The Portrait Society of Atlanta
Exhibition artwork

The Portrait Society of Atlanta

Fall 2026 Open Juried Exhibition

Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville, GA

August 20 – October 10, 2026

Deadline is July 6th.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Apr 1st.

Exhibition Location

Quinlan Visual Arts Center
514 Green Street N.E.
Gainesville, GA 30501

Juror and Judge

Dawn Whitelaw, dawnwhitelaw.com

Dawn Whitelaw received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Fine Art Connoisseur in 2024. She serves as Vice Chair of the Portrait Society of America and was elected Master Artist status by the American Impressionist Society. A graduate of David Lipscomb University, Dawn has worked as an adjunct teacher in the Art Department for over 30 years. In 2024 she received The Excellence in Fine Art Education Award from The Portrait Society of America.

Leiper’s Creek Gallery in Franklin, TN will be holding her Solo Show “It’s a New Dawn” opening April 25, 2026. She is also one of the artists in On Track Studios in Franklin, TN, and was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in “Inspiring Figures” at the Butler Institute of American Art. Dawn has received numerous awards, and has a painting in the permanent collection of the Rahr-west Art Museum.

An avid plein air painter, Dawn has been featured as faculty for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention and Expo. Painting Plein Air with colleagues in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and The Chestnut Group adds a richness and honesty to her studio work.

Most of Whitelaw’s formal instruction came from a long-term mentorship with New York painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Dawn is proud to be a product of the workshop system. Influential teachers include Thomas V. Nash, Charles Cox, Janice Barnes, Jim Pollard. Cedric Egeli, Scott Christensen, T. Allen Lawson, Quang Ho, and Larry Moore. A tremendous part of her education continues to come from the people she teaches and mentors. A quote from Tennyson is a favorite and sums up her education. He said, “I am a part of all that I have met”.

Entry Fees

  • PSA Members: $35 for the first piece and $5 for each additional piece up to 3 pieces.
  • Non-Members: $45 for the first piece and $5 for each additional piece up to 3 pieces.
  • Young Adult 18-24: $25 up to 3 pieces.

    Youth work that is accepted into the Exhibition may be displayed in the show online if shipping or drop off is not an option.
  • Entry fees are nonrefundable whether they are juried into the show or not.

Artist Eligibility

  • This Exhibition is open to all artists; Portrait Society of Atlanta (herein, PSA) Members and Non Members with an additional category for Young Adult ages 18-24.
  • Prospective members are NOT REQUIRED to live in the state of Georgia, or the greater Atlanta region.

    Membership Application if you want to join: portraitsocietyofatlanta.org.

Work Eligibility

  • Entries must be original, 2-dimensional (drawings, paintings, etc.) or 3-dimensional (sculpture) fine art portraiture or figure in any medium.
  • No digital reproductions of originals done in giclée, no digitally generated art or AI generated art that has been painted over.
  • No copies of other original art, or student/class/workshop work is permitted.
  • No photography or paintings over photographs.
  • Figures without clothing done in good taste are permitted, but must contain facial features as noted below.
  • Portraits must contain a human person, and at least three of the following features, ear, eye, nose or mouth. Facial features should also be shown as part of the head.
  • No sexual acts, no depictions of violence, gore, or reference to violent acts.
  • No language that could be construed as offensive.
  • Pets are acceptable only when accompanying a human.
  • Entries must NOT have been exhibited in a PSA exhibition in the last 2 years; ever won first place in any previous PSA exhibition; or have been displayed in more than 2 prior PSA exhibitions.
  • There is no limit on the when an artwork was created.
  • The Portrait Society of Atlanta exhibition committee reserves the right to decline artworks that do not fall within the eligibility requirements, field of portraiture, or are deemed inappropriate viewing for children.
  • Entries that do not adhere to the guidelines will not be juried in or judged. At delivery, any work that varies from the submitted images will be disqualified.
  • Members whose work gets accepted to the exhibition, but can’t fulfill displaying their work in the show will be removed from exhibition promotions.

PSA Accreditation

This exhibition qualifies for PSA status credit. Only members’ work not previously juried into a PSA exhibit will receive accreditation points toward membership status.

Artwork Display Requirements

  • All art work must be for sale.
  • Size limitations of Artwork without a frame:
    Minimum of at least 5” x 7”, no Maximum size.
  • All paintings delivered to Quinlan Visual Arts Center must be ready for hanging, with D rings, and wire in place, in an appropriate gallery frame or gallery wrapped canvas. No sawtooth hangers or direct into drywall or stud devices will be accepted.
  • Accepted works need to include an identification card on the back with the following information: Title, Artist’s Name, Medium, Size, Email Address, Cell Phone number, and Price.
  • All art must have a declared value

Exhibitions Chair Contact

Theresa Harris

Artwork Delivery and Removal

Art Delivery
August 1-15, 2026 - 9am-5pm Monday-Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm

Art Removal
October 12-23, 2026 - 9am-5pm Monday-Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm

All works must be delivered and picked up, either by the artist or authorized representative, within stated times. Finalists must make their own arrangements for hand delivery and hand pickup of their work from the venue. Works submitted to any PSA show MUST be displayed for the duration of the show – no substitutes and no early removal. Please inform your client of the dates for which a borrowed work will be on view.

If art requires shipping, it will need to be direct to the venue, and the venue will also handle return of the shipment with a return shipping label provided by the artist. Please make sure that you will be able to pay for the return shipment back to your address. Please provide images or instructions of packing. Ship back date will not occur until 10/19/26.

No International Entries. Return shipping is not possible for international entries.

Insurance

Insurance is the sole responsibility of the artist, PSA does not provide additional insurance and is not responsible for possible loss or damage to works. By entering, artists agree to not hold PSA or its volunteers liable for any loss or damage.

Sales

All works must be for sale. If sales occur, the commission split is as follows: 20% Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 20% The Portrait Society of Atlanta, 60% Artist. Artists will be paid for any sales within 3 weeks of the end of the show.

Rights

The PSA and Quinlan Visual Arts Center reserve the right to photograph and retain images of the exhibit solely for educational, promotional, and documentation purposes in print or on the internet. By entering the exhibition, you agree to all conditions herein.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on July 20, 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 6, 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 Theresa Harris ([email protected] ) for questions about the Prospectus, PSATL, 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.