Pastel Society of Colorado
Pastel Society of Colorado

20th Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition

May 24 – August 4, 2024 Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO
Deadline was March 25th. Open to Members and Non-Members.
Better Days by Sarah St. George
Better Days by Sarah St. George

Deadline for entry has passed.
View open calls for entry

Deadline for entry was March 25, 2024

Venue

Foothills Art Center – Astor House
822 12th Street
Golden, Colorado 80401

“CHAMPIONING ART FOR ALL SINCE 1968”
Mission “Creating Community through Art”

Natasha Isenhour Workshop

“Connecting Eyes, Heart, Hands: Amplifying YOUR Voice”
A 3-day Studio Workshop
Tuesday, May 21 – Thursday, May 23, 2024, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
For information, see pastelsocietyofcolorado.org

Juror of Selection and Awards

Natasha Isenhour, natashaisenhour.com

Contemporary American Realist Natasha Isenhour expresses her emotional response to unpopulated spaces with an edgy lonesome starkness that defines the very essence of her work in oil and pastel. Isenhour exhibits throughout the southwest and teaches sold out workshops to students from coast to coast and internationally each year, both in plein air and in studio.

Highlights of 2022 include an Award of Excellence in the OPA Regional Exhibition in Dallas, TX and a 5-week solo museum exhibition at the Taos Art Museum and Fechin Studio in Taos, NM. In Spring of 2023, Terry Ludwig Pastels LLC released “Natasha Isenhour Essential Alchemy” set of 60 pastels. Also, in ’23 she worked a second year as faculty for PACE, Plein Air Convention and Expo in Denver, CO, and was the Featured Pastelist for the Mendocino Open Plein Air event in CA. Participating in her 3rd year at the 17th Annual Borrego Springs Plein Air Invitational in 2023, she walked away with an Honorable Mention, an Award of Excellence in Pastel and was the Quick Draw winner.

Representation includes:

  • Ventana Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
  • Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Affiliations include:

  • Signature Member of Pastel Society of America
  • Signature Member American Women Artists
  • Signature Member Plein Air Painters of NM
  • Distinguished Member of Pastel Society of NM
  • Member of the Salmagundi Club NYC

Eligibility

  • The 20th Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition 2024 juried show is open to any pastel artist 18 years of age or older.
  • Work must be original and from your own reference, not copied from other artists or published materials. Any reference provided by an instructor is not eligible, including an instructor-provided photo, still life setup or model setup.
  • Duplicate paintings are not accepted and will be rejected.
  • If used in your paintings, collage materials must be created by the artist.
  • Artwork’s final surface must be predominantly (80%) traditional dry pastel.
  • Work done under supervision in a class or workshop is not eligible.
  • Paintings must have been completed within the last two years and not previously shown in any Pastel Society of Colorado exhibitions. Any painting identified as shown previously in a PSC exhibition will be rejected OR, if discovered after jurying, will remain in the exhibition and the artist will be prohibited from entering future PSC sponsored shows for one year. The painting will also not be eligible for any awards.
  • If artwork juried into the show is not delivered, then the artist will be prohibited from entering future PSC sponsored shows for one year.

Entry Fee

  • For PSC Members: Up to 3 paintings may be submitted at a fee of $45 plus an additional 3 paintings for $10 each.
  • For Non-Members: Up to 3 paintings may be submitted at a fee of $60 plus an additional 3 paintings for $15 each.
  • Fee is nonrefundable and must be paid at time of entry.
  • Entry deadline is at midnight on the date listed above.
  • All entries must be made through ShowSubmit.com.
  • PSC membership fees are $45 annually. To become a member of PSC, please go to pastelsocietyofcolorado.org/become-a-member.

Awards

  • Generally over $4000 in Cash Awards.
  • Approximately $6000 in Merchandise Awards.
  • 10 AWARDS: Best of Show, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, four honorable mentions, and 2 Specialty awards.
  • Numerous Merchandise Awards.
  • All awards are made at the discretion of our juror/judge.
  • All awards will be final with no exchanges or substitutions.

Online Entry

  • When filling out your artwork information for this show, please be sure all information is correct, including the artwork’s title, as well as pricing of artwork (ALL WORK IS FOR SALE; DO NOT ENTER ANY NFS).
  • All information is entered by the artist and is used AS IS for labels and the catalog. No changes can be made after the entry deadline.

Photo Release Statement

Artists agree to allow the Pastel Society of Colorado and its representatives to use your entry image(s) without compensation. Images or likenesses may be used in publications, websites or social media for any lawful purpose or advertising.

Notification

  • All artists will receive notification by email after jurying is complete, no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.
  • Please add [email protected] to your safe senders list to ensure notifications are received.
  • Up to 2 paintings per artist can be accepted.
  • NOTE: Please be sure to read your letters in their entirety. Most acceptance letters will ask you to RSVP or will have special instructions you must follow.
  • Double check that your personal information (name, address, email, etc.) is correct in ShowSubmit.

Framing & Presentation

  • All works must be delivered framed, glazed, and ready to hang to gallery quality standards, i.e., frames must be suitable for the work and undamaged, with D-ring hangers and wire installed on the frame.
  • Paintings can be with or without mats. White or neutral-hued mats are preferred.
  • Artwork can be floated on black or white mats.
  • If used, liners or fillets should be ¼ inch and may be colored.
  • Artwork not meeting the above criteria will be returned at the artist’s expense and will not be hung in the show.

Size & Requirements

  • Artwork submitted cannot be smaller than 8 inches or larger than 40 inches in any dimension (not including mat and frames).
  • Accepted paintings must be identical to the digital entry. No substitutions or copies are allowed.
  • All work displayed must remain for the duration of the exhibition as listed above.

Sales

  • All work submitted must be for sale.
  • There will be a 40% commission and sales tax will be added to sales (Artists receive 60% of the sale, 20% commission to the venue, 20% to PSC).
  • Foothills Art Center will handle all sales.
  • No work will be released before the close of the exhibit.
  • Artists will be paid for awards and/or sales within 30 days of end of show.

Liability

Utmost care will be taken in the handling of entries and paintings. However, neither the Pastel Society of Colorado nor the venue as listed above or their agents will be responsible for loss or damage to any entries or paintings in transit when submitted for this exhibition. Shipping insurance is the responsibility of the submitting artist. The Acceptance notification from ShowSubmit will also include liability information from Foothills Art Center.

Delivery of Accepted Work

IF SHIPPING:

  • Paintings must be shipped via FedEx or UPS to the following agent and be received between Wednesday, May 1 – Wednesday, May 8 (NO LATER THAN 5/8)

    Foothills Art Center – Astor House
    822 12th Street
    Golden, CO 80401
    Attention: Eriq Hochuli, Curator, 631-433-3994
  • Include name of artist, address, phone number, e-mail, title of painting, price, on the back of your painting.
  • Also, include a bar-coded, pre-paid return shipping label.
  • Please pack work carefully and insure adequately. It is recommended to use Airfloat or Masterpak boxes. PLEASE DO NOT use packing peanuts or similar. Artists will be contacted if work arrives damaged so arrangements can be made to repair or reframe as needed by a local framing company. Artists will be responsible for cost of repair/reframe and will be billed directly by the framer.
  • For any questions on shipping and handling, please contact the Co-Chairs.
NOTE: before shipping your painting take photos of all the steps you took to pack your paintings including the final label. If anything would happen to the paintings, you would have good backup documentation for your insurance claim with the courier.

FOR HAND DELIVERY:
  • Paintings must be delivered on Thursday, May 9, Friday, May 10, or Saturday, May 11, 11am – 2pm
    Foothills Art Center – Astor House
    822 12th Street
    Golden, CO 80401
  • Include name of artist, address, phone number, e-mail, title of painting, price, on the back of your painting.
  • Please see Eligibility regarding the penalty if Foothills does not receive your accepted painting.

Show Co-Chairs

Anne Weber
[email protected]
303-916-1887

Shannon O’Dunn
[email protected]
619-251-8074

Questions

For questions regarding the prospectus, PSC or eligibility, please contact the show chairs listed above. For technical questions about ShowSubmit or the entry process, please see the Support section below.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed by the end of the day on April 12, 2024. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications before that time.

Please add [email protected] to your email safe senders list.

After notifications are sent, you may view the status of your entry in your ShowSubmit artist account’s Entry History. Accepted works will be notated by a green check.

If you do not receive your email, you may also view your notification letter using the View Notification link in your Entry History.

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

Image and Filename Specifications

  • Submit your original JPEG image files.
  • Crop out all parts of the photo that are not the actual work; do not show mat, frame, etc, only the work itself.
  • Image must be displayed right side up.
  • You do not need to resize your image files.
  • You do not need to rename your image files.

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 (March 25, 2024.)
  • 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 the entry process or this website please contact ShowSubmit Support at [email protected]. We will get back to you between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. You can also view the Support Center, Entry Guide, or our FAQ.