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Pastel Society Alaska
Pastel Society Alaska

Summertime!

Open online art show August 10, 2023 – August 10, 2024 | Online
Deadline was July 31st. Open to Members and Non-Members.
Wave Action by Gina Murrow
Wave Action by Gina Murrow

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Deadline for entry was July 31, 2023
It’s Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere. Depending on where you live, the hotter weather can signal time for fishing (Alaska), picnics in the park (Minnesota), or trips to the beach (Australia). What scenes give you the urge to celebrate the summer? Cooling in the shade, fishing on the riverbank, or splashing in the waves? Maybe a still life of popsicles and beach towels, or a painting of your dog living his best life napping in the sun. Give us your best pastel paintings that capture the feeling and exuberance of “good ol’ Summertime”. 

Fees

PSAK members
$30 for up to 3 entries; $10/entry for each additional entry up to 6 maximum.

Non-members
$40 for up to 3 entries; $10/entry for each additional entry up to 6 maximum.

Entry fees are non-refundable.
 
We encourage you to join us! Membership is $30/year and gets your regular show discounts starting now and future shows, free Zoom demonstrations from pastel instructors worldwide, camaraderie with a great group of artists (either in-person or via penpals), monthly Zoom meetings, paint meet-ups for those near Anchorage, Alaska, frequent Alaska-based workshops with instructors, and much more! You can join as a member here.

Eligibility

  • This online Exhibition is open to any artist anywhere in the world.
  • All entries must be entered through the ShowSubmit.com web portal. You do not have to resize your image; ShowSubmit.com takes care of that for you.
  • This competition is for pastel paintings. 80% of the exposed surface must be dry pastel. No oil pastels or mixed media.
  • There is no artwork size limitation. 
  • Original artwork only, no copies from other artist’s work or published work. If the outcome of the piece has been significantly and unduly influenced by another artist’s work, the jurors may consider the piece to be ineligible. 
  • Artwork created on top of a photo is not eligible. Altered photos with pastels added are not eligible.  
  • If a photo reference is used, the photo must be taken by the artist. If the image is in question, the artist will be asked to produce the reference photo for the jurors.
  • Work done in a workshop or under guidance from an instructor is not eligible.
  • All subjects and styles, except nudes, are eligible. PSAK reserves the right to refuse any entry for any objectionable depictions or for not following these rules. 
  • Works that have been exhibited in any previous PSAK shows but did not win awards are eligible for entry.
  • Work may be for sale or may be listed as NFS.
  • PSAK reserves the right to refuse any painting that does not meet these standards.

Prizes

  • Best of Show — $500
  • First Place — $300
  • Second Place — $200
  • Third Place — $100
  • Honorable Mentions — To Be Decided

Jurors of Selection

Linda Peters was president of Valley Fine Arts Association for 3 years and is now President of the Pastel Society Alaska. She’s been painting for 15 years starting out in watercolor and acrylics, but she discovered pastels three years ago. Pastels have become her passion.

Gina Murrow is the Communications & Web Director for Pastel Society Alaska, and is one of the founding members. A professional artist for over 20 years, Gina is best known in Alaska for starting and hosting Paint A Scarf for seven years until Covid put a stop to tourists gathering. She now runs Gina Murrow Art. Gina discovered pastels ten years ago, and they are still her favorite go-to medium. 

Judge of Awards

Stephie Clark is a soft pastel obsessed artist from Australia working mostly in her country studio at home in Armidale. She divides her time between painting in her studio and teaching workshops both here in Australia and overseas in France. Stephie is best known for her free and flowing florals and fruits her style uninhibited by rules and boundaries. She is inspired by the nature and colours it produces. Stephie’s work has been featured in french magazine Practique des Arts and you can see her in action on her Patreon site. Stephie sells her art in her online shop around the world. (taken from her “About” page on her website: stephieclark.net)

Jurors

A group of Alaskan artists will review the images for adherence to the guidelines. At least one image from each artist entering will be in the show, as long as the guidelines in the prospectus are followed. There is no guarantee of all entered images being displayed in the online show.

Sales

No commission will be expected, but if your work sells during the show, a 10% donation to PSAK will be greatly appreciated. If there is interest in purchasing an artwork, PSAK will put the buyer in direct contact with the artist. The artist and buyer will then work out the details of the purchase and delivery.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on August 7, 2023.

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 (Accepted works will be notated by a green check.)

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 (July 31, 2023.)
  • 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

Need Assistance? For questions about the entry process or using this website, please check our Help Center or Entry Guide first for detailed guides and troubleshooting tips. Most answers can be found there quickly.

If you still need help, feel free to email ShowSubmit Support at [email protected], and we’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.