pastel Society Award $100
Madison Art Society Award $100
Pastel Society of Maine Award $100
Pastel Society of New Jersey $100
Pastel Society of New Hampshire Award $100
The CT Pastel Society typically distributes awards for the Renaissance Show totaling approximately $7,000 in cash and merchandise. This list of 2026 awards is not final. It will be revised as vendors who normally support CPS confirm their participation, and the final list will appear in the show catalogue.
Connecticut Pastel Society Officers
President: Karen Suponski
Vice President: Steve Brunetti
Secretary: Jessica Turgoose
Treasurer: Heather Quay
Membership: Jane Penfield
Exhibition Co-Chairs: Karen Israel, Elaine Juska Joseph, Steve Brunetti, Don Arsenault
Awards Team: Patricia Boes & Mary Ann D’Ambruoso
Awards Team: Patricia Boes & Mary Ann D’Ambruoso
For information, contact:
Elaine Juska Joseph, [email protected]
Steve Brunetti, [email protected]
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on September 23, 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 (September 1, 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 Elaine Juska Joseph ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, CPS, 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.